How Awesome My Mom Is.............
Ha, my mom dared me to use that as my blog title...And although the list for How Awesome My Mom is, literally is endless sadly that is not that revelent for Honors English 10.
This week again we read Frankenstein and I think that the both of us are getting bored of my never ending summaries so this week I decided to do something different...In class this past Tuesday we were given quotes from Frankenstein and we had to put the quotes on the board where we put who said the quote and a prediction. This week I decided to do a blog post on the importance of predictions, how to effectivly make a good prediction and the impact that making predictions in reading has on us outside of the book. Notice how my after reading my blog post title you were already making predictions............. aha caught you there :)
According to readinginnovations.com a prediction is defined as: thoughts about what you think will happen in a story before you read. A prediction is more than just a guess. It should make sense with the clues you have been given.. A prediction is an important reading strategy because : It helps us focus on the text, it helps make connnections on what we already know and what we think we know, and making predictions gets us excited about reading. When we make predictions it opens up our eyes to the possibilities and wonders that the book may hold.
How to make good effective predictions:
1. Have a paper and on the left side of the paper put your prediction and on the right side of the paper write evidence, this will give you more accurate predictions.
2.Use the covers of the book, the table of contents, chapter headings, and diagrams to help formulate predictions.
3. Come up with a list of all the REASONALBLE possibilities of the outcome to the story.
4.Look for the Who, What, When, Where, Why ,and How. This will help you filter relevant and irrelevant information.
5.Read closely into implications that the author makes.
6. Make predictions often and more then just before the end of the story.
7. Share predictions with others who are reading the same book.
8. After a prediction is made compare it with the actual outcome.
Making predictions will help us in life because it teaches us to make educated guesses, It can help us be prepared, it teaches us to read/listen to words and body language more carefully(implications), and it helps us think more deeply and inbetween the lines more.
Thanks guys see you next week!
Kalea Pauole
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
A continued Summary
My English teacher informed me that this week we are going to keep reading Frankenstein so for my blog post this week I will be posting a summary of Frankenstein chapters 9-14.
Chapter 9. Victor and his family are sad and upset at William's passing. Tensions flare and arguments arrouse. Victor and his father are arguing about William and Justine's death. In order for Victor to clear his head he gets on a boat and goes sailing for a while. While sailing Victor has an idea, he wants to go to the valley of Chamounix. Victor had traveled to the valley many times as a child. Victor rents/buys a horse and heads to the valley. When Victor gets to the valley of Chamounix Victor is sad because there are many majestic castles that once were in the valley and the castles are gone.
Chapter 10- Victor spent the day roaming around, and he finally decides to climb a mountain.He finds a rock overlooking icecaps and a icey river and deciders to sit there. Victor on that rock just thinks and tries to feel at peace. After a while Victor notices a big figure through the fog. The figure is coming toward him. As the figure gets closer Victor realizes that the big figure is his monster(for understanding purposes lets call Victor's monster Frank). Victor sees how truly ugly Frank is. Victor is very scared and tells Frank to go away. Frank threatens to kill Victor and all of Victor's friends if Victor doesn't listen and comply with Frank's conditions. Frank just wants a friend and happiness. Franks also wants Victor to listen to his story of his journey.
Chapter 11- Narrators of the story switch from Victor to Frank.On the night Frank was created there was so much light in the laboratory so Frank leaves the apartment in search of some shade. Frank goes outside looks for some trees to find shelter under then he searches for berries. On Franks search he finds a cloak. Frank puts the cloak on and goes to sleep. When Frank wakes he is wet from the dew over the night. Frank wanders around looking for food and finds a fire. The fire keeps him warm. Out of curiosity Frank sticks his hand into the fire and gets his hand burned**. Frank puts some wood in the fire but the wood is wet so he lets the wood dry. After a few days Frank leaves his fire and goes to look for bigger quants of food. Frank comes upon a village and they village people kick hime out.
