The Tell-Tale Heart
The Tell-Tale Heart is about a narrator who insists that he/she is perfectly sane except for the fact that they have a disease that causes their senses to be a bit too sensitive. The narrator is taking care of an old man with a "vulture-like" eye that causes the narrator to feel very uncomfortable. Because of the eye, the narrator plans to murder the man. For several nights, the narrator watches the old man. On the eighth night, the eye is open, and the narrator goes in for the kill and hides the body in the floorboards. The narrator then welcomes the soldiers who respond to a 911 call inside, saying that he woke up from a nightmare. The irony is, (s)he eventually becomes aware of a ringing sound in his ears, which (s)he thinks is the heartbeat of the dead man in the floorboards. The fact that the soldiers are completely oblivious to this makes his/her paranoia even worse. Finally, the narrator fesses up and tells the soldiers to pull up the floorboards.
The Tell-Tale Heart is about a narrator who insists that he/she is perfectly sane except for the fact that they have a disease that causes their senses to be a bit too sensitive. The narrator is taking care of an old man with a "vulture-like" eye that causes the narrator to feel very uncomfortable. Because of the eye, the narrator plans to murder the man. For several nights, the narrator watches the old man. On the eighth night, the eye is open, and the narrator goes in for the kill and hides the body in the floorboards. The narrator then welcomes the soldiers who respond to a 911 call inside, saying that he woke up from a nightmare. The irony is, (s)he eventually becomes aware of a ringing sound in his ears, which (s)he thinks is the heartbeat of the dead man in the floorboards. The fact that the soldiers are completely oblivious to this makes his/her paranoia even worse. Finally, the narrator fesses up and tells the soldiers to pull up the floorboards.
The Fall of the House of Usher
Roderick Usher is sick and asks his friend, the narrator, to come over and help him. Roderick's sister Madeline is also sick, and falls into death-like trances. Roderick takes Madeline to the family tomb. Roderick paints, and the narrator is very impressed with the paintings; however, Roderick is convinced that the house is alive. Roderick and the narrator then become agitated for no apparent reason. To calm Roderick down, the narrator reads a story called The Mad Tryst, about a knight named Ethelred who breaks into a hermit's house to escape a storm, and finds a gold palace with a golden shield. A note on the wall says that whoever defeats the dragon guarding it wins the shield. Ethelred kills the dragon with a shriek, and takes the shield, which falls on the floor with a clattering noise. But when he reads the part about Ethelred breaking into the hermit's house, there is the sound of cracking and splintering wood. When the dragon dies, there is a shriek heard somewhere in the house. When the shield falls on the floor, a metallic clang is heard in the house. Madeline appears in the doorway, and falls onto Roderick, dead. Roderick also dies from shock. The narrator flees from the house and watches as the house crumbles and falls.
Roderick Usher is sick and asks his friend, the narrator, to come over and help him. Roderick's sister Madeline is also sick, and falls into death-like trances. Roderick takes Madeline to the family tomb. Roderick paints, and the narrator is very impressed with the paintings; however, Roderick is convinced that the house is alive. Roderick and the narrator then become agitated for no apparent reason. To calm Roderick down, the narrator reads a story called The Mad Tryst, about a knight named Ethelred who breaks into a hermit's house to escape a storm, and finds a gold palace with a golden shield. A note on the wall says that whoever defeats the dragon guarding it wins the shield. Ethelred kills the dragon with a shriek, and takes the shield, which falls on the floor with a clattering noise. But when he reads the part about Ethelred breaking into the hermit's house, there is the sound of cracking and splintering wood. When the dragon dies, there is a shriek heard somewhere in the house. When the shield falls on the floor, a metallic clang is heard in the house. Madeline appears in the doorway, and falls onto Roderick, dead. Roderick also dies from shock. The narrator flees from the house and watches as the house crumbles and falls.
The Pit and the Pendulum
During the Spanish Inquisition, a man finds himself before various sinister judges. On a table in front of him are 7 white candles. As they melt, his hopes of survival diminish. He is condemned to death and finds himself in a cell. He places the hem of his robe on a wall and tries to measure the perimeter of the cell; but he faints before he can complete the feat. When he wakes up, he finds that the perimeter of the cell is 100 steps and discovers food and water nearby; he then slips on the hem of his robe.He gets up to find that if he hadn't slipped, he would've fallen into a pit in the middle of the cell. He loses consciousness again. When he wakes up, he finds that the room is illuminated. A picture of Father Time hangs from the ceiling, with a scythe-like pendulum hanging from the picture. He is tied to a wooden board, but uses meat from his meal to attract rats that chew through the ropes. He watches as the pendulum retracts to the ceiling. Then, the walls become red-hot and close in on him, forcing him to the pit. He jumps. An arm grabs him. The French Army has conquered Toledo.
During the Spanish Inquisition, a man finds himself before various sinister judges. On a table in front of him are 7 white candles. As they melt, his hopes of survival diminish. He is condemned to death and finds himself in a cell. He places the hem of his robe on a wall and tries to measure the perimeter of the cell; but he faints before he can complete the feat. When he wakes up, he finds that the perimeter of the cell is 100 steps and discovers food and water nearby; he then slips on the hem of his robe.He gets up to find that if he hadn't slipped, he would've fallen into a pit in the middle of the cell. He loses consciousness again. When he wakes up, he finds that the room is illuminated. A picture of Father Time hangs from the ceiling, with a scythe-like pendulum hanging from the picture. He is tied to a wooden board, but uses meat from his meal to attract rats that chew through the ropes. He watches as the pendulum retracts to the ceiling. Then, the walls become red-hot and close in on him, forcing him to the pit. He jumps. An arm grabs him. The French Army has conquered Toledo.