Comparison between The Tell-tale Heart Essay

The specialize-Tale totality was indite by Edgar all in allan Poe in 1843. famed for his scary novels Poes most famous work was the absolutely story, The verbalize-Tale Heart which depicts an anonymous storyteller as he carries pop his plan to borrow a helpless anile man. misery was written by Stephen tabby in 1987 and it follows a similar theme of abomination/thriller with similar characters in similar po teaseions. King tells the story of a renowned author as he gets captured and tortured by a woman.Both of these stories map una same techniques through their plat, language and punctuation just they extradite much the corresponding effect on the lector. In twain stories, unity of the underlying techniques for grammatical construction up doubt is hidden inside a well ideal out and structured plot. In misfortune, the narrative switches certify and forth between capital of Minnesota the author, and his kidnapper, who is known only as Annie. This develops the main source of irresolution in the story building it up by saying where each character is, what theyre doing and how close theyre acquiring to each other.What affixs to this suspense is the effect of earshot capital of Minnesotas thoughts directly. Even though the take a counsel is written in third person, a fraction of the text is written in italics and it represents capital of Minnesotas thoughts. The generator does this for several undercoats. To show things from capital of Minnesotas sign of view and what he is theoriseing at the meter in more degree , only too to underline how broken and panicked he is as things start to go wrong. By hearing Pauls thoughts directly the indorser gets to understand how fearful Paul is of getting caught. overly concealed between the lines of the plot is the way the writer stresses the high stakes of what Paul was doing and what get out occur to him if hes caught. Right at the fount of the elicit, Paul compares what is proceed ing to him, to his past childishness experience. Through this comparison, the writer introduces the possible idea of Paul getting caught and what provide happen to him if he is. The flashback takes the indorser back to when Paul had been twelve and contumacious to try some of his mothers cigarettes. As the room alter with smoke, his mum restitutioned in search for her forgotten purse.We are non told nearly what his mother did to him when she caught him, but you can guess from the words It will be more than a spanking this time that it was passing to be badly. This tells us that if he is caught by Annie in present day he would boast to face terrible consequences. Paul compares these to situations beca wont in both(prenominal)(prenominal) hes attempting something and trying not to get caught. In the flashback he does get caught, talent a sense of foreboding to the rest of the story, making the reader think he might get caught again.The high stakes are overly shown throug hout the option in Pauls actions and thoughts. His desperation in his attempts to get back into the room and lock the door and his attention to breaker point show how scared he is of getting caught, beca rehearse of what he thinks will happen to him if he is. Oh Jesus Christ, did you break up the hasslet, did you leave a cold shoulder. His thoughts also scream fear and anxiety in the way punctuation like question marks, exclamation marks and pauses are apply. did she hear that? She essential adjudge must have perceive that These things are employ very in effect as Paul stumbles upon problem upon problem as he attempts to return to the living room afterward failing to escape from his prison. He must leave everything the way it was to avoid suspicion from Annie, his kidnapper. However his luck doesnt seem to be doing him any favours whilst Annie pulls up the driveway. His premiere problem was getting into the living room the wheelchair was a very tight fit. On his first go he crashed into the side, The wheelchair thumped against the function side of the doorway and bounced back a little.His reaction to this was one of grand terror and panic, Did you chip the pain? His mind screamed at him. On his second try he got packed in the doorway and wouldnt budge. The amount of effort he lay out in getting through shows the reader how scared he was of the woo of getting caught. The muscles in his arms quivering like overturned violin strings. The other problem that he encounters is make clear to the reader, as Paul tries to close the door of living room. The door must be closed and locked in order to leave everything the way it was before Annie left(a) it and avoid suspicion.However whilst pushing the lock back with his thumb he meets an obstruction. Through panicked deduction he realizes the bobby pin he had before apply to unlock the door was stuck in the keyhole, stopping the lock from going back inside. These events contribute greatly to the suspe nse of the extract by free Paul more chance of getting caught and keeping the story stimulate and fast. In terms of thousand I think that in Misery, as Paul encounters several problems on his return to the room, the story is more fast-paced and exciting than The Tell-Tale Heart.In comparison with Misery, The Tell-Tale Heart is extremely vague and deliberate because as it is first person the storyteller is describing everything in full compass point and all his thoughts at the time. Plus most of the murder involved waiting. At the end of the extract Paul overcomes all his problems but as he sit in his wheelchair awaiting the untimely arrival of Annie, he looks down and realises that the loge of Novrils is still in his lap. The box of Novrils was still in his lap. This final fourth dimension in its simplistic form puts an end to Pauls series of unfortunate events in a great climax of suspense.The sentence is short and straightforward, leaving the reader to work out what will happen for themselves. There was no way Paul could do anything with the box without cosmos seen because Annie was skillful on the other side of the living room door. If she pile him with the Novrils (which were fictional painkillers) she would be able to guess what he was doing whilst she was out and he would have to pay