Insanity of the Narrator: The Descent of Madness - Term Paper Example

Insanity of the Narrator: The Descent of Madness The ‘The Descent of Madness’ creates a literal suggestion of the main theme in Poe’s narration, ‘The Tell-Tell Heart.’ The story provokes the reader to conduct an engaging exploration into the character’s premise and motivation behind his actions and thought patterns. Poe’s story revolves around the aspects of mental sanity and moral quilt of an unnamed murderer. The murderer, who features as the character and the narrator, strives to justify his action, but later confesses of being overwhelmed by the quilt resulting from his wrongful deed. One intriguing trait portrayed by the character involves his persistence about being sane, yet his wrongful action coupled with the motivation behind his action suggests otherwise. From a reader’s perspective, it is undeniable that the narrator suffers from peculiar psychological problems. However, the narrator remains confident regarding his mental status. He claims that the peculiar state of his mind makes him sharp and enlightened. Succeeding parts of this essay evaluates the main elements of Poe’s writing together with the true motivation behind the narrator’s crime. At this juncture, I am personally fascinated by the narrator’s mentality and his state of sanity. His mental construct and subsequent actions conceived from his thoughts constitutes elements of masochism and sadism. After reading the story, it occurred to me that the narrator has a psychological disorder that impulses him to commit unparalleled acts of pain infliction, thus making him a sadist. On the contrary, the element of masochism manifest through the manner in which the narrator derives pleasure and gratification from the sadistic act of murder. In this context, the story remains fascinating, not because of the murder. Rather, Poe’s story combines sadomasochistic expressions and psychotic compulsion of sadism (Brett 25). Upon close consideration of the narration, it is evident that the narrator is neither smart nor dumb. His smart but deceitful mind subsequently compromises his persistence on being sane. The narrator features a being both a clever spider and a misfortunate housefly. At first, he manipulatively circumvents around his complex cognitive web, but eventually gets trapped in the same web. At one point, the narrator conducts his life in a normal way. However, the sight of the old man’s vulture eyes invariably invites his peculiar bipolar being and the desire to commit murder (Hollie 144). The first incident of his bipolar personality appears when he confesses that he loved the old man, yet the act of killing the man disapproves his notion of love for the victim. In the story, the narrator asserts that he did not hate the old man. In fact on page 303 of the story, he is on record saying, “I loved the old man” (Hollie 144). Supposedly, he did not have even the slightest motive of harming the old man. Despite his love, he was chilled and terrified by the victim’s vulture eyes. He would not kill the man while asleep because it was not the old man he hated but his eyes. Upon seeing the man’s eyes, his desire for murder grew exponentially. In this context, the narrator’s bipolar being remains divided between his desire to kill and his self-proclaimed love for the old man. Therefore, the dichotomy between love and desire to kill throws the narrator deep into his cognitive web; hence increasing his chances of being trapped inside the same web at the end of the story. The second incident of madness and divided personality manifest when the narrator struggles to contain his sadistic desires and actions within a deceptive mind. Based on the story, one can acknowledge the fact that the narrator is teetering on the edge of sanity like a metaphorical cliff. He is personally aware of his twisted mentality but disregards it and tries to conduct his life normally. The metaphorical cliff of sanity results from a conflict between sadistic and masochistic forces within a single mind. Based on the article, there is usually a thin line between sadism and masochism. Technically, Freud’s psychology asserts that a sadist is always a simultaneous masochist (Hollie 146). The narrator knew that killing the old man would cause substantial pain because murder in a wrongful deed. However, killing the man would solve the fear associated with gazing into the victim’s evil and demonic eyes. In this context, the character admits that the act of killing is wrong. To justify this premise, page 235 of Poe’s story captures the narrator saying, “I know what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart.” (Hollie 145) However, the murderer goes on to fulfill his wrongful desire because according to him, every pain inflicted on a victim carries in itself a corresponding feeling of gratification and pleasure. According to the narrator, the act of murder was the only way of freeing himself from fear and chill induced by the old man’s vulture eyes. In this context, the narrator would admit that murder was the only intelligent solution to his problem, which to me makes him an egocentric person. Egocentric nature of the character explains why he takes pride in his action. As acknowledged in the preceding paragraph, there are high chances that a sadist is simultaneously a masochist. Within the story, the act of taking gratification in murder appears when the narrator provides detailed description of his act. In page 303 of Poe’s narration, the murderer boasts about the perfect nature of his action by saying, “You should have seen how wisely I proceeded; with what caution, with what foresight.” (DeVita and Vearch 09) Based on Beatty’s article, there is a close relationship between