“I rushed into the room, crying “Die! Die!” The old man gave a loud cry of fear as I fell upon him and held the bed covers tightly over his head.” Brutal isn’t it? The Tell-Tale Heart is a horror story written by the poet Edgar Allan Poe. That small sample of the story already gives you an idea of what type of spooky tale this is. The Tell-Tale Heart has already been established in 8th graders’ textbooks all across my county. This is already small evidence proving that this story is appropriate for my age group. The question is “Why is this story appropriate for my age group?”
The Tell-Tale Heart is obviously a horror story (based on that little sample from before). It includes mature scenes like murder, psychological thoughts, and etc… If you have already read this story then you probably have got to be around the age 13 and up. Not only does this book describe graphic vivid scenes, but it also has higher level vocabulary. So once again this would be appropriate for a greater grade like 8th. Even if there are kids that did skip a grade or two ahead they have most likely adapted to the age range of 13 year old kids.
These days pg-13 movies are similar to The Tell-Tale Heart. For example in 2002, a horror movie called The Ring came out as a pg-13 movie and it included scenes that mentally were suppose to mess up your head. It was a thriller more than anything but just