1. The Tell-Tale heart
Edgar Allan Poe

2. Before reading LITERARY FOCUS: NARRATOR
A narrator is a person who tells a story. A story’s narrator may be a character in the story. Another type of narrator is outside the story and observes and reports on the action that takes place. We rely on a story’s narrator to let us know what is going on. But what if the narrator can’t be trusted? As you read “The Tell-Tale Heart,” decide whether or not its narrator is truthful—or even sane.
IRONY: THE UNEXPECTED
Irony is a contrast between expectation and reality. Much of the horror in “The Tell-Tale Heart” comes from Poe’s use of irony. Look for these three basic kinds of irony as you read the story:
Verbal irony: What is said is the opposite of what is meant.
Situational irony: What happens is different from or even opposite of what we expected.
Dramatic irony: We know something a character doesn’t know.

3. Before reading READING SKILLS: PREVIEWING
When you preview a selection, you look it over to see what lies ahead. You might scan the title and skim paragraph or two to get an idea of the writer’s subject and style. Preview Poe’s story. What predictions can you make?
My predictions:

4. Before reading Acute: adj.: sharp. Vexed: v.: disturbed.
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Become familiar with these words before you read “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
Acute: adj.: sharp.
His nervousness increased his acute sense of hearing.
Vexed: v.: disturbed.
He was vexed by the old man’s eye.
Sagacity: n.: intelligence and good judgment.
He was proud of his powers and of his sagacity.
Refrained: v.: held back.
Though furious, he refrained from action.

5. Before reading Wary: adj.: cautious.
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Become familiar with these words before you read “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
Wary: adj.: cautious.
He was too wary to make a careless mistake.
Suavity: n.: smooth manner; smoothness.
The police showed perfect suavity.
Audacity: n.: boldness.
He was impressed with his own audacity.
Vehemently: adv.: forcefully.
He talked more vehemently, but he couldn’t drown out the sound.

6. Before reading Gesticulations: n.: energetic gestures.
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Become familiar with these words before you read “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
Gesticulations: n.: energetic gestures.
His violent gesticulations did not disturb the police officers.
Derision: n.: ridicule.
He hated the smiling derision of the police.

7. While reading Link to the short story
Identify: Re-read the incipit of the short story. Highlight the expressions which reveal the narrator’s mental state and say what they might prove.
Complete the following table:
What the narrator felt upon the 8th night
At what idea the narrator was almost laughing
Simile (a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid; e.g. as brave as a lion.) used to define the room
What the old man shouted

8. While reading What are the following elements compared to?
Focus on comparisons:
What are the following elements compared to?
The ray coming from the lantern is compared to…
The “low, dull quick sound” that the narrator hears is compared to …
The beating of the old man’s heart is compared to…
What is evoked by the expression ‘hellish tattoo’?
Until this point tension has been increasing. Now it may be said it has reached a climax. Identify it by underlining one/some sentence(s) in the text.

9. While reading Focus on how the narrator builds up tension:
Quote from the text:
The officers:
The narrator:
The sound/noise:
What leads the narrator to confess?

10. While reading Focus on symbols:
A symbol is something (a person, an animal, an object) which is used to represent an abstract idea.
The vulture eye may symbolize…
The beating heart may stand for…

11. While reading Focus on narration and narrator: The story is told by:
A third person narrator
A first person witness narrator
A first person protagonist narrator
A third person omniscient narrator
Are the events filtered through the viewpoint of the old man, the author or the narrator?

12. After reading
Is the outcome of the story predictable, unpredictable, surprising? Why?
Is the setting of the story definite/indefinite? To what effect?
Can The Tell-Tale Heart be classified as a psychological, comic, grotesque, romantic, crime, self-confession story? Why?

13. Flipped learning
Study this video (Understanding the Tell-Tale Heart) and share your findings on this collaborative Google Doc.
We’ll discuss your findings in class.

14. Final project In groups, design a poster about either
You can use Canva or draw it.
Feel free to use this tutorial.
In groups, design a poster about either
The Major themes,
Symbols,
Imagery,
Narration and point of view,
Literary devices.
Choose your topic here!

15. Bibliography
Grellet Françoise, 10 short stories, From Guided Reading to Autonomy, Hachette Education.
Guglielmo Corrado, Amazing characters, Interact with Literature, Black Cat.
Understanding the Tell-Tale Heart – R. Balcarcel.
The Tell-Tale Heart
Video (1941)
Minute book report
Narrator and point of view (POV)
Tasks
Cummings Study Guide
Gradesaver
enotes