The Burden of Guilt: Unravelling the Distorted Mind in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell Tale Heart (1843)

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the way Edgar Allan Poe explores guilt in The Tell-Tale Heart, and how guilt functions as a driving force behind madness and confession within the context of American Gothicism. The study focuses on the American Gothic genre, which is based on romantic ideas and turns attention inside to look at the disturbed mind and the destructive consequences of unresolved moral conflict. Poe's work serves as a complex connection between guilt, madness, and the psychological need to confess. This study uses a qualitative and analytical approach that depends on attentive reading and literary interpretation. It uses both Gothic theory and psychological criticism to break down the story's language, structure, and symbols. Ultimately, this study exemplifies Poe’s transformation of guilt into a destructive internal force, exposing the fragility of the human mind.