The opening of The Tell-Tale Heart

Putting it all together

Let’s put together all the snippets for the opening of The Tell-Tale Heart.

True!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily—how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

The Tell-Tale Heart(1843)

Let’s write some variations of this whole snippet.

Situation: A character strongly denies an accusation.

Feeling: Intense, passionate, compulsive.

Techniques:

  • Clusters of intensifiers, qualifiers and describers
  • Strong words
  • Placing important words at the end of a phrase
  • Precision with time
  • Exclamations
  • Fragments
  • Defensive questions
  • Obsessive repetition

One hundred percent? Yes! It is unusual. Even exceptional! The highest in the class, you say? And the highest I’ve ever received, it’s true. But why would you say I cheated? Might I not have studied —long hours —long nights? Suddenly to me all chemistry became clear. All the catalysts I saw, and all their reactions. I noticed incorrect formulas in the textbook. So how do you say I cheated? Step back! Bring my labcoat! I will show you— I will prove to you— my mastery over these atoms!

Of course! The M&Ms —bright, colourful, so, so chocolatey —the M&Ms were there five minutes ago, and now they are not! This we all agree! But why do you say I ate them? Are my fingers stained? Do you detect a sweet darkness on my breath? Smell it! I do love M&Ms —in all their varieties! The plain ones, the peanut ones —most of all the peanut ones —the crispy ones, even the tiny ones that you have to press into the tips of your fingers —yes, even those I love! But these M&Ms I did not eat —not the ones in this bowl, the ones we agreed to share. Dare you call me a glutton? Look around you! Shall we retrace these last five minutes, and see who among us has a crispy, crunchy, candy-shelled secret?

True! Jealous —terribly, desperately jealous I have been and am; but why do you say I am obsessed? My passions are many —not limited —not constrained. Above all has an interest in taxidermy caught me in its grip. I have stuffed and mounted all the bears and elephants I could order. Now I am working on a mouse —so tiny! so delicate! What, then, gives you reason to say I am obsessed with her? Come now! Let me show you how happily —how productively I am engaged in other concerns.

Previous page