“The Tell-Tale Heart”, which has many similarities and differences, is a completely different story. Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a story about the main character’s mental illness. Both stories feature a main character with mental illness, and each character is obsessed with a specific object. The main character, in “The Tell-Tale Heart,” is focused on the eyes of an elderly man. The main character is also obsessed with the hideous yellow wallpaper.
It is obvious that Poe is not his main character at the start of “Tell-Tale Heart”. “How can I be mad?” Hearken! The narrator is looking back on the situation in a composed manner and is confident that what he is revealing is truthful. He wants us think that his actions would be normal in a situation like his. His story is told in an objective manner, almost as if it was natural. Gilman’s story tells Gilman’s main character slowly, and her obsession grows with each story. The house she and her husband have built for their summer vacation is a retreat. She calls it “the most beautiful place!” It stands alone, far from the road, 3 miles away from the village.” (Gilman). Her obsession intensifies when she reaches the wallpaper. Gilman said that she has never seen any worse wallpaper in her life. Here she begins to describe the wallpaper in great detail and shows her instability. While she touches on many subjects, she always returns to wallpaper. Poe is exaggerated in his story. “So, you think I am crazy?” It is impossible for a madman to plan. But you should’ve seen me.” (Poe). This is the main character’s excitement. He seems excited and proud of his actions, and believes his plan is flawless. Gilman’s story is about a woman who isn’t sure she can trust herself. “I’m sure John wasn’t nervous at all in his entire life. He laughs so much at me over this wallpaper!” She believes her behavior to be normal. She believes her husband’s actions are normal and reasonable.
Conclusion: Both main characters in the stories aren’t rational and fail fully to grasp it. The main character in “The-Tell-Tale Heart”, who wants you believe he’s perfectly rational, insists that his actions were necessary in order to escape the evil eye. Gilman on the other side doesn’t believe Gilman is important enough to care about her struggle with her husband, and her wallpaper rival.
