Poe Response

The Tell Tale Heart is one of Edgar Allen Poe’s most well known poems. The narrator, who is not given a name, recites the event of him killing an old man which he was acquainted with. He recollects not only the event of actually killing the old man but the seven days before hand. But it is interesting why he wants to kill the old man in the first place. One would think that the narrator dislikes the old man for maybe the way he is to him, but this is incorrect. The old man has a glass eye that for what ever reason shoots terror into the narrator. So much terror that he decides to kill the old man. While describing the preceding seven days before the killing he goes into great detail of what he did. He claims that it would take him close to an hour just to get his head inside the door. In the morning he would walk into the old man’s room and ask him how he slept every morning for those seven days, just to see if the old man noticed him. The eighth night the deed he has been planning finally takes place. After slowly sneaking into the room he pounces on the old man. Before it can be done the old man lets out one loud shriek. This worried the man dearly, in fear that a neighbor may have heard this shriek. After easing himself that no one heard the shriek he took great precautions to dispose of the body. He dismembered the body by cutting off the head and the limbs. He hid the body under three wooden planks in his house. After this task was done, what he dreaded before became a reality. A knock on the door indicates the presence of three police men. He is very confidante that he is done a good job at hiding the body he lets them to examine the house. After the police are satisfied no foul play has occurred they sat to have a conversation. Soon after the conversation starts the man begins to hear a low thump. As the conversation proceeds this thump continues to grow louder. He looks around and it appears that the officers do not hear the sounds. It still
continues to grow louder until finally he pulls up the planks and displays the heart of the old man. The narrator is a very interesting fellow through out the whole story. It immediately begins with the man’s conviction to killing the old man in the first place. It is all because of a pale blue glass eye the old man has. Other than that there is no other reason he desires to kill him. The actions he takes preceding the killing also shows some very unique qualities. It shows the qualities of perfection and complete planning. The confidence of the man is also very amazing. When the police show up he is so confident he invites them in. Although the time was different when the story was written, in all reality it was the perfect murder. Carefully planned and out when the time came it was quickly accomplished. The swiftness and cleanliness is also mind boggling. However the perfect murder was not accomplished due to a guilty consciousness. His keen sense enables him to hear the heart continuing to beat and it drives him mad until he rips up the planks and unveils the heart. This action of the man reveals what I think the theme of the story is which his denial of madness.
The first question out of the man is, but will you say I am mad? He immediately argues his case by saying a mad man would not take such precautions as he did to complete his task. He uses the example of how it would take him an hour just to get his head inside the door, asking would a mad man be this wise. However he does put up a good argument on denying his madness. Claiming that what the readers have quickly deemed “madness” is not madness at all, but rather a acquired skill of extreme over acuteness of the senses. I believe that some people would actually begin to buy into this, saying that this is a very good explanation. But as continues to describe his precautions on concealing the body, I personally jump right back onto the madness train. The final actions of the man finally confirm his madness. Which until now he tried so faithfully to deny. As mentioned before, feeling very confident with himself he invites the police men in. His “keen” senses enable him to hear the heart continue to beat. This is the final action confirming his madness. Common sense tells us after such a brutal dismemberment as the old man went through, there would be no way for the heart to continue on to beat on.

Today In....... History

Well since I am senior, I have already passed my World History and U.S. History class. But now I have the wonderful class U.S. Government. Now the key to getting through government is really understanding that the things you will learn or hear about in this class really do effect you, and it may effect your future.

Anyway, our latest topic has been the differnce between a unified and divided legislative and executive branches. We have been looking in which case there has been more gridlock in Congress agenda. It is actually very intersting to look at it because a unified government only gridlocks fiver percent less than a divided government.

Today In Math...

Being a senior, I had the wonderful oppurtunity to drop my math class. Despite all the grief by my teachers I did anyway. Having a open period is great and has actually helped me earn my pilots lisence very fast. However, math still comes up daily. Especially in a pilots life. One of the biggest math problems a pilot will do is compute ones weight and balance. In the end it gives a planes center of gravity, or CG. It will tell you if the center of gravity is "in range" to safely fly the aircraft. It is a very simple process. First you multiply the weight of an object or person by its arm. (the distance from the front of the plane) The product is called "moment". After this is all done you take the total moment and divide it by total weight and your givin the CG.



While going through flight training most instructors will make you figure out CG on a peice of paper. Doing it on the ground with a calculator make things easy as well. Another electronic alternative to aspects of flying is the electronic flight computer. It will compute fuel burn along with many other things with just a touch of a button.

Felon

Got a chance to sit down with my dad and watch a movie, form which we rented from the library. I am telling you its the new way to rent. Anyway the movie is Felon. To me it was a pretty heart felt movie. It is movies like these that really get to me if you know what I mean. If you get a chance to check it out you should, or if you have seen it let me know what you think.

A Book Everyone Should Read

Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher. It was actually a book I read when I was in elementary school. But to this day it still reamins to be my favorite and most memorable book.

It was written by Bruce Coville who has written many other children books. The book begins with a boy going into a magic shop and buying what he thinks is a big marble (who buys one marble from a magic store) However it turns out to be a dragon egg. He is forced to raise the dragon untill it can return to "its world" The boy becomes very attatched to dragon and is very sad once it leaves. He soon finds out that he can communicate with it telepathically.

I really wouldnt recommend this book for a highschool student, but rather for the elementary school student like I was when I read it. And it is this group the book is more geared to anyway. The book give kids a good insight on life in general. From everything to taking care and raising an animal to dealing with the heart ache of loosing something very special to them.