Chapter 12- Frank finds another village and finds an empty house. Frank makes that house his home/ Frank observes his neighbors through a whole in the wood-blocked windows. Frank observes the neighbors. Frank steals food from his neighbors and later sees that his neighbors (an old man, young man and young women) suffer because of the lack of food. Frank stops stealing from his neighbors. Frank instead chops wood for his neighbors in the night and leaves it on the doorstep. this later becomes routine. Frank observes his neighbor's names. The old man is named father, the young women is Agatha or sister, and the young man is names Felix or brother. The neighbors read book and Frank slowly leads to speak and things in his neighbors books.
Chapter 13- Felix has a girlfriend, and Arabian women names Safie. Felix teaches her the language(the language that everyone in that area speaks) and Felix gives Safie a history book. Felix and Agatha help Safie understand the book and summarize the book for her. Frank listens as well to the summaries and learns lots about history. Frank learns possessiveness and about children.
Chapter 14- The tale of Frank's neighbors is told. The family once were french dignitaries and through scandals and a turkish man(the man never really did anything wrong) the family is poor. Before the family gets poor the Turkish man had a trail and Felix went to the trial. At the trial Fleix realizes that the man did nothing wrong and tries persistently to free the man. Feliz eventually gets the man free but not before meeting the Turk's daughter Safie. Felix likes Safie and Safies father promises Felix that eventually the two can get married once Felix's home is secure and safe. When the government realizes what Felix did they throw his dad and Agatha in prison.
** If you have ever seen hotel Transalvania you may recall that Frankenstein hates fire and has a terrible fears of fire… well based on burning his hand it makes sense :)
Chapter 9. Victor and his family are sad and upset at William's passing. Tensions flare and arguments arrouse. Victor and his father are arguing about William and Justine's death. In order for Victor to clear his head he gets on a boat and goes sailing for a while. While sailing Victor has an idea, he wants to go to the valley of Chamounix. Victor had traveled to the valley many times as a child. Victor rents/buys a horse and heads to the valley. When Victor gets to the valley of Chamounix Victor is sad because there are many majestic castles that once were in the valley and the castles are gone.
Chapter 10- Victor spent the day roaming around, and he finally decides to climb a mountain.He finds a rock overlooking icecaps and a icey river and deciders to sit there. Victor on that rock just thinks and tries to feel at peace. After a while Victor notices a big figure through the fog. The figure is coming toward him. As the figure gets closer Victor realizes that the big figure is his monster(for understanding purposes lets call Victor's monster Frank). Victor sees how truly ugly Frank is. Victor is very scared and tells Frank to go away. Frank threatens to kill Victor and all of Victor's friends if Victor doesn't listen and comply with Frank's conditions. Frank just wants a friend and happiness. Franks also wants Victor to listen to his story of his journey.
Chapter 11- Narrators of the story switch from Victor to Frank.On the night Frank was created there was so much light in the laboratory so Frank leaves the apartment in search of some shade. Frank goes outside looks for some trees to find shelter under then he searches for berries. On Franks search he finds a cloak. Frank puts the cloak on and goes to sleep. When Frank wakes he is wet from the dew over the night. Frank wanders around looking for food and finds a fire. The fire keeps him warm. Out of curiosity Frank sticks his hand into the fire and gets his hand burned**. Frank puts some wood in the fire but the wood is wet so he lets the wood dry. After a few days Frank leaves his fire and goes to look for bigger quants of food. Frank comes upon a village and they village people kick hime out.
Chapter 12- Frank finds another village and finds an empty house. Frank makes that house his home/ Frank observes his neighbors through a whole in the wood-blocked windows. Frank observes the neighbors. Frank steals food from his neighbors and later sees that his neighbors (an old man, young man and young women) suffer because of the lack of food. Frank stops stealing from his neighbors. Frank instead chops wood for his neighbors in the night and leaves it on the doorstep. this later becomes routine. Frank observes his neighbor's names. The old man is named father, the young women is Agatha or sister, and the young man is names Felix or brother. The neighbors read book and Frank slowly leads to speak and things in his neighbors books.
