The Tell-Tale Heart Vocabulary List

Question 1

setting

Answer 1

Setting is the time and place where a story takes place.

Question 2

analyze

Answer 2

to study (something) closely and carefully
Literary analysis is the process of examining a work of literature in detail to understand how its parts work together to convey the author’s message.

Question 3

plot

Answer 3

The plot is the sequence of events that make up a story and how those events are connected by cause and effect.

Question 4

character development

Answer 4

Character development is the process of giving a character a personality, depth, and motivations that help them grow and change throughout a story.

Question 5

theme

Answer 5

Theme is the underlying message about life, society, or human nature. The theme is not just about what happens in the story but what the story is really saying on a deeper level.

Question 6

internal conflict

Answer 6

Internal conflict is the psychological struggle that takes place within a character’s mind. It is also known as “character vs. self” conflict.

Question 7

external conflict

Answer 7

External conflict is a literary device that occurs when a character in a story struggles against an outside force, such as society, nature, or another character

Question 8

unreliable narrator

Answer 8

A type of narrator in literature who cannot be fully trusted and whose account of events should be taken with a grain of salt. Unreliable narrators are often first-person narrators

Question 9

foreshadowing

Answer 9

A literary device that hints at future events in a story.

Question 10

Point of view

Answer 10

The perspective from which a story is told is determined by who is narrating the story and their relationship to the characters (Examples: first person, third person limited, and third person omniscient)

Question 11

Author’s purpose

Answer 11

An author’s purpose is the reason or intent behind writing a piece of literature. (Examples: instruct, entertain, inform)

Question 12

imagery

Answer 12

Imagery is a literary device that uses words to create mental pictures in the reader’s mind by appealing to one or more of the five senses (sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch)

Question 13

symbol/symbolism

Answer 13

Symbolism is the use of words or images to symbolize specific concepts, people, objects, or events. (Examples: a black cat can be a symbol of bad luck, the heart is a symbol of love, and a dove can be a symbol of peace)

Question 14

tone

Answer 14

The attitude the author takes towards a given subject. Often expressed through the narrator or a character in a story.

Question 15

repetition

Answer 15

A literary device that involves repeating words, phrases, or sounds in a piece of writing or speech to emphasize a specific idea, theme, or position.

Question 16

simile

Answer 16

a figure of speech that compares two things using “like” or “as.”

Question 17

metaphor

Answer 17

A figure of speech that compares two things that are not related, often by stating that one thing is another.

Question 18

alliteration

Answer 18

The use of the same sound or sounds, especially consonants, at the beginning of several words that are close together. Alliteration is used a lot in poetry.

Question 19

lamented/lament

Answer 19

Lament means to express sorrow, mourning, or regret. (If someone or something is lamented, people feel very sad that they have or it has gone:

Question 20

indignity

Answer 20

a literary device that can refer to a character’s experience of humiliation, insult, or injury (In real life, it means the same thing)

Question 21

reproach

Answer 21

A way to express disapproval or disappointment.

Question 22

vehemently

Answer 22

to do something with great energy and passion or to express something forcefully and with emotion

Question 23

mockery

Answer 23

To make fun of someone or something. In The Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator thought the police were mocking him.

Question 24

dissemble

Answer 24

Dissemble means to hide one’s true feelings, opinions, or intentions, especially to deceive others.