TheTell-Tale Heart 3 gr. B

 

 The Tell-Tale Heart : 2nd and final part

1. What literary devices does Poe use to maximize narrative tension in the first paragraph of the second part ?

Poe stresses the feelings and the inner life of his character through simple means (des moyens simples) : he uses short sentences, and repeats a few words numerous times (louder is repeated six times, quiet twice). Details of the murder are given in that paragraph, this is a pivotal point (point central) in the story.

2. In the second paragraph, how does Poe show his character is mad ?

He starts the paragraph by addressing the reader and saying "if you still think me mad;" he says that he's not mad because of his wise precautions, which paradoxically consists in dismembering the corpse of the loveable old man.

Impact on the reader : fear / disgust / and fascination

Poe initially had more success in France than in the USA ; we can wonder if his gruesome description hasn't influenced later movements such as gore movies and the Grand Guignol plays (pièce de théâtre).

3. Why are the police officers visiting the narrator in the middle of the night ?

They want to search the premises because a neighbour heard a shriek.

4. Read between "I smiled..." and "...within my ears." How is the perversity of the narrator exemplified ?

The narrator invites the police in, and he insists on them to sit in the room where he killed the old man, even though he has an alibi.

Perversity for Poe is like a cartoon character with a demon on its shoulders. Ideas which are alien to the character impress him, beguile him (seduce), making him feel compelled (se sentir obligé) to follow them, even if it means his destruction.

5. What literary devices does Poe use to maximize narrative tension in the last before least paragraph ?

" Dashes" and short sentences help stressing narrative tension. The very last sentences are one word short ("Louder!").

He can hear noises that are louder and louder, these are the heartbeats of the old man, and he knows the police can hear them.

6. Is this story fantastic or realistic ?

Fantastic : the old man's heart is still beating but he's dead.

Realistic : He is crazy and he imagines things, his hypersensitivity is just a lie. 

7. Try and spot references to watches and time.

"ringing," "heartbeat," FATE is inescapable.

Strangers, Koontz, 1986

1. It's the story of Dominick Corvaisis who is a somnambulist (dreamwalker). He wakes up in a closet. He thinks about his condition, and links it with folklore and anecdotes about lycanthropy and spirits.

2. It's third narrative story. We know his name, and it seems like a familiar setting. However, the character is primaly shown through his condition, and a possible trauma might explain it later during the plot. The character is there for the story to unfold.