Question

Which statement best describes a major theme of "The Tell-Tale Heart"?

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Fear can shape how we see things and how we act.

Explanation:

The short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe revolves around the narrator trying to convince the readers of his sanity by narrating how and why he murdered the old man.

The narrator began to reveal why the hate for the man's blue eye led to his gruesome act of murder. He also reveals he could hear the old man's heartbeat on the eighth night that he decided to act swiftly in the killing. He mentioned how the old man comforted himself by attributing the fear in his heart to be the noise made by the wind, mouse, or even cricket. The narrator/ murderer also revealed how his own fear led to the swift action of killing the old man, "I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever."

Thus, the correct answer is option B.