Question

In “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe, what does the beating heart that the narrator hears symbolize?



power



guilt



survival



deception

Answer 1

if you could help me out that would be cool

Answer 2

That's an excellent question, and one which has plagued readers of Poe's story since its publication. Frankly, there are a number of ways we can understanding what the beating heart symbolizes in the story. Some critics have argued that the heart symbolizes the narrator's guilt or his own fear. Other critics view the symbol of the beating heart to be symbolic of the narrator's own insanity. Remember, because the story is narrated through only the perspective of the narrator himself (who is unreliable and, as we must keep in mind, is probably not meant to be Poe himself), then the beating heart itself might only exist within the imagination of the narrator and might not be "real."

Answer 3

lost of help

Answer 4

lots

Answer 5

It's basically guilt