Chapter 13- Felix has a girlfriend, and Arabian women names Safie. Felix teaches her the language(the language that everyone in that area speaks) and Felix gives Safie a history book. Felix and Agatha help Safie understand the book and summarize the book for her. Frank listens as well to the summaries and learns lots about history. Frank learns possessiveness and about children.
Chapter 14- The tale of Frank's neighbors is told. The family once were french dignitaries and through scandals and a turkish man(the man never really did anything wrong) the family is poor. Before the family gets poor the Turkish man had a trail and Felix went to the trial. At the trial Fleix realizes that the man did nothing wrong and tries persistently to free the man. Feliz eventually gets the man free but not before meeting the Turk's daughter Safie. Felix likes Safie and Safies father promises Felix that eventually the two can get married once Felix's home is secure and safe. When the government realizes what Felix did they throw his dad and Agatha in prison.
** If you have ever seen hotel Transalvania you may recall that Frankenstein hates fire and has a terrible fears of fire… well based on burning his hand it makes sense :)
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Frankenstein
In a word for English .....long. Reading old English is difficult so the majority of the day we read Frankenstein and discuss the book so that the whole class gets what's going on in the book. For my blog post I am going to do a summary of Frankenstein from the beginning of the book to chapter 8(spoiler alert). I will summarize each chapter in 4-6sentences (including the letters). I also have to apologize because I did not do this blog post on time because I got a job and got busy
Letter 1- The setting is in St. Petersburg Russia. A group of sailors are on a boat traveling the artic (it was popular then). The captain of the ship R. Walton writes to his sister Margrett in England. R. Walton and his team take a 3 weeks stop in St. Petersburg. R. Walton explains about his previous dreams to be a famous writer like Shakespear.
Letter 2- R. Walton is lonely and not very confident in himself. R. Walton tells his sister that his luetentant is vain. R. Walton thinks he was babied in his youth therefore he isn't prepared for the harsh environment and hard work it is to maintain the ship and crew. R. Walton tells his sister that he wants to make it clear that the expedition is not for glory fame or a reward.
Letter 3- R. Walton is safe and keeps his third letter brief. He expresses his love for his sister. R. Walton tells Margrett that not much has happened since the last letter.
Letter 4- One night the crew was ice trapped and they saw a man on a sled being pulled by dogs which is pretty rare. The following day the crew is still trapped in ice and they are overcome with fog, the crew sees a man with one dog who gets closer and closer to the ship. The team brings the man onboard and over two days the sailors slowly nurse the man back to health. Everyone had lots of questions for the mysterious man. The mysterious man tells the sailors that he is out on the ice "too seek one who fled me". Later R. Walton is alone with the man and the two start talking. R. tells the man that he has a desperate thirst for knowledge. The man scoulds R. Walton and tells R. his tale:
Chapter 1- The point of view is now the mysterious man's story. The man's name is Victor Frankenstein. Frankenstein's dad was a Geneva born dignitary who married significantly later. Victor's father married his best friends daughter. The Frankenstein couple traveled all over Europe and soon Victor was born. One day while visiting a cottage in a Adobe Victor's mother met a poor family with a daughter who was extremely beautiful and didn't quite look like the rest of the family. Victor's mother was smitten by the little girl and so was Victors father. The poor family eventually told the Frankenstein's that they took the girl(Elizabeth) on after Elizabeth's parents died. The Frankstein's asked to take Elizabeth as their own. The family eventually let them.
Chapter 2- Elizabeth was so beautiful and loved by everyone. The Frankenstein's gave birth to another boy named William. Victor was quite older when William was born. Victor went to school and became very good friends with Henry Clerval. Victor was very smart and read lots of books. Victor was interested in natural science. Soon Victor became intreguied with electricity. Victor goes to the University of Ingolstadt.
