Poe on narrator point of view12/30/2023 After all, he proposes a confession to us – what could be more honest than that? As the story progresses, however, we begin to see that William is self-deceiving to the point where he can’t be telling us the truth, because he doesn’t even face the truth himself. One way to look at this story is to argue that we begin trusting the narrator and then slowly become suspicious of him. It leaves us trying to sort out reality much the same way that our narrator is, which just might be the point – or at least one of many points. Insanity Defense states that a man is innocent by means of insanity if he has committed the crime because he is unable to control his impulses as a result of mental disease (Insanity Defense 1). Much of the suspense of “William Wilson” and much of the fun of unraveling this mystery comes from the fact that the storyteller might not be telling the truth. In Edgar Allen Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator should not be guilty by reason of insanity. Note: This link will open a new browser window. Through the eyes of a narrator who is not part of the story. (Text courtesy the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore) Through the eyes of the antagonist, Fortunato. How are we supposed to trust a man with what is basically a split-personality disorder? That’s just it – we’re probably not supposed to trust him. When Poe wrote this tale, he selected Montresor as its narrator. Then you have to remember that he himself doesn’t really understand what’s going on in his story his imagination has convinced him that his conscience/alter ego actually is a totally different person. For starters, he’s willingly masking his identity. Unreliable narrators are one of Poe’s trademarks, and William Wilson – or should we say, the man who pretends to be called William Wilson – is no different. First Person (Peripheral Narrator) 'The Purloined Letter' is told in the first person, by an unnamed narrator, who doesnt participate directly in any of the storys major action.
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