Sample of a Short Story Analysis

Short Story Analysis Sample
Link to this story is in Topic Notes #7

Title of Story: The Tell-tale Heart
Author: Edgar Allan Poe

About the Author:
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is an American writer of Gothic poetry and fiction, mostly known
for his works that are of the macabre type. He is also the inventor of the detective fiction and
one of the first writers of short stories. Lesser known is his being a literary critic.
(Source: Wikipedia)

Note: You can use Wikipedia as a reference for the author’s biography but don’t copy the entire
thing. Get only the essentials. You can also use Encyclopedia Britannica as a reference.

Story Analysis The setting is in a house, mostly in the room of an old man. The
Setting old man’s room had a floor made of wood. Most of the action
When and where did the in the story takes place at night.
story take place? Indicate if
the setting was specific or • The main character is unnamed. The main character is also
unclear. the narrator of the story. The story is mostly centered on
Characters/Characterization the thoughts and the actionsof the main character as he
Who are the characters in shares them, and it is very obvious that he is a madman.
the story?
What are the personality • The other character in the story is the old man. It is not
traits of the character/s certain what is his relation to the main character. The old
man is either the master or a relative of the unnamed main
character. It is not explicitly stated, but there are hints that
the old man might have treated the narrator in a very cruel
manner to plan his death in a gruesome manner.

• The three police officers are stock characters devoid of
personality, whose purpose in the story is to bring about
the conclusion/resolution

Subject The story is about a man who plans and executes his plan of
What is the story about? killing an old man.

Theme The theme of the story is guilt. The unnamed character is a
What is the main idea of the madman who plans meticulously and without remorse the
story? What is its murder of his master/relative, an old man. However, his deed
underlying came back to haunt him for his conscience was not silenced.
meaning/message?
Conflict The conflict in the story is purely internal. The main character
List the different types of did not have any problem with the old man except for his eye,
conflicts in the story. but still decides to kill him. Then he grapples with the enormity
Indicate if the conflict is of what he has done, and even without provocation from the
external or internal. police officers, admitted to his crime.
Literary Devices The most prominent symbol in the story is the beating heart of
What are the literary devices the old man. This symbolizes the conscience of the narrator for
used in the story? Indicate if it has beat the loudest at the moment when he was about to kill
any of the devices we the old man. And he heard it beating even when the old man
discussed were used, was dead, when he probably realized the enormity of what he
otherwise leave this blank. had done.
Another symbol used in the story was the eye of the old man.
Summary Nothing else was said about the old man except for the eye with
Give a 2-3 paragraph a film over it. This symbolizes the inability of the narrator to
summary of the story have a clear mind about his situation.
stating the important parts The story is about a person who plans to kill an old man he was
of the story (based on the 5 staying in a house with. Every night, he would sneak into the
plot elements) old man’s room, and shine a thin ray of light over the man’s eye
that he abhors, and wait for a chance to kill him. On the eighth
Why did you choose this night, he saw his chance and killed the old man by suffocating
story? What makes this him. However, after he has cleaned up the scene of his crime,
story a good story? police officers came investigating because of a report from a
neighbor about the noise they hear. The cops saw nothing, but
while the narrator was talking to them, he heard the loud
beating of the old man’s heart and confessed to what he did.

I chose this story because Poe tells a gripping tale about the
ramblings of a mad mind and how this leads him and another
person to peril. The way the story was told made me wonder
what could have happened to make the narrator become this
way. The old man’s loudly beating heart brings home the
message that the conscience is very difficult to silence.