the murderer’s words, actions and the Freudian metaphorical power associated with men (Beatty 298). At the beginning, the narrator describes how he conceived the idea, which Freudian psychology mentions as an unconscious desire and manifestation of male power and egocentric nature. The act of murder and pleasure resulting from the wrongful deed signifies transformation of unconscious desires into powerful actions in practical context. In committing the murder, the character was confident that he would contain the quilt associated with taking the old man’s life. His ego assured him that he would conceal the evil deed and the resultant pleasure and gratification would neutralize any guilt resulting from the sadistic act. The ego parameter explains why the narrator remained calm and composed when the police officers arrived to investigate the crime. The murderer’s confidence way high and his act was flawless, thus the police suspected nothing. The complex interaction of ego and evil allowed the narrator to even sit above the boards that concealed his dark deed. Throughout the investigation, his evil ego made the narrator to compose lies for the officers. In page 236 of Poe’s story, the narrator tells the police that the screams heard during the killing were his own precisely “in a dream” In this context, egocentrism and neglect to moral elements of good versus evil allowed the narrator to enjoy his blissful moments while staying blind to the sin staring at him. In fact the sin remained as the only practical proof of the narrator’s heroism and intelligence in solving personal problems. For quite a considerable period, the narrator’s perception sheltered him from the truth (Wing-chi 25). Rather than feeling remorseful for his action, he remained immune to the universal notion of right and wrong. Despite existence of the strong ego and deceptive rationality of his murder, the narrator did not remain blind to the truth for long. During the blissful moments of self-reassurance, he took notice of a new feeling of paranoia. His sanity is back with the guilt of murdering the old man. He even he could hear his heartbeat beneath the floor. According to Magdalen, it became evident that “heroes do not remain blind to the truth for long” (Wing-chi 28). The inquisitive gaze of universal truth and guilt troubles sinners to an extent that they swiftly confess of their wrongs. Constant feelings of paranoia and quilt compel a criminal to reveal the truth. At first, the narrator remained immune to quilt because he was sheltered by his ego and self-constituted solution to fear. However, the walls of his temporary shelter would soon tumble down, exposing him to the universal realm of right and wrong. The narrator had remained confined within restricting boundaries of egoistic positioning in relation to that of others (Witherington 478). After the murder, truth dawned on him. The increasing quilt and paranoia would not allow him to remain blind to consciousness and moral law. In this regard, the feelings of quilt and paranoia boiled up inside the narrator until he broke and confessed his sin. After confessing his sin to the officers, the narrator tries to justify his crime and insanity. Undeniably, the narrator is younger than the victim in the story. In this case, it is objective to conclude that the old man played the role of a guardian to the victim. Based on this new premise, it emerges that the narrator was constantly “under the old man’s gaze” (Smith 176). This means that the narrator lacked privacy because he was always seen by the vulture eyes. He mentions that constant encounter with the vulture eyes made him disoriented and engulfed within his sadistic thoughts. He tries to balance the effect of the old man’s gaze by sneaking into the man’s room while asleep and gazing back at him. With time, the night gazes could not create a harmonic balance between the two characters. At one point, the narrator claims that “the gaze of others can force him to feel a defensive, paranoiac insecurity.” On page 91 of Poe’s book, the narrator claims that on the eighth night the old man’s uncanny gaze “chills the very marrow in my bones” (Wing-chi 29). Based on this reason, the narrator mentions that the only solution to his chills and fears for the old man’s gaze was eliminate the vulture eyes. Subsequently, the increasing feelings of fear coupled with a desire to eliminate the source of his fears compelled him to commit the murder. Despite his efforts to justify his actions, the narrator was overwhelmed by the constant knock of truth on his door of consciousness. Trying to justify his actions proved even more potent in enhancing the feelings of quilt. His insane mental alignment could no longer sustain harmonic existence with the scintillating rays of the dawning morality. His earlier reality fell to pieces before him as he watched his mentality crumble. At this point, the bipolar nature of the narrator turns against him. Despite his early claim that he is a perfect murderer, his deceitful mind contradicts his new feelings. He was a clever spider who turned into an unfortunate fly caught up inside the web of his deceitful mind. After the deep evaluation of Poe’s story, I cannot help but be fascinated with the narrator’s reality, especially because his twisted mentality required him to construct such a false reality. In conclusion, I can say that such thoughts and actions certainly take a madman. Annotated Bibliography Beatty, Andrew. “The Tell-Tale Heart: Conversion and Emotion in Nias” Ethnos: Journals of Anthropology 77.3 (2012): 295-320. Web http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=c1c77ca4-5673-4c51-accc-4748cf1bad18%40sessionmgr4002&vid=4&hid=4206 The article focuses on mental and