Tell-Tale Heart

What can the reader infer about the narrator's mental state from the way he describes his actions? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Why does the narrator insist on his sanity throughout the story? How does this insistence affect the reader's perception of him? Provide textual evidence to support your answer.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Based on the narrator's interactions with the old man, what can you infer about the underlying cause of his obsession with the "vulture eye"? Use specific details from the text to explain your reasoning.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

How does the narrator's heightened sense of hearing contribute to the development of the plot? What does this suggest about his reliability as a narrator? Support your inference with details from the story.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Why does the narrator ultimately confess to the crime? What can you infer about his internal conflict? Use evidence from the text to explain your answer.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

How does the author’s use of repetition (e.g., the heartbeat, the narrator’s insistence on sanity) influence the reader’s understanding of the narrator’s mental state? What can you infer from this literary technique?

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6