The Tell Tale Heart: Story Elements Quiz

The narrator is driven mad because he is convinced he hears the old man's heart beating even after his death. What type of conflict is this considered?

• individual vs. individual

• individual vs. nature

• individual vs. self

• individual vs. supernatural

The sound of the heart beating throughout the story is what literary device?

• simile

• onomatopoeia

• alliteration

• rhyme

Which of the following details should be included in a summary of the story?

• The narrator despised the old man's eye.

• The neighbor called police after hearing a noise.

• The narrator and the old man are roommates.

• The narrator waited until midnight each night to sneak into the old man's room.

Which sentence describes the theme of "The Tell Tale Heart?"

• Guilt can drive you to the brink of insanity.

• Be careful who you trust.

• Caretakers sometimes the people they are responsible for.

Which of the following is an example of an individual vs. society conflict?

• The neighbors hear a scream coming from the narrator's house.

• The old man's eye vexes the narrator.

• The narrator confesses after his guilt overwhelms him.

• The police arrive at the narrator's house to investigate a call.

The story ends with the narrator's guilt overwhelming him and he confesses. However, we do not learn what happens to him as a result. What part of the plot is arguably missing?

• exposition

• rising action

• climax

• resolution

Which of the following is a technique Poe used to create suspense in "The Tell Tale Heart?"

• the beating of the heart

• the police officer's senseless chatter

• the use of a flashback in the story

The intensity builds in the last part of the story while the police are at the narrator's house until he breaks and confesses. The event in the story is what part of the plot?

• exposition

• main conflict

• rising action

• climax

From what point of view is this tale told?

• 1st

• 3rd

What does the heartbeat symbolize in "The Tell Tale Heart?"

• the narrator's guilt

• something wicked

• looming death

• a sense of peace