Question

Read the excerpt from The Tell-Tale Heart. It grew louder, I say, louder every moment!—do you mark me well I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me—the sound would be heard by a neighbour! The best way to summarize the narrator’s internal conflict is that he is

indecisive about killing the old man.

confused by the odd quiet in the house.

afraid he will lose his nerve and run away.

worried his own heart will explode from terror.

Answer 1

I believe the answer is indecisive about killing the old man. This is causing him stress and anxiety, thus causing his heart rate to increase.

Answer 2

Answer: indecisive about killing the old man.

At this point in the story, the narrator is about to kill the old man. He has opened the door and is staring right into the old man's eye. He realizes the man must be really scared, as his heart was beating very loudly. The sound of the man's heart made him nervous, and he struggled to carry out what he had planned. This shows that at that moment, he was indecisive about killing the old man.