Question

Which theme is highlighted in this excerpt from “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe?

A.

murder leads to justifying the act

B.

murder leads to deceiving authorities

C.

murder causes an all-encompassing guilt

D.

murder creates a feeling of extreme power

The officers were satisfied. My MANNER had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat and while I answered cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears; but still they sat, and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definitiveness—until, at length, I found that the noise was NOT within my ears.

No doubt I now grew VERY pale; but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased—and what could I do? It was A LOW, DULL, QUICK SOUND —MUCH SUCH A SOUND AS A WATCH MAKES WHEN ENVELOPED IN COTTON. I gasped for breath, and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly, more vehemently but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why WOULD they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men, but the noise steadily increased. O God! what COULD I do? I foamed—I raved—I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder—louder—louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God!—no, no? They heard!—they suspected!—they KNEW!—they were making a mockery of my horror!—this I thought, and this I think.

Answer 1

C.murder causes an all-encompassing guilt. This is the correct option.

The narrator  becomes tormented by the murder he committed. His guilt is what gives him away when the police are with him. The narrator dismembered the old man's body and hid  the parts bellow the floor. While he is with the officers he hears the man's heart-beats. However, this sound is jut present in the narrator's mind. This is the cause of his complete sense of guilt. The officers cannot hear any sound. The narrator cannot believe they are not hearing anything and he thinks they are making fun of his guilt. He feels so guilty that he ends up confessing to the officers that he murdered the old man.

These options are not right:

A.murder leads to justifying the act. The focus is set on guilt , not on murder as a means to justify an end.

B.murder leads to deceiving authorities. The authorities are told the truth at the end of the story because the narrator cannot cope with his guilt any longer. The narrator can decieve the authorities at the beginning but then, he fails.

D.murder creates a feeling of extreme power. In this excerpt, murder creates a feeling of extreme guilt.

Answer 2

Answer:

C

Explanation:

I took a  test.