“The Tell-Tale Heart” is one of Edgar Allan Poe’s works. In this story the gender of the narrator is unknown and it is told that the narrator lives with the other
character, the old man. The relationships between the two are like father and sondaughter. However in this story, it is told that
the old man’s eye frightened the narrator. Moreover, t
he extreme fear towards the old man’s eye influences the narrator’s personality and psychological development in the story, and then the same
extreme fear triggered the narrator to kill the old man. This study is written to give a different angle based on a thesis from Magdalen
Wing-Chi Ki. Ki relates the narrator’s motive in Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” with the
Ego Evil. Ki ’s briefly explains how Ego Evil influenced the narrator action by using
the Ego perspectives in the story. However, the stages of the narrator’s motive in Ki’s
study are unclear, and the clearance of the narrator’s stages in this study is explained.
B. Problem Formulation
These are the research questions: 1.
What are the narrator’s characteristics presented in the story? 2.
What are the symbols in the story? 3.
How do the symbols reveal the dynamic of the narrator’s unconscious mind?
C. Objectives of the Study
The objective of this study is to answer the problems mentioned in this study. Therefore, the narrator
’s characteristics are presented based on the conversation, or monologues from the main character, which is the narrator. Then, from the
characteristics of the narrator, the dynamic of the narrator unconscious mind is elaborated. From the dynamic of the narrator unconscious mind, the symbols is
mentioned and elaborated. After the symbols is mentioned and elaborated, the narrator’s motive is revealed through the collaboration between the symbols and the
narrator dynamic of the unconscious mind.
D. Definition of Terms
To help readers’ understanding, psychological terms in this study will be elaborated, such as psychoanalysis and the unconscious and the conscious.
Psychoanalysis, according to Peter Gay 1995 in Freud: A Life for Our Time, is a theory developed by Sigmund Freud using an investigation method to undermined
human behavior for psychological or emotional problem. The examples of the analysis are neo-analysis, object relations, ego psychology, self psychology, and inter-
subjectivity. The unconscious mind, according to International Dictionary of
Psychoanalysis, is urge of aggression and sex developed through theory of repression and sexuality. Therefore, the contents of the unconscious mind are mostly unpleasant
and disturbing, such as pain, anxiety, and conflict. These unpleasant things also often influenced the behavior of a person and too dangerous for human being to embrace it
because of the same reason.
CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A. Review of Related Studies
This thesis is influenced by a thesis written by Veronika Deni Ambarwati 2006. In her research, the comparison between
the dynamics of the character’s psychological aspect in Poe’s “The Black Cat” with “The Tell-Tale Heart” is
highlighted. However, in this study the dynamic of the narrator’s unconscious mind is
explained. Meanwhile, there is another related study from Yamin Liang. Liang briefly
analyzed Pride and Prejudice’s main character, Elizabeth. In the analysis, the main character’s id, ego, and superego is identified from several aspects such as the pursuit
of love, the act of prejudice against Mr. Darcy, and her attitude development towards Wickham. The goal of Liang’s study is to help readers enjoy the literary works from
its psychological aspects. The idea of ego is highlighted in an analysis written by Magdalen Wing-Chi
Ki. It is stated in her thesis that the narrator embarks series of EgoEvil. EgoEvil according to Ki 2008 is a manifestation of a selfish deed that leads to greed and
series of selfish calculation. “In my view, “The Tell-Tale Heart” foregrounds different stages of EgoEvil
as the narrator defines himself through narcissistic eye, malicious glare, and the
