Which literary device is predominantly used in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart"?

The predominant literary device used in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" is the first-person point of view. This choice is significant because the story is narrated by an unnamed character who directly conveys his thoughts, feelings, and experiences throughout the narrative. This intimate perspective allows readers to delve deep into the narrator's psyche, experiencing his mounting paranoia and descent into madness firsthand. The use of the first-person point of view is crucial in creating a sense of immediacy and urgency, drawing readers into the intensity of the narrator's emotional state and his justification for the horrific act he commits.

This approach not only immerses readers into the narrative but also raises questions about the reliability of the narrator, a common theme in Poe's work. The narrator's insistence on his sanity and the acute description of his internal turmoil engage readers in a complex exploration of guilt, fear, and obsession. This deep psychological insight would not be as effective in a third-person perspective, which typically provides an overarching view rather than intimate access to a character's mind. While other literary devices such as symbolism and stream of consciousness enhance the story, they do not hold the same weight in establishing the tone and driving the central conflict as the first-person point of view does.