Insanity vs.

Obsessed Claim
The Tell Tale Heart & The Black Cat
Due Date: Friday, September 29
Directions: Choose whether you believe the Narrator was insane or o bsessed in The Tell
Tale Heart and The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe. Then, identify the line(s) that best support
him as either obsessed and insane. Next, explain why you chose the quote(s) and how it relates
to perception vs. reality. NO I when writing an argumentative paper!

Claim Statement Claim: The narrator of The Tell Tale Heart

and The Black Cat were insane because
Assert whether you believe the narrator is
they murdered people and the narrator from
obsessed or insane. Pick 1 side and argue it!
The Black Cat murdered his cat for no
Do not talk about both please! reason too.

EXAMPLE CLAIM: The narrator of The Tell
Tale Heart and The Black Cat were
(insane/ obsessed) because _______.

Background Information Background Info:

Explain the basic plot of the story - pretend
like your reader hasnt read this story.
Provide information to show what was
happening before you introduce your texts
evidence & give context for your examples.
The narrator encounters an old man with a
glass eye. Each night the narrator opens
the man's door, and the old man doesn't
open his eye, so the narrator feels that he
can't kill him. Over time, the eye freaks the
narrator out, leading him to kill the man.

Text Example #1
Choose evidence from the text to support the
narrator in The Tell Tale Heart as obsessed
or insane.
(can use more than one piece of text evidence)
Quote: Its true! Yes, I have been ill, very ill.
But why do you say that I have lost control of
my mind, Why do you say That I am mad?
Can you not see that I have full control of my
mind? Is it not clear that I am not mad?
-
The old man gave a loud cry of fear as I fell
upon him and held the bedcovers tightly over
his head. Still his heart was beating; but I
smiled as I felt that success was near. For
many minutes that heart continued to beat;
but at last the beating stopped. The old man
was dead. I took away the bedcovers and held
my ear over his heart. There was no sound.
Yes. He was dead!
Paragraph #:

Explanation Explanation: The narrator starts the story

off by saying he is not crazy. It is odd that he
 Insanity vs. Obsessed Claim
The Tell Tale Heart & The Black Cat
Why does this example support the narrator would bring that subject up. By the beginning
as obsessed or insane? of the story he already seems to be insane.
-
Additionally, he kills the old man just
because he doesnt like his eye

Text Example #2 Quote: At one period I thought of cutting the

Choose evidence from the text to support the
narrator from The Black Cat as obsessed or
insane.
(can use more than one piece of text evidence)
corpse into minute fragments, and
destroying them by fire. At another, I
resolved to dig a grave for it in the floor of
the cellar. I determined to wall it up in the
cellar
-
One morning, in cold blood, I slipped a noose
about its neck and hung it to the limb of a
tree;hung it with the tears streaming from
my eyes, and with the bitterest remorse at
my heart;hung it because I knew that it
had loved me, and because I felt it had given
me no reason of offence;
Paragraph #:

Explanation
This supports the narrator is insane because
Why does this example support the narrator
he hangs his own cat, killing it, and then
as obsessed or insane?
after killing his wife, hides her body in the
walls.

Conclusion
Wrap up your paragraph by restating your
claim in a new way and summarizing why
you believe the narrator is obsessed or
insane.
Conclusion:
After reviewing the evidence, it is obvious
that the narrator is insane. In The Telltale
Heart, he killed an old man, and in The Black
Cat He killed is cat and wife and

Lastly, you will write a paragraph that has your claim statement as a topic sentence, setting
up your quote with background information from the story, and lastly supporting details for
the quote. Explain why you chose these quotes (do not use I) and how it supports insanity or
obsession, with a connection of our theme of perception vs. reality. This can be one extended
paragraph or you may choose to break it into multiple paragraphs if you wish.

Write your paragraph(s) below:

 Insanity vs. Obsessed Claim
The Tell Tale Heart & The Black Cat

The narrator of The Tell Tale Heart and The Black Cat were both insane because they
murdered many people and animals. In The Tell Tale Heart, The narrator comes upon an old
man with a glass eye. Each night the narrator opens the man's door, and the old man
doesn't open his eye, so the narrator feels that he can't kill him. Over time, t he eye
irritates the narrator more and more, leading him to kill the man. He hides the man in his
house, and when the police come to investigate, he confesses because he is overwhelmed by the
guilt. In The Black Cat, A man and his wife have many animals in their home. The man
inhabits a drinking problem and starts to abuse the animals. He cuts one of his cats eyes out
and later kills the cat by hanging it. The mans house burns down that night, and a few days
later another cat shows up. Is it a figment of his imagination? The more the man dislikes the
cat, the more the cat follows him. He attempts to kill the second cat but instead kills his wife
because she was protecting the cat. He then hides his wifes body inside his house. Starting
with The Tell Tale Heart, The passage states, ...I fell upon him and held the bedcovers tightly
over his head. Still his heart was beating; but I smiled as I felt that success was near. For many
minutes that heart continued to beat; but at last the beating stopped. The old man was dead. I
took away the bedcovers and held my ear over his heart. There was no sound. Yes. He was dead!
Dead as a stone. His eye would trouble me no more! Additionally it adds, I pointed at the
boards and cried, Yes! Yes, I killed him. Pull up the boards and you shall see! I killed him. But
why does his heart not stop beating?! Why does it not stop!? He is attached to the man and
ends up killing him because he is insane. Next, in The Black Cat, the passage states, I took
from my waistcoat-pocket a penknife, opened it, grasped the poor beast by the throat, and
deliberately cut one of its eyes from the socket! The horrid tone this is written in further
proves why he is insane. Additionally, when the narrator attempts to kill the second cat, his
wife interjects and the axe struck her head I withdrew my arm from her grasp and buried the
axe in her brain. She fell dead upon the spot without a groan. This excerpt from the stories
explains the appalling nature of the narrators in both stories. They are most definitely insane
because one of them killed his cat and his wife and the other killed a man because of his glass
eye. The following reasons provide enough evidence to assume the narrator is insane.

RUBRIC
W.8.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
 Insanity vs. Obsessed Claim
The Tell Tale Heart & The Black Cat
Not Yet Meeting (1) Approaching Standard (2) Meeting Standard (3) Exceeding Standard (4)

Introduced the claim(s). Introduced the claim(s).. Introduced the claim(s). Introduced the claim(s) in
Provided evidence that Provided evidence that Organized the reasons a way that was very
was not relevant or was sometimes relevant, and evidence clearly and clear.. Used very logical
logical or was from logical, and credible. logically. Used evidence reasoning and highly
sources that were not Writing was mostly formal that was logical, relevant, credible sources. Showed
credible. Struggled to and clear. Provided a and credible. Writing was a deep understanding of
maintain a formal style. conclusion that followed formal and clear. the topic. Writing was
Provided a conclusion the arguments. Provided a conclusion formal, clear, and
that related to the that followed and engaging. Conclusion
arguments. supported the arguments could lead the reader to
presented. take action.