emotional conversion of wrong doers. The author, Andrew Beatty, is a senior lecturer at Brunel University, UK. He is a renowned analyst in historical and ethnographic conflicts, especially those revolving around paradoxical ethics. The article evaluates the process of the narrator’s emotional history and links it with his mental conversion at the end of Poe’s narrative. The article, published in September 2012, is a credible source of information in substantiating my arguments in ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ essay. Brett, Zimmerman. “Frantic Forensic Oratory: Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart” Literary Styles 35.1 (2001): 16-34. Web March 27, 2014. http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=543519f5-0b23-4042-8880-c1622c12fe70%40sessionmgr115&hid=117&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=4903956 Zimmerman, a forensics tutor at York University, evaluates numerous aspects of the protagonist in ‘The Tell-Tale Heart.’ The article establishes similarities between conventional forensic confessions and that portrayed by the narrator in Poe’s story. The author maintains that the narrator’s admission of his wrongdoing is not an act of confession but a means of defense. Zimmerman asserts that the narrator tries to justify his action by persuading a reader into buying his side of the story. This article, published in spring 2001, is instrumental in supplementing information regarding to the defense put up by the narrator after making a confession to the officers. DeVita, Michael and Vearch, Robert. “The Not-So-Tell-Tale Heart.” Hastings Center Report 41.2. March 2011: 4-11. Web March 27, 2014. http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=95a646e3-a91a-431b-af7f-6e45173b9c9c%40sessionmgr114&vid=4&hid=117 DeVita and Vearch are both correspondents at Hasting Center for Ethics. This article extrapolates on discussions relating to ethics of death. It challenges numerous audiences into defining parameters that justifies killing. ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ features as the background used in illustrating dilemma relating to ethics and decision making. This article, published in March 2011, was instrumental in rationalizing the insane nature of the narrator’s decision making process. Quotes from this article strive to substantiate that the ethical framework used by the narrator in killing the old man were irrational. Hollie, Pritchard. “Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart.” Academic Search Premier 61.3 (2003): 144-147. Web March 27, 2014. http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=5cdffe00-66e648c0b96e0fc61639d4e1%40sessionmgr114&hid=117&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=10202199 Hollie, the article’s author, is a literature lecturer at University of Louisiana. In the article, Hollie engages the reader into a deep exploration of motivation behind the narrator’s crime. This source supplements significant information on the bipolar nature of the narrator. This article, published in 2003, was helpful in formulating the essay because it establishes a link between the character’s language expressions and his subsequent actions. Smith, George. “Euphemistic Codes and The Tell-Tale Heart: Humane assistance in end-of-life cases” Journal of American Literature 10.2 (2000): 175-178. Web March 27, 2014. http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=c1c77ca4-5673-4c51-accc-4748cf1bad18%40sessionmgr4002&hid=4206&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=4840844 Smith is a senior writer for Health Matrix and publishes numerous articles of law and medicine in the Academic Search Premier database. This source describes how the narrator develops heightened fear and quilt after killing the old man. Smith evaluates the use of inoffensive expressions by the narrator in describing offensive actions in Poe’s story. In addition, the article contains detailed description on the relationship between fear and decision making as portrayed by Poe’s character. The article, published in summer 2000, was helpful in supplementing information pertaining to the motivation and reasoning behind the narrator’s action in the story. Wing-chi, Magdalen. “Ego-Evil and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’.” Renascence 61.1 (2008): 25-38. Web March 27, 2014. http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=f228522c-d475-41a0-92ee-6d8e5ceec5d3%40sessionmgr4002&hid=4206&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=36412363 This source was helpful in completing the essay because it presents the interplay between forces of ego and evil prevailing within Poe’s ‘The Tell-Tale Heart.’ The author, Wing-chin Ki, publishes short stories on concepts of psychology. The article was published in fall 2008 and perceives the narrator in The Tell-Tale Heart from a narcissistic point of view. Based on the author’s experience coupled with the currency of the article, it is undeniable that the source was instrumental in facilitating development of concrete arguments in the essay. Witherington, Paul. “The Accomplice in The Tell-Tale Heart” Journal of Short Fiction 22.4 (2005): 471-485. Web March 27, 2014. http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=84542c26-45ab-4dfd-9e6c-e0720835f004%40sessionmgr113&hid=117&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=8935519 Witherington, the article’s author, is a renowned literary critic. Throughout the article, he evaluates Poe’s writing style and seeks to substantiate the relationship between the writer’s style and the theme of madness portrayed by the narrator. The article, published in 1985, was helpful in shedding light onto the main theme in Poe’s short story. Read More