by Kara Sordelett

Created on: November 17, 2009

Reality and Illusion

Edgar Allan Poe's use of symbolism develops each of the plots in his gothic-style short stories and poems. Poe's symbolism in "The Tell-Tale Heart" is what drives this short story and allows the reader to experience things other stories may not be able to offer. There are many different types of symbolisms Poe reveals in this story. These include objects, numbers and lengths of time. Reality, illusion and the balance in the human nature of good verses evil are the main attractions of this short story.

Poe does not have the plot and character development in "The Tell-Tale Heart" that is seen in other works of literature; the reader forms these ideas of the plot and character. Who is the narrator? Is it a man or woman? Is the narrator old or young? Where is the location? How does the narrator know the old man? These are some of the questions that the reader asks. These are important aspects of a plot and they are not given. In my opinion, Poe does this on purpose so the reader can formulate his own opinion. In a way, Poe is saying that anyone can be a murderer, not just a white male, the murderer could be female or Asian; Poe does not discriminate. However, while he does not develop the characters he does lay out the symbolism where they can be analyzed. Symbolism is present in the story where one can find it and wrap his own ideas around it and attempt to get inside the mind of Poe. Symbolism is the one thing that Poe gives the reader to concentrate on which is why it is such an important part of his work.

A few of the object symbolisms include the drapes or shutters located in the old man's bedroom: "His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness, (for the shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers)..." (229). The shutters represent privacy and secrecy because they stay closed and keep the room dark and all peering eyes away. They also offer up a false sense of security. The old man believes that with these shutters closed, no harm will come to him; no robbers will try to invade his home. He doesn't realize that the person he needs protection from is already in the four walls of his home. The bedroom itself has meaning. There are many different symbols for a bedroom, but dealing with this story it represents the unconscious or an illusion. The old man has trusted the narrator to care for him and so far he has not been wronged, but the old man does not know what is to come. And since the narrator is a mad man, it

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