Question

Jane is writing a literary analysis essay about the themes in Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Tell-Tale Heart." Which sentence from the story will best support her argument about the narrator's struggle with deciding what action to take?

A.It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night.
b. Passion there was none
c. He had the eye of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it
d.Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.

Answer 1

The best sentence to support Jane's argument about the narrator's struggle with deciding what action to take in Poe's 'The Tell-Tale Heart' is the one that shows the narrator's gradual decision-making process, emphasizing the conflict and deliberation before committing the act.

Step-by-step explanation:

Jane's literary analysis essay would benefit most from a quotation that illustrates the narrator's internal conflict and deliberation before committing the act narrated in Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart. This struggle is crucial in understanding the theme of the story. Among the given options, the best choice to support her argument about the narrator's struggle with deciding what action to take is:

"Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever."

This sentence emphasizes the narrator's gradual resolution to commit murder, highlighting the inner battle between initial horror and final determination. The use of the phrase "by degrees—very gradually" showcases the careful consideration and internal debate that the narrator experienced, which is central to Jane's thesis on his struggle with decision-making in the story.