The Tell Tale Heart The Tell Tale Heart

The Tell Tale Heart

The Tell Tale Heart • A short story written by American author Edgar Allan Poe • It was first published in 1843 when Poe was 34 years old, • The story is a dark gothic tale which recounts a murder committed by the story's narrator. • Poe's short story makes use of the unreliable narrator technique.

Background on Edgar Allan Poe • Born in 1809 to Elizabeth and David Poe. Both of Poe's parents died by the time he was two years old. • Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, such as "The Raven" and "Annabel Lee" • Poe is credited for creating the detective fiction genre and contributing to the creation of science fiction. • Poe is known for living a very erratic lifestyle. He died suddenly in 1849.

Characterization • Character—the main person, animal, or object around which the action of a story is centered. • Characterization is the method by which authors create characters • There are two methods by which authors can characterize their characters: Direct characterization: The author directly tells what a character is like. Ex: "She had red hair" "He had glassy blue eyes that showed flickers of green in the light" Indirect characterization: The author implies what a character is like. This can be done through a character's words, actions, decisions and thoughts. Ex: An author shows a characters continually stand up for his friends, demonstrating he is loyal. • Remember that the differing between direct and indirect characterization is telling versus showing!

Characterization • The characters in a story are essential to it because they drive the plot of a story. • The things characters say, do, and the decisions that they make are all necessary in order to progress the plot of any story. • Therefore, the characterization of different characters not only reveals who they are, but also pushes the plot of stories forward

As you read the story… • Look for examples of direct characterization • Look for examples of indirect characterization. What do these examples show you about this character? • How do the actions and decisions the narrator makes within the story push the story along?

The Tell Tale Heart Video • https: //youtu. be/w. DLLHTd. VSg. U