I concur with Liz on the selection- I love this piece!
I also agree that the dramatic irony here is key to understanding the protagonist's way of storytelling. The paranoia about insanity is substantial throughout the entire tale. It reminded me in a lot of ways of Hamlet, and the play's discourse on Hamlet's sanity: how Hamlet bitterly denied to himself that he was insane, and snarkily and openly mocked those who thought differently. I think the Shakespearean wheels started turning once I read the line "but I could see nothing else of the old man’s face or person: for I had directed the ray, as if by instinct, precisely upon the damned spot."
"Out, damned spot! out I say!" anyone? =P (Another instance of hacking up bodies...)
It also seems like the officers knew something was amiss once our protagonist granted them entrance into the house. If the neighbors were close enough in proximity to the house to hear someone scream despite the shutters being locked fast, doesn't it make since that they would have seen the old man going to and fro, and know that he wasn't out of the country? If indeed the old man was gone on holiday, would the neighbors be so quick to send officers to investigate? And if the officers weren't suspicious before, they certainly would have been wary of the protagonist's overly gracious attitude, I would think. Even the phrases used seem to indicate that the protagonist was not simply allowing the officers to search -- he was pretty much telling them how and where to look! Most of the time, this kind of behavior clearly points to someone hiding something, and any seasoned officer of the law would be particularly keen on sensing this. The language even mimics the protagonist's abundant hospitality:
"I took my visitors all over the house. I bade them search— search well. I led them, at length, to his chamber. I showed them his treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.
The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted familiar things." (emphaisis mine)
And then we come to this line in particular: "And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled." Several things might be occuring here:
1)the protagonist is right, and the officers suspect his guilt for something, though they know not what at this point, or
2) they were simply talking about something that brought smiles to their faces and the protagonist took their expressions the wrong way due to his distracted and paranoid mind, or finally,
3) the officers were amused at the protagonist's strange behavior.
Or a combination of any of the three. Paranoia causes the mind to extrapolate to great lengths, thus enabling things to be taken the wrong way or out of context very easily.
That's all I have for now. =) I'm sure I'll be back later though...
no subject
I also agree that the dramatic irony here is key to understanding the protagonist's way of storytelling. The paranoia about insanity is substantial throughout the entire tale. It reminded me in a lot of ways of Hamlet, and the play's discourse on Hamlet's sanity: how Hamlet bitterly denied to himself that he was insane, and snarkily and openly mocked those who thought differently. I think the Shakespearean wheels started turning once I read the line "but I could see nothing else of the old man’s face or person: for I had directed the ray, as if by instinct, precisely upon the damned spot."
"Out, damned spot! out I say!" anyone? =P (Another instance of hacking up bodies...)
It also seems like the officers knew something was amiss once our protagonist granted them entrance into the house. If the neighbors were close enough in proximity to the house to hear someone scream despite the shutters being locked fast, doesn't it make since that they would have seen the old man going to and fro, and know that he wasn't out of the country? If indeed the old man was gone on holiday, would the neighbors be so quick to send officers to investigate? And if the officers weren't suspicious before, they certainly would have been wary of the protagonist's overly gracious attitude, I would think. Even the phrases used seem to indicate that the protagonist was not simply allowing the officers to search -- he was pretty much telling them how and where to look! Most of the time, this kind of behavior clearly points to someone hiding something, and any seasoned officer of the law would be particularly keen on sensing this. The language even mimics the protagonist's abundant hospitality:
"I took my visitors all over the house. I bade them search— search well. I led them, at length, to his chamber. I showed them his treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.
The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted familiar things." (emphaisis mine)
And then we come to this line in particular: "And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled." Several things might be occuring here:
1)the protagonist is right, and the officers suspect his guilt for something, though they know not what at this point, or
2) they were simply talking about something that brought smiles to their faces and the protagonist took their expressions the wrong way due to his distracted and paranoid mind, or finally,
3) the officers were amused at the protagonist's strange behavior.
Or a combination of any of the three. Paranoia causes the mind to extrapolate to great lengths, thus enabling things to be taken the wrong way or out of context very easily.
That's all I have for now. =) I'm sure I'll be back later though...
~Samantha Cate//Ravenclaw