Nicole Cerniglia

Mr. Riccuiti
H College English 3
22 October 2014
Psychoanalysis of The Tell-Tale Heart
By solely reading a text, one can often find it difficult to learn about a character other
than what is stated in the work. However, through the use of psychoanalysis, one is able to
uncover the unconscious thoughts of the author and/or his or her characters. The psychoanalytic
theory provides insight into the beliefs of individuals, and can also give reasoning behind certain
behaviors. In the short story The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, the unconscious
thoughts of the main character can be revealed through the use of psychoanalysis.
The statements made by the main character in the text and the behaviors he recounts are
extremely contradictory. The man states How, then, am I mad? Observe how healthily
how calmly I can tell you the whole story (Poe 3). He then continues on to explain the actions
he took to brutally murder an innocent man, an accomplishment he took pride in. These
statements clearly deny each other a man who is not crazy would not spontaneously kill his
neighbor. Under examination by the use of the psychoanalytic theory, the characters Id is
brought to light and it becomes apparent that there is something psychologically wrong with this
man. Also, by exclaiming the old mans terror must have been extreme! (Poe 6) shows the
reader that this character found satisfaction by instilling fear in the innocent old man. This not
only shows that the psychological being of the main character is severely corrupted, but also that
his perception of reality, or his Ego, is tainted. These characteristics are unlikely to be noticed
by reading alone, and the use of psychoanalysis allows these and the unconscious thoughts of the
main character to be apparent and understood.

Further examination of The Tell-Tale Heart provides evidence of the main characters
unstable mental state. The man claims that he dismembered the corpse and cut off the head
and the arms and the legs (Poe 7). Analysis of this claim, along with the inclusion of ones own
psychological norms, shows that this man finds contentment with an action that is realistically
troubling and unacceptable. The relaxed and unaffected style of the mans storytelling makes it
evident that he is psychologically unstable, and it is apparent that he thinks of himself as an
average, everyday man. The use of psychoanalysis to uncover the unconscious of the main
character is exemplified when his reasoning to the murder of the old man was his vulture-like
eye. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his
gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! I made up my mind to take the life of the old man,
and thus rid myself of the eye forever (Poe 3) shows the deep contortion in the mans thinking,
as he sees possession of a bothersome physical characteristic as a plausible reason to murder
someone. The psychological being, as well as unconscious ideas, are revealed throughout the text
through the use of psychoanalytic theory.
The main character has a clear lack of repression, which gives the reader an opportunity
to deeply psychoanalyze his behaviors and beliefs. Sigmund Freuds psychoanalytic theory
allows one to receive a distinct understanding of the Id and Superego of the main character in
Edgar Allan Poes short story, The Tell-Tale Heart.