Chapter 3- Elizabeth catches scarlet fever. Elizabeth's mother cared for her and Elizabeth's mother gets sick with scarlet fever and dies. On her death bed Elizabeth and Victor's mother says that she wants the two to get married. Victor becomes crazy and mad with his studies. His professor M. Krepe tells Victor that all the books that Victor read and liked were garbage. M. Krepe recommends that Victor goes to a lecture by M. Waldman.
Chapter 4-Victor becomes interested in the anatomy of corpses, church yard graves, and how dirt bugs and coffins effect the corpse. Victor's dad becomes very concerned with Victor. Victor has not visited home since he first left to go to the University. Victor digs up corpses in the night from church yards and plays with them.
Chapter 5- Victor makes a monster. Once the monster actually starts moving Victor runs out of his house and walks around scared and worried for most of the night. Victor eventually comes home and he meets Henry Clerval at his house. Henry was sent by Victor's family because Frankenstein's think that Victor is sick.The monster is no where in the house when the pair goes back into the house.
Chapter 6- Henry gives Victor a letter from Elizabeth. Elizabeth tells Victor of family updates on William, his dad, their dead aunt, and the cousin that they took on to live with them. Justine is Victors cousin and her mom died of scarlet fever.
Chapter 7- Victor gets a letter from his dad saying that William Victor's little brother was murdered. Victor is very upset and quickly went to Geneva with Clerval. The morning that the pair arrives to Geneva the same mourning when Williams body is laid on the grass of the Frankenstein's home. The suspect for the murder is Justine because she was out visiting a family member that night then the gates to Geneva city got locked so she stayed in a barn all night. That morning was the trial. Victor knows that Justine did not commit the murder. Victor keeps implying that his monster did it.
Chapter 8- The trail doesn't have any factual evidence and Justine remains innocence. Justine has some good friends testify on her behalf of character. Her friends fall under pressure and make Justine look guilty. After some time of the trail Justine sucomes under pressure and she confesses to the crime. Elizabeth is devastated and testifies that Justine did not do it. However Elizabeth's testimony didn't do any good and Justine is hanged the next morning.
Letter 1- The setting is in St. Petersburg Russia. A group of sailors are on a boat traveling the artic (it was popular then). The captain of the ship R. Walton writes to his sister Margrett in England. R. Walton and his team take a 3 weeks stop in St. Petersburg. R. Walton explains about his previous dreams to be a famous writer like Shakespear.
Letter 2- R. Walton is lonely and not very confident in himself. R. Walton tells his sister that his luetentant is vain. R. Walton thinks he was babied in his youth therefore he isn't prepared for the harsh environment and hard work it is to maintain the ship and crew. R. Walton tells his sister that he wants to make it clear that the expedition is not for glory fame or a reward.
Letter 3- R. Walton is safe and keeps his third letter brief. He expresses his love for his sister. R. Walton tells Margrett that not much has happened since the last letter.
Letter 4- One night the crew was ice trapped and they saw a man on a sled being pulled by dogs which is pretty rare. The following day the crew is still trapped in ice and they are overcome with fog, the crew sees a man with one dog who gets closer and closer to the ship. The team brings the man onboard and over two days the sailors slowly nurse the man back to health. Everyone had lots of questions for the mysterious man. The mysterious man tells the sailors that he is out on the ice "too seek one who fled me". Later R. Walton is alone with the man and the two start talking. R. tells the man that he has a desperate thirst for knowledge. The man scoulds R. Walton and tells R. his tale:
Chapter 1- The point of view is now the mysterious man's story. The man's name is Victor Frankenstein. Frankenstein's dad was a Geneva born dignitary who married significantly later. Victor's father married his best friends daughter. The Frankenstein couple traveled all over Europe and soon Victor was born. One day while visiting a cottage in a Adobe Victor's mother met a poor family with a daughter who was extremely beautiful and didn't quite look like the rest of the family. Victor's mother was smitten by the little girl and so was Victors father. The poor family eventually told the Frankenstein's that they took the girl(Elizabeth) on after Elizabeth's parents died. The Frankstein's asked to take Elizabeth as their own. The family eventually let them.
