Answer: In "The Tell-Tale Heart," the author, Edgar Allan Poe, uses various techniques to develop the theme of insanity and guilt in the narrator. One way he does this is through the narrator's distorted perception of reality and his obsession with the old man's eye.
The narrator's point of view is crucial in establishing this theme. Through his first-person perspective, we are able to experience his descent into madness firsthand. We see how his thoughts become increasingly irrational and his actions more erratic. For example, the narrator's insistence that the old man's eye is evil and must be eliminated reveals his deteriorating mental state.
Another way Poe develops the theme is through the careful choice of words. The narrator's use of vivid and vividly descriptive language helps to convey his inner turmoil and feelings of guilt. For instance, the narrator describes the sound of the old man's heartbeat as "a low, dull, quick sound—much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton." This description helps to create a sense of unease and adds to the eerie atmosphere of the story.
Overall, the author effectively develops the insanity and guilt of the narrator through a combination of point of view and word choice. By immersing the reader in the narrator's distorted perspective and using descriptive language, Poe effectively conveys the theme of "The Tell-Tale Heart."