The opening of The Tell-Tale Heart

Hearken and observe!

Let’s look at the last part of the opening to The Tell-Tale Heart. The narrator is back to telling us that he is not mad, and you should recognize the patterns that give him away. 

How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily—how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

The Tell-Tale Heart(1843)

Do you recognize any tricks from earlier snippets?

  • A defensive-sounding question, ending on the word mad
  • An exclamation, making the narrator sound loud and abrupt
  • Obsessive repetition

Let’s try some variations. Have a character ask a defensive question, and then explain how they will prove the accusation false. 

Why, then, would I be the thief? Stop! And just listen how easily —how confidently I can explain my whereabouts.

You say he is a vampire? Never! Observe how comfortably —how naturally he moves around in the sunlight.

You say it was me who drank the water? It was him! Look at his soft skin —his soft hair, and consider how kindly he has been treated by this desert sun!

Write a defensive statement from someone who is guilty.
Write another one.
Previous page