Chapter 2- Elizabeth was so beautiful and loved by everyone. The Frankenstein's gave birth to another boy named William. Victor was quite older when William was born. Victor went to school and became very good friends with Henry Clerval. Victor was very smart and read lots of books. Victor was interested in natural science. Soon Victor became intreguied with electricity. Victor goes to the University of Ingolstadt.
Chapter 3- Elizabeth catches scarlet fever. Elizabeth's mother cared for her and Elizabeth's mother gets sick with scarlet fever and dies. On her death bed Elizabeth and Victor's mother says that she wants the two to get married. Victor becomes crazy and mad with his studies. His professor M. Krepe tells Victor that all the books that Victor read and liked were garbage. M. Krepe recommends that Victor goes to a lecture by M. Waldman.
Chapter 4-Victor becomes interested in the anatomy of corpses, church yard graves, and how dirt bugs and coffins effect the corpse. Victor's dad becomes very concerned with Victor. Victor has not visited home since he first left to go to the University. Victor digs up corpses in the night from church yards and plays with them.
Chapter 5- Victor makes a monster. Once the monster actually starts moving Victor runs out of his house and walks around scared and worried for most of the night. Victor eventually comes home and he meets Henry Clerval at his house. Henry was sent by Victor's family because Frankenstein's think that Victor is sick.The monster is no where in the house when the pair goes back into the house.
Chapter 6- Henry gives Victor a letter from Elizabeth. Elizabeth tells Victor of family updates on William, his dad, their dead aunt, and the cousin that they took on to live with them. Justine is Victors cousin and her mom died of scarlet fever.
Chapter 7- Victor gets a letter from his dad saying that William Victor's little brother was murdered. Victor is very upset and quickly went to Geneva with Clerval. The morning that the pair arrives to Geneva the same mourning when Williams body is laid on the grass of the Frankenstein's home. The suspect for the murder is Justine because she was out visiting a family member that night then the gates to Geneva city got locked so she stayed in a barn all night. That morning was the trial. Victor knows that Justine did not commit the murder. Victor keeps implying that his monster did it.
Chapter 8- The trail doesn't have any factual evidence and Justine remains innocence. Justine has some good friends testify on her behalf of character. Her friends fall under pressure and make Justine look guilty. After some time of the trail Justine sucomes under pressure and she confesses to the crime. Elizabeth is devastated and testifies that Justine did not do it. However Elizabeth's testimony didn't do any good and Justine is hanged the next morning.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
THE ROMANTIC AND GOTHIC ERA
I need to apologize for the late post. Last week in my English class we watched the movie A Witness For the Prosecution, and since I had already covered that I decided to wait until the next A day when I had English to make a post.
The next unit/topic I am learning in my English class is the romantic/gothic era in fiction. Books from that era are as follows: Dracula, the Oval picture, The Evil Eye, Jane Ere, Jane Austin, The Raven, The Tell-Tell-Heart, and Frankenstein. Keep Frankenstein in your head because I will come back to that in a moment. For now let's talk about the Romantic and Gothic Era.
The romantic era: Romanticism has little connection with word “romantic” like it is used today. It’s actually the term for a literary movement that began in the 18th century that was basically a revolt against the aristocratic society that governed Western Europe. It placed special emphasis on the aesthetic experience and in particular, focused on such sensations like awe, trepidation, horror, and terror. Very vivid senses and pictures with opposing descriptions. For example: The frame was a vibrant rich color antiqued with spider webs and soft cracks along the sharp corners. In that example you get the rich and vibrant color then the opposite antiqued, spider webs, and soft cracks.
Gothic Era: The gothic era thrived in the 1900's. The Gothicism (if that's a word) was more mystery and fear of the unknown. Gothicism concept's also included magic, secret passageways, bloody hands, screams, ghosts and the supernatural.
