by Edgar Allan Poe

The Poe Decoder
Read the entry for "The Tell-Tale Heart" found on this informative site. What are your thoughts about the gender of the narrator, the "evil eye," and the theme of the story? Write a short opinion paper explaining your views.

Citizens still wary of ‘evil eye’ power
The narrator of "The Tell-Tale Heart" says the old man’s "evil eye" drove him to commit murder. This article from the Middle East Times describes a modern-day fear of the "evil eye" in Egypt. As a class, discuss your impressions of this article. Why do you think the fears described are widespread in Egyptian culture? How do these fears relate to the situation in Poe’s story? What are some common fears associated with your particular culture?