The Tell-Tale Heart

In this short story, the narrator repeatedly states he (or she) is not mad. If someone continuously has to state they are not mad so they can persuade someone else to believe them, then that someone must be mad. The way the story is told, it appears as if the narrator is speaking to someone. It could be a judge, therapist, or just anyone. After reading, it is inferred that the narrator is not trusted into tell the truth of what is happening; maybe the narrator is imagining what happened, or it could have been a dream. It could be the narrator explaining to the judge what had happened, giving the judge a confession. Or telling a therapist, in hope for help and what to do to eliminate the sounds of the heartbeats. Maybe it could be the narrator telling a story about their past. Also, the narrator watched over the old man every night, but how does he have access to the old man’s chamber? When the police arrive the narrator shows them that the old man’s belongings are still there. The narrator can be the old man’s servant. However, I believe the narrator is creating an imaginary story of wanting to kill the man, but he doesn’t actually do it. The “Evil Eye” may be the old man always watching the narrator to make sure the narrator is getting his work done. The narrator may be tired of all this work, and being watched 24/7 so he just wants to get rid of the eye completely.