The Tell-Tale Heart - Book Report/Review Example

He repeated this exercise for seven long nights. It took him over one hour each night to put his head inside the room and throw the single bead of light on to the old man's eye that resembled the vulture's eye. He found the old man sleeping each night and so he had his eyes closed. He could not see the 'evil eye' even though the single bead of light fell on it. He murders the old man on the eighth night. The narrator is so sure about himself that he allows a chuckle to escape his lips. "I fairly chuckled at the idea, and perhaps he heard me, for he moved on the bed suddenly as if startled.

" (storyline). The chuckle is loud enough for the old man to hear and come awake. Also when he is about to turn on the lantern his thumb slips upon the tin fastening causing the old man to spring up in his bed and cry out, "Who's there" For a whole hour the narrator remains silent and unmoved. The old man too stays awake and seated on his bed.Ultimately, he lets the bead of light from his lantern to fall on the old man's open vulture eye. There is some commotion. The old man shrieks as he is dragged down from his bed.

The narrator throws the bed over the old man and suffocates him to death.The detectionThe narrator proceeds to conceal the body by pulling up three planks from the flooring of the chamber and placing the corpse inside. He replaces the planks over the body. The whole work of concealment of the body takes a few hours and it is 4.00 a.m. when three police officers walk in with the news that a neighbor had heard someone shriek and they had come to investigate. "A shriek had been heard by a neighbor during the night; suspicion of foul play had been aroused; information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers) had been deputed to search the premises.

" (storyline).The narrator continues with his carefree attitude and banters with the three officers. However, the officers' equanimity and professionalism give the narrator away. He breaks down under unyielding, persistent albeit polite interrogation by the police officers.