The combination: The combniation composed horror stories that expressed the darker side of human nature and terrified their readers. Vivid opposing decriptions, some sort of romance or hero, and terror. (side note my favorite romantic-gothic book the Tell-Tell Heart by Edger Allan Poe is posted at the bottom because it is my favorite).
Now remember how I told you to keep Frankenstein in your head? Well for English my class is reading Frankenstein. Frankenstein was written in the romantic/gothic era hence all my explaining. If you want to read it as well go on iBooks and search it, there is a free copy there.
Now I better go I have to get to page 40(iBook version) before Thrusday!
All my romantic and gothic era love(ha!)-Kalea
p.s. there is the Tell- Tell-Heart at the bottom down here to!
The Tale-Tale-Heart by Edger Allan Poe(Kalea's favorite romantic/gothic story)
The next unit/topic I am learning in my English class is the romantic/gothic era in fiction. Books from that era are as follows: Dracula, the Oval picture, The Evil Eye, Jane Ere, Jane Austin, The Raven, The Tell-Tell-Heart, and Frankenstein. Keep Frankenstein in your head because I will come back to that in a moment. For now let's talk about the Romantic and Gothic Era.
The romantic era: Romanticism has little connection with word “romantic” like it is used today. It’s actually the term for a literary movement that began in the 18th century that was basically a revolt against the aristocratic society that governed Western Europe. It placed special emphasis on the aesthetic experience and in particular, focused on such sensations like awe, trepidation, horror, and terror. Very vivid senses and pictures with opposing descriptions. For example: The frame was a vibrant rich color antiqued with spider webs and soft cracks along the sharp corners. In that example you get the rich and vibrant color then the opposite antiqued, spider webs, and soft cracks.
Gothic Era: The gothic era thrived in the 1900's. The Gothicism (if that's a word) was more mystery and fear of the unknown. Gothicism concept's also included magic, secret passageways, bloody hands, screams, ghosts and the supernatural.
The combination: The combniation composed horror stories that expressed the darker side of human nature and terrified their readers. Vivid opposing decriptions, some sort of romance or hero, and terror. (side note my favorite romantic-gothic book the Tell-Tell Heart by Edger Allan Poe is posted at the bottom because it is my favorite).
Now remember how I told you to keep Frankenstein in your head? Well for English my class is reading Frankenstein. Frankenstein was written in the romantic/gothic era hence all my explaining. If you want to read it as well go on iBooks and search it, there is a free copy there.
Now I better go I have to get to page 40(iBook version) before Thrusday!
All my romantic and gothic era love(ha!)-Kalea
p.s. there is the Tell- Tell-Heart at the bottom down here to!
The Tale-Tale-Heart by Edger Allan Poe(Kalea's favorite romantic/gothic story)
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.
It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture --a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees -- very gradually --I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.
Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded --with what caution --with what foresight --with what dissimulation I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it --oh so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly --very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man's sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha! --would a madman have been so wise as this? And then, when my head was well in the room, I undid the lantern cautiously --oh, so cautiously --cautiously (for the hinges creaked) --I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long nights --every night just at midnight --but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber, and spoke courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring how he has passed the night. So you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.
Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door. A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers --of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea; and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly, as if startled. Now you may think that I drew back --but no. His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness, (for the shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers,) and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily.
I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man sprang up in bed, crying out --"Who's there?"
I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down. He was still sitting up in the bed listening; --just as I have done, night after night, hearkening to the death watches in the wall.
Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or of grief --oh, no! --it was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me. I say I knew it well. I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart. I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise, when he had turned in the bed. His fears had been ever since growing upon him. He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not. He had been saying to himself --"It is nothing but the wind in the chimney --it is only a mouse crossing the floor," or "It is merely a cricket which has made a single chirp." Yes, he had been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions: but he had found all in vain. All in vain; because Death, in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim. And it was the mournful influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to feel --although he neither saw nor heard --to feel the presence of my head within the room.
