Tell Tale Heart Discussion Questions
Why does the narrator call himself “nervous” but not “mad” in paragraph 1? What does this tell us about him? How does the author’s point of view impact the telling of the story?
What do you think the relationship between the old man and the narrator is? What could have been the reason for the old man’s “vulture eye”?
Do you think the narrator would have killed the man if he did not have an “evil eye”? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
The two main symbols in the story are the eye and the heart. What do these symbols represent? Why are they important?
The gender of the narrator is not revealed in the story, although many people assume it is a man. If the narrator were a woman, how would this change your interpretation of the story?
Repetition- Poe is known for using repetition in his work. Find a line that is repeated and tell how it impacts the story.