What is the social context in Edgar Allan Poe’s story, “A Tell-tale heart.”
I suppose you could say the social context was very lonely, just the nut case and the poor old man. In other words isolated.
Thank you!
https://web.stanford.edu/group/arts/nicaragua/student/mural/glossary.html
What do you think?
To understand the social context in Edgar Allan Poe's story, "The Tell-Tale Heart," we need to analyze the story's setting and characters. The social context refers to the cultural and historical background that influences the events and interactions among the characters.
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," the story is narrated by an unnamed protagonist, emphasizing the narrator's disturbed mental state. While the narrative does not explicitly mention the specific social context of the story, we can infer some elements.
First, we need to consider the time period when Poe wrote the story, which was the early 19th century. This period in American history was characterized by rapid industrialization and urbanization as well as social and economic changes. These changes brought about a growing divide between social classes, with the wealthier upper class benefiting from industrialization while the working class faced harsh living conditions and limited opportunities for social mobility.
Additionally, the story's setting, described as a house with an "old man" and the narrator acting as his caretaker, suggests a household dynamic where power may be imbalanced. This power imbalance could be reflective of the societal norms of Poe's time, where individuals in positions of power often manipulated or controlled those who were socioeconomically inferior.
Furthermore, the narrator's obsession with the old man's "vulture eye" and his insistence on killing him due to it being "evil" suggest a distorted sense of morality. This focus on physical abnormalities and the need to eradicate them likely reflects societal anxieties and prejudices surrounding physical differences during that era.
Overall, while the story may not explicitly delve into the broader social context, it hints at the social dynamics, power imbalances, and societal prejudices prevalent in Poe's time, giving us a glimpse into the social context surrounding "The Tell-Tale Heart."