The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe Short Story Analysis

A psychopath possesses a wide range of traits. Narcissism, overconfidence, impulsivity, a lack of regret, and a lack of guilt are some of the characteristics. Many of these characteristics are displayed by the narrator in Edgar Allan Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart." This is why he needs help. When the cops arrive at his place, the narrator exhibits narcissistic behavior. He acts as though he hasn't done anything wrong. The sensation of authority over others is appealing to narcissists. On the eighth night, the narrator chuckles, demonstrating this. He's giggling because he knows the old man is terrified. Although this is a horrendous thing to do, it demonstrates that he is in desperate need of help.

There are a variety of reasons why the narrator exhibits symptoms of various mental conditions. Despite the fact that the old guy is dead, he can hear his heartbeat. This displays schizophrenic behaviors. In the beginning of the text, the man shows that he is crazy. “The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell.” The narrator knows he has a disease. The narrator is aware that he is suffering from an illness. The mental disorders he suffers from are readily apparent. He is completely oblivious to his deeds. He is conscious of his actions, but he has no idea what he is committed. When he killed the man, he felt no remorse. This is a trait of a psychopath.

It is very obvious the narrator needs help. Many could argue that he knew exactly what he was doing, but it is very obvious that he wasn't in control of his actions. It can be argued that he knew what he was doing whilst watching the man, but there is no possible way a mentally sane person would watch an old man while they sleep. Another argument that can be put against him is that a psychopath and narcissistic person can’t love. Although they can’t really love, they can still care for another person. He said he loved the old man, because the old man was close to him, and he treated him as a friend. The narrator acted on impulses when shoving the mattress over the old man’s head. He shows many traits of a psychopath, and severely needs help. 

Because of the man's eye, the narrator killed him. He wished to be free of seeing it for the rest of his life. Why doesn't the narrator just leave the old man alone? What motivates him to act in this manner? You can know the narrator acted on impulses because he is mentally sick, because why would someone kill someone because of the way their eye looks? After committing the murder, the man smiled. After suffocating the old man with the bed mattress, the narrator smiles with relief. Then, knowing that the man is dead and that the eye is no longer a worry, he quickly slices up the man's body parts. After murdering someone, a mentally sane person would not smile. After killing the man above his eye, he exhaled a sigh of relief. Why would a normal person do anything like this? Another trait of a psychopath is the inability to plan for the future. What would the man do if he didn’t confess? What would happen when the body begins to rot? Would he just leave the man chopped under the floorboards? He didn't think things through because he is a psychopath. He didn’t think for the future, and he acted on his impulses. 

To conclude, the man needs to get mental help. He wasn't aware whilst doing these things, and needs psychological therapy. He should be sent to a rehabilitation facility. After he goes through psychological therapy he should be sent to prison to deal with the consequences of what he did. The narrator did not plan for the future. He didn’t think of what would happen if the man's body began to decay and began to smell. The man needs help, which I believe he is not guilty of his actions due to insanity.