The Tell-Tale Heart Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.

  1. Can you relate to any of these characters at all? If so, which ones and how? If not, what separates you, from them?
  2. Many suggest that the narrator is of ambiguous gender. If the narrator was a woman, would this impact the your interpretation? If so, how?
  3. Did this story scare you? If so, what scared you the most? If not, what could have made it scary?
  4. If this was a satire (a work critiquing certain aspects of society which the author thinks could use improvement), what might it be saying about American society in the 1840s?
  5. The narrator's story is full of seemingly ridiculous statements. Which did you find the most ridiculous? Now, can you think of any information that, if known, would make the ridiculous statement seem reasonable?