Tell-Tale Heart Analysis

The first time I read the Tell-Tale Heart was in the sixth grade. Until now I did not realize there was much mystery to it. For starters, I did not know that the narrator and the old man lived in the same house. It is obvious that the narrator is completely insane. The narrator describes the eye as being like the eye of a vulture. Vultures are scavengers that swoop in upon dead animals to feast on the carcass. Thus, they are ever-present and diligent. They see everything. The eye in this story symbolizes that sort of penetration. The narrator is obviously disturbed and terrified that someone will see into his deepest fears and violent plans. The eye represents the window into the mind and soul of the narrator. It is always watching him - no matter what, he will be observed. This comes true in the end when the police come and the narrator reveals his own guilt. Someone is always watching - someone always knows. You could also say that the eye is the conscience of the narrator. It watches him because it knows that he is planning to do wrong, and the narrator is thus haunted by it. Instead of trying to reconcile his desire with what his conscience knows is right, he chooses to destroy it. In Islamic culture, those who possess the evil eye have the power to harm people or their possessions just by looking at them. As Gordon said in class, “eye” could be interpreted as “I”. So the narrator is the actual evil in the story. In my opinion, the old man is innocent. The narrator states that the old man as done nothing wrong. I think his intention of murder was based off of hallucinations.