The plot can be described as a curve or a triangle with the climax at the top. The rising part starts with the exposition that explains the situation before the start of actions, and consists of events that lead to the climax. The falling part shows events after the climax and ends up with a conclusion or resolution that ties all threads of the work. Conflict is the main part of the plot. It can happen between two people, human and nature, a person and the society or inside character’s mind (the inner conflict).
The narrator in The Tell-Tale Heart started to share his feelings with readers after the murder (climax). However, he was chronological and tried to explain his actions in stages. Specifically, the narrator said about possible motives for his action: “Object there was none. Passion there was none or his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye!” (Poe). The character described his preparations for the murder (rising curve), the crime itself (the climax) and his following behavior (the falling curve). The story also shows the resolution, when the narrator gave himself away with words “I admit the deed! - tear up the planks! - here, here! -- it is the beating of his hideous heart!” (Poe).
The story shows two types of conflicts. The first one is a person-person interaction. The character has a conflict with his employer that was caused by his psychological disorder. Narrator’s mental state creates a stronger, inner conflict that caused the first one. The man does not want and does not have weighty reasons to kill the old man. But processes in his mind (the inner conflict) made him to commit a murder and find a reason for this decision (the man’s eye).
Works Cited
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Tell-Tale Heart”. Literature, http://literature.org/authors/poe-edgar-allan/tell-tale-heart.html. Accessed 22 Jan. 2017.