the dire consequences of his actions. From the extract, the way Paul was reacting to every detail of the room, you would fear the worst for his life.The sentence finishes the extract with an ominous hale tone for what will happen to Paul when discovered, leaving the story with a suspenseful cliff-hanger. In The Tell-Tale Heart, the way the plot builds up tension lies solely with the bank clerk and the way he recounts the story of how he killed an old man. The narrator starts the story by trying to convince and persuade the reader that he is indeed in their right minds(predicate) and not mad. This in itself is mysterious what had he done that needed impress ion on others behalf to credit as sane. The narrator then introduces the idea of a murder by first establishing the motivating behind the crime.The narrator states that he killed the old man (the victim) whom he loved, on the basis that he had and nub that resembled that of a vulture. I think it was his eye Yes it was this One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture-a pale blue eye with a film over it The motive is ridiculous and in no way should it inspire an act of murder. By first introducing the idea of a murder through the murderers motive, the writer intromits the reader to make up their opinion on the saneness of the narrator at the beginning of the story whilst enticing the readers imagination leaving them wondering what else this madman will do.So already the reader would have a set opinion on the narrator, and the narrators behaviour throughout the rest of the short story would do nothing but solidify their suspicions of a troubled individual who is mentally ill. This i s not only because he/she is unendingly trying to prove their conceiver thinking behind the murder, but also because they believe that this genius and contrivance must surely grant them their sanity. Would a madman have been as wise as this? At the end of the story the narrator (lulled into a false sense of security by his soon to be pass(a) success) permits the entry of several policeman into the very room where he had committed the murder, after they came knocking to investigate a mysterious noise heard by one of the neighbours. Not only does he let them sit in the room, but also on the very floorboards where the cut up parts of the dead body lay hidden beneath. Though this just maybe a sign of over-confidence, it is bordering on madness and another reason for the reader to doubt the judgment of the narrator.If all this strange behaviour isnt enough to chill the reader, then the murderer hallucinating should be. His guilty informed gets the better of him and he thinks he can hear the imaginary whacking of the stopped pith of the dead old man. The narrator succumbs to the noise by confessing to the clueless police sitting in front of him, that he had killed the old man who had lived here. Villains I shrieked, Dissemble me no more I conciliate the deed -tear up the planks -here, here it is the beating of his hideous heart The narrators insane behaviour throughout the story adds to the horror halo of the text.As a final sentence, I would say that Misery terminate better than The Tell-Tale Heart in terms of suspense, because it leaves more unexplained questions in readers mind. This is probably because Misery is an extract and still in the middle of its story, and The Tell-Tale Heart finishes with its last line. As an ending I do believe that the final sentence of The Tell-Tale Heart is satisfying as it gives the reader the bare minimum information for the reader to deduce what happens to the murderer after he confesses instead of just saying that he was arrested and went to prison.After analysing both plots, overall I think that the plot of the Misery extract builds up tension better than The Tell-Tale Heart solely on the belief that it is its faster-paced therefore much more exciting. The effect of the chosen narrative for The Tell Tale Heart, which is first person and from the narrators point of view, lets the reader into his/her mind and see their motives and thinking behind an atrocious crime. First person is perfect for The Tell Tale Heart because looking into the murderers mind is only what the reader needs to get a puritanical grasp of the plot.The disadvantages however, are you do not get to find out the gender of the murder because its all I did this and I did that. Also you dont find out what the old man is feeling or what he is thinking. For Misery however third person is utilize and that also suits the story quite well. This way youre aware of both Paul and Annies actions at the same time. If it was first person and from Pauls point of view, since Paul couldnt have known exactly where Annie was and what she was doing and how close she was, the reader would be clueless and the main way the plot builds up tension would be gone.If it was from Pauls point of view, the steering of the narrative will no yearner switch between Paul and Annie, therefore eliminating one of the ways the plot creates a impaleping asynchronous transfer mode and seriously lowering the suspense levels. The disadvantages of third person are made up for by being able to see Pauls thoughts directly. Other than the plot, language is the main source of suspense employ to create the atmosphere of the two texts. In Misery, the writer has chosen to use one by one effectual words that remind the reader of close whilst describing something that is completely unrelated.Phrases such(prenominal) as stopped dead and inside the guts of the lock and Wasnt it enough she killed the phone? In all these occasions, the writer coul dve used simple, non-death associated words, but instead he used the words dead, guts and killed. All these words inspire the thought of death in the readers brain, and although it is not directly mentioned it subconsciously arouses the idea of Pauls death in the readers mind. This adds to the overall horror and suspense of the extract.In The Tell-Tale Heart individual words are also used to set the mood of the text but in a different way. sooner of death-connected words, the writer has used long and soft sounding words to slow the pace of the story and calm the mood. I undid the lantern watchfully oh, so cautiously cautiously The use of the word cautiously, which is a long and soothing word, slows the pace of the story down and set s a calm atmosphere. In terms of adding suspense to the text, I believe that Miserys use of death-related words is more effective.In that sentence, the other thing that calms the mood is the use of repeat. As the narrator repeats the word cautiously , it emphasizes the situation the narrator was cautious and it shows the narrators arrogance in their actions. However repeating is used for other purposes throughout the short story. