Stories of all types are valued for their ability to entertain. However, stories that stick with us for days, weeks, or years tend to express a specific and significant message. Stories that remain popular over decades or centuries also identify truths about our shared humanity—ideas that stay relevant regardless of the time period or audience. These ideas are often called universal themes.

In many stories, themes are worked out naturally as the story progresses. In the Harry Potter series for example, he narrative spans several books, each of which develops Harry Potter as a hero by having him face and survive increasingly dramatic conflicts. In almost every case, Harry relies on his courage and an expanding group of close friends to help him through. His ultimate success proves a common literary theme: that friendship and bravery are essential to an individual achieving victory.

Any change to a literary work, then, can dramatically alter its meaning and themes. Suppose that Harry Potter’s bravery and friends only led him to failure—how would the theme of his story change? Even the minor changes made as a result of literary re-interpretations—like those we’ve studied already in this lesson—can also lead to thematic changes.

In order to understand how a new interpretation of a work changes its meaning, you must recognize the differences between the works and examine how those differences may show new ideas and themes. In the case of “The Tell-Tale Heart,” you’ve already done a bit of this heavy lifting by examining and contrasting two versions of the story. In the activity below, use context clues to remind yourself of some of these differences, and how those differences may steer the story’s meaning and themes in new directions. Try to come up with your own answer before clicking each blank.

Before moving on to this lesson’s assignment, take a moment to reflect on the ending of both versions of the story by imagining how else it could have ended. Match each reinterpreted ending of “The Tell-Tale Heart” to the statement that describes what it most likely means.

The old man is revealed to never have existed: He was always a figment of the protagonist’s imagination. After the murder is revealed, the police confess that they also thought the Old Man was evil. They conspire to help the protagonist cover up the crime. After getting away with the murder, the protagonist wakes up and looks in the mirror the next morning to discover that his right eye now looks like the old man’s Evil Eye. The protagonist does not confess, but the officers begin to hear the beating heart also; it soon spreads madness throughout the town like a virus.

Loneliness and isolation can lead to madness. Evil will always receive due punishment. Murder transforms the murderer into something evil. Madness and guilt become contagious when they’re not addressed.

Directions To match items, click or tap an item in the left column and then click or tap its match in the right column. If you change your mind, make a different choice. Once you have matched all items, click "Check Answers" to see how you did. Click "Reset" to try again. Check Answers

Great job!

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