Note: This essay was written by H. Amy, a student at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, in 2023.
Edgar Allan Poe’s haunting narrative, “The Tell-Tale Heart” has long been celebrated for its ability to delve into the depths of the human psyche. The timeless narrative is chilling upon first glance and might seem far removed from the realm of therapy. However, the story sheds light on the inner workings of the human mind with a tale of obsession, paranoia, murder and provides readers with an opportunity to address their own inner emotional struggles. “The Tell-Tale Heart” openly explores the complexities of the human psyche, helping readers with obsessions and anxiety in addressing their own challenges.
In the beginning of the narrative, the main character vividly portrays a descent into madness by showing the psychological effects of obsessions and paranoia. The main character has an obsession over the other main character, an old man, who has an eye that “resembled that of a vulture – a pale blue eye, with a film over it (p.1118).” The main character wants to kill the old man because of his obsession with the vulture-like eye, which he finds unsettling and evil. The obsession with the eye causes him to become irrational and it consumes his thoughts. When readers with their own obsessions encounter the main character’s obsession over the vulture eye, they may feel a sense of identification and validation. Seeing the main character struggle with similar thoughts and emotions can make readers with obsessions and anxiety feel less isolated and abnormal in their own personal experiences.
In addition, the fixation of the vulture eye exemplifies how unchecked obsessions can lead to irrational behavior. The narrator goes to great lengths to watch the old man sleep, showing his fixation on the vulture eye. In the narrative, the main character explains how he “moved in slowly – very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man’s sleep.... I undid the lantern cautiously – oh, so cautiously – cautiously (for the hinges creaked) – I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye” (p.1118). This moment shows irrational behavior in the main character as it invades the old man’s privacy to feed the narrator’s obsession. Readers with obsessions can use this moment in the story to gain a new perspective on their own obsessions and can help them step back and view their thoughts and feelings from a more objective standpoint, potentially reducing the intensity of their obsessions in a positive way. In addition, this can allow the readers with obsessions and anxiety to process their own emotional pressure associated with their obsessions in a safe environment.
In the ending of the “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the narrator does indeed experience guilt and anxiety over the murder of the old man that reveals the severe mental suffering of his guilty conscience. Initially, the narrator is fixated on the old man’s vulture eye leading him to murder the old man. The narrator explains how the heart sound he heard “grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant” (P.1120). In the final paragraph, the narrator explains how he buried the old man under the floorboard. Three police officers shortly arrive afterwards when a neighbor hears a shriek coming from the house. The police officers then make conversation to the main character, standing where the old man is buried under the floorboard. The main character describes how he begins to grow “very pale” and a begins to have a “fancied ringing” in his ears. In the ending, the narrator finally tears up the planks revealing the old man he murdered. In this moment, the beating heart and the ringing in his hears becomes a relentless reminder of the narrator’s guilt and inability to escape the consequences of murdering the old man. It symbolizes the moral and emotional weight he carries after the murder. Readers with obsessions and anxiety can relate to the emotional guilt through reading this moment in the story, and in doing so, may find motivation to confront their own feelings of guilt and anxiety. The narrator’s intense guilt and anxiety can normalize the experience for readers who experience these traits and help them understand that feeling guilt and anxiety is a common human emotion, and they are not alone in struggling with it. Readers having awareness of their similar struggles can reflect on the potential outcomes of their own actions and motivate themselves to make positive changes in their life.
In conclusion, while “The Tell-Tale Heart” is undoubtedly a chilling and suspenseful murder story, it offers readers a unique opportunity for therapeutic exploration. Edgar Allan Poe’s masterful narrative delves into the depths of human obsession, paranoia, guilt, and anxiety within the main character, which provides a reflection of the complexity of the human psyche. The story portrays unchecked obsessions and anxieties that individuals may manage daily. For readers, the chilling narrative can serve as a cautionary example, encouraging self-reflection and understanding of the consequences of unmanaged obsessions and anxieties. It can also foster empathy, identification, and a sense of connection assuring those who struggle are not alone in their own experiences. Ultimately, “The Tell-Tale Heart” may be suspenseful, but it can be an unexpected source of therapeutic insight for those navigating the complexities of their own inner turmoil.