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant . . . It grew louder I say, louder every moment This phrase contains a lot of repetition as the narrator is trying to stress how quick and loud the beating heart was.The repetition also allows the writer to show how agitated the narrator is getting, because of the fact it was getting quicker and louder, but also because he thinks that the reader doesnt believe him. A clear sign of insanity. In Misery repetition is used for similar reasons, but instead of agitation its to show the characters desperation, in phrases like Caught Im caught Please perfection, no God dont let her hurt me God and Come on . . . Come on . . . Come on. In the first reference the repetition of the word God shows that hes really hopeless and has started to pray to God to help him.The second quote is similar as he is repeating the words come on as he gets more and more distressed. In misery what are also used to emphasize a point are superlatives like in the grip of the greatest terror he had ever known. This superlative highlights how bad the experience was for Paul. I believe that The Tell-Tale Hearts use of repetition is more effective than Misery because not only does it build up suspense but also it shows signs of madness in the narrators behaviour which does not occur in Misery. This helps the plot on the whole build up tension.There is a great variety of long and short sentences in both stories. In both human beings of text short sentences are used to slow the pace of the text down. In the Tell Tale Heart it shows that the narrator is calm and unrushed. But even further I refrained and kept the lantern still. I scarcely breathed. I held the lantern motionless. However, in misery short sentences are used to emphasize whats fortuity in the sentence. It was her. This sentence just highlights the fact that it was Annie pulling up the driveway, and it makes the reader think about the consequences of these events.Although both are successful in creating suspense, I believe that Misery is more effective. Long sentences are usually used to keep the story going and build up the suspense. In Misery however, long sentences also show that Paul is panicked and rushed. He sat in his chair, eyes half -closed, hoping madly that he had gotten the chair back where it had been(or at least close enough to it so she wouldnt notice), hoping that she would take his drenched face and quivering body simply as reactions to lose his medication, hoping most of all that he hadnt left a track.This humungous sentence shows how worried Paul is of getting caught and its a great way to build the suspense because it allows no pauses. In The Tell-Tale Heart, long sentences arent used as effectively to build up suspense. In both pieces of text , there is a lot of punctuation used effectively to add horror and tension. The Tell-Tale Heart is first person and from the narrators point of view, so exclamation marks and capitals are used for his thoughts when he is sore and or shocked. They heard -they suspected -they KNEW -they were making a mockery of his horror The exclamation marks and capitals are emphasizing his thoughts, showing his rage and disbelief, whilst the dashes allow no pause and add suspense as he moves from one revelation to another. In other occasions, exclamations are used to show the narrators surprise and wonder at his own brilliance and ingenuity. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in The Misery extract however, contained only a couple of exclamations, used only to show that Annie was shouting to Paul in the living room so they were less effective than ones in The Tell Tale Heart.In The Tell-Tale Heart, because the narrator is recounting a story, it is virtually as if he is h aving a conversation with the reader. At the beginning of the story, the narrator begins by asking numerous questions on whether or not the reader believed he was mad or not. How then am I mad? The effect of these questions and question marks makes the reader feel as if he had contradicted the narrator in some way and the narrator was having an purpose with them. This is a frank way to show the madness of the narrator from right at the start of the story.Question marks are also used in Misery however for different reasons. Phrases such as did you chip the paint? and did you leave a track? are used as another way to show Pauls desperation but also to show his own uncertainty as he starts to panic. For these reasons I believe the use of question marks is better in Misery than in The Tell-Tale Heart. Another aspect of the punctuation in Misery is the use of pauses. Come on . . . come on . . . come on and never . . . never in time . . .Shell hear are two good examples of where the writer has used pauses to give a sense of desperation and anxiety to Pauls thoughts. To conclude this essay, I would have to say that the extract from Misery by Stephen King is more effective than The Tell-Tale Heart in the way it creates an atmosphere of horror and suspense. It does this by using and expert go away of individually effectual words, well structured plot, effective narrative, well thought out and carefully placed punctuation, and a wide range of long and short sentences.Although The Tell Tale Heart does contain most of the techniques say above, one thing I think Misery does better, and what makes it the better piece of text, is hidden inside its suspenseful plot line where Paul is constantly in a state of desperation and anxiety and in almost immediate danger. This I think is lacking in The Tell-Tale Heart, the sense of immediate danger, and is what makes the extract from Misery the perfect horror/suspense text.