Twisting Expectations: Horror Short Stories

Lesson 13
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ELA

Unit 16

8th Grade

Lesson 13 of 20

Objective


Analyze how Poe develops the character of the narrator in "The Tell-Tale Heart" and determine whether the narrator is reliable or unreliable.

Readings and Materials


  • Short Story: “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe 

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Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

Is the narrator of "The Tell-Tale Heart" a reliable narrator? Provide specific evidence from the text and carefully explain your thinking.

Sample Response

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Key Questions


  • What argument does the narrator make in the first paragraph of the story? Is his argument effective and believable? Provide specific evidence from the first paragraphs to support your answer.

  • What is the narrator's tone as he describes his planning and preparations for killing his father? How does Poe develop this? Provide evidence from paragraphs 3 and 4 to support your answer. 

  • How does the narrator react to the arrival of the police? What does this reveal about the narrator's state of mind? Provide specific evidence paragraphs 14–15 to support your answer. 

  • What does the following lines of text from paragraph 17 reveal about the narrator's state of mind? Carefully explain your thinking. "It grew louder—louder—louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God!—no, no! They heard!"

Vocabulary


Literary Terms

unreliable narrator

a narrator who cannot be trusted to provide an accurate report of events. A narrator can be unreliable for many reasons, including innocence or immaturity, deliberate lying, bias, and mental illness.

Text-based

audacity

n.

a bold, daring, and fearless quality, often without regard for rules or expectations (The Tell-tale Heart)

Homework


Prepare for tomorrow's Socratic seminar.

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Common Core Standards


  • RL.8.3 — Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
  • RL.8.6 — Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.

Supporting Standards

L.8.6
RL.8.1
RL.8.2
RL.8.4
RL.8.10
SL.8.1
SL.8.6
W.8.1
W.8.1.a
W.8.1.b
W.8.4
W.8.9
W.8.9.a
W.8.10

Next

Engage in a Socratic Seminar with peers, responding directly to others by rephrasing and delineating arguments, determining the strength of evidence, and posing clarifying questions.

Lesson 14
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