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TRUE!-nervous-very, very dreadfully nervous I had
been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The
disease had sharpened my senses-not destroyed-not
dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I
heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard
many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and
observe how healthily-how calmly I can tell you the
whole story.
-"The Tell-Tale Heart,"
Edgar Allan Poe
How can a reader tell that the passage's narrator is
unreliable?
O The narrator claims that he is very intelligent, but he
is clearly very young and naive.
O The narrator insists that he can speak calmly, but
his manner of speaking suggests that he is not at all
calm.
O The narrator says that he is a good listener, but he
refuses to listen to anyone else's version of the
story.



Answer :

GinnyAnswer
In the passage, the narrator can be considered unreliable for several reasons: 1. The narrator begins by insisting that they are not mad despite exhibiting behaviors that suggest otherwise. This contradiction raises doubts about the narrator's mental stability. 2. The narrator's heightened sense of hearing, claiming to hear things in heaven, earth, and hell, indicates a possible delusional state or hallucinations, contributing to the unreliability of their perspective. 3. The narrator's assertion of speaking healthily and calmly while describing intense feelings of nervousness and dread presents a contradiction, casting doubt on the narrator's self-awareness and credibility. Overall, the narrator's inconsistent behavior, delusional claims, and contradictions between their words and actions contribute to the impression of unreliability, leading the reader to question the accuracy of their account.

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