Question

1. why does the narrator claim he is not mad? do you believe him? why or why not?

1. what feature of the old man bothers the narrator? why does this lead to murder?

1. how does the narrator plan and carry out the murder?

1. what does the narrator hear after the police arrive? is this real or imagined?

Explanation:

These questions are about analyzing a literary text (likely "The Tell - Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe). To answer them, we need to recall the plot, characters, and themes of the story. For example, in question 1, the narrator claims he is not mad to prove his sanity, but his actions (like the meticulous murder plan and the guilt - induced hallucination of the old man's heartbeat) suggest otherwise. In question 2, the old man's vulture - like eye bothers the narrator, and his irrational obsession with it leads him to murder. In question 3, the narrator plans the murder by observing the old man for seven nights and carries it out by smothering him with a mattress. In question 4, the narrator hears the old man's heartbeat, which is imagined as a sign of his guilt.

Answer:

1. The narrator claims he is not mad to show he has rationality and control. I don't believe him because his actions (e.g., murdering over an eye, hearing a non - existent heartbeat) are irrational, signs of madness.
2. The old man's vulture - like eye bothers the narrator. His irrational obsession with it, seeing it as an evil force, drives him to murder to eliminate the eye.
3. The narrator plans by watching the old man for seven nights. He carries out the murder by entering the room, smothering the old man with a mattress after the eye opens, then dismembering and hiding the body.
4. The narrator hears the old man's heartbeat. It's imagined, a product of his guilt - ridden mind.