When I had waited a long time, very patiently, without hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little --a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it --you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily --until, at length a single dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the crevice and fell full upon the vulture eye.
It was open --wide, wide open --and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness --all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones; 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.
And have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over acuteness of the senses? --now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well, too. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.
But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I held the lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray upon the eye. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant. The old man's terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! --do you mark me well? I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me --the sound would be heard by a neighbor! The old man's hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked once --once only. In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes. There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eye would trouble me no more.
If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.
I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye -- not even his --could have detected any thing wrong. There was nothing to wash out --no stain of any kind --no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had caught all --ha! ha!
When I had made an end of these labors, it was four o'clock --still dark as midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street door. I went down to open it with a light heart, --for what had I now to fear? There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbor during the night; suspicion of foul play had been aroused; information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers) had been deputed to search the premises.
I smiled, --for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, I mentioned, was absent in the country. 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 of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct: --it continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definiteness --until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears.
No doubt I now grew very pale; --but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased --and what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick sound --much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath -- and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly --more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men -- but the noise steadily increased. Oh God! what could I do? I foamed --I raved --I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder --louder --louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! --no, no! They heard! --they suspected! --they knew! --they were making a mockery of my horror! --this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! --and now --again! --hark! louder! louder! louder! louder! --
"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed! --tear up the planks! --here, here! --it is the beating of his hideous heart!"
It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture --a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees -- very gradually --I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.
Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded --with what caution --with what foresight --with what dissimulation I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it --oh so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly --very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man's sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha! --would a madman have been so wise as this? And then, when my head was well in the room, I undid the lantern cautiously --oh, so cautiously --cautiously (for the hinges creaked) --I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long nights --every night just at midnight --but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber, and spoke courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring how he has passed the night. So you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.
Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door. A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers --of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea; and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly, as if startled. Now you may think that I drew back --but no. His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness, (for the shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers,) and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily.
I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man sprang up in bed, crying out --"Who's there?"
I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down. He was still sitting up in the bed listening; --just as I have done, night after night, hearkening to the death watches in the wall.
Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or of grief --oh, no! --it was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me. I say I knew it well. I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart. I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise, when he had turned in the bed. His fears had been ever since growing upon him. He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not. He had been saying to himself --"It is nothing but the wind in the chimney --it is only a mouse crossing the floor," or "It is merely a cricket which has made a single chirp." Yes, he had been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions: but he had found all in vain. All in vain; because Death, in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim. And it was the mournful influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to feel --although he neither saw nor heard --to feel the presence of my head within the room.
When I had waited a long time, very patiently, without hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little --a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it --you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily --until, at length a single dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the crevice and fell full upon the vulture eye.
It was open --wide, wide open --and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness --all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones; 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.
And have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over acuteness of the senses? --now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well, too. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.
But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I held the lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray upon the eye. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant. The old man's terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! --do you mark me well? I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me --the sound would be heard by a neighbor! The old man's hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked once --once only. In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes. There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eye would trouble me no more.
If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.
I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye -- not even his --could have detected any thing wrong. There was nothing to wash out --no stain of any kind --no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had caught all --ha! ha!
When I had made an end of these labors, it was four o'clock --still dark as midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street door. I went down to open it with a light heart, --for what had I now to fear? There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbor during the night; suspicion of foul play had been aroused; information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers) had been deputed to search the premises.
I smiled, --for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, I mentioned, was absent in the country. 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 of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct: --it continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definiteness --until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears.
No doubt I now grew very pale; --but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased --and what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick sound --much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath -- and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly --more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men -- but the noise steadily increased. Oh God! what could I do? I foamed --I raved --I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder --louder --louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! --no, no! They heard! --they suspected! --they knew! --they were making a mockery of my horror! --this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! --and now --again! --hark! louder! louder! louder! louder! --
"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed! --tear up the planks! --here, here! --it is the beating of his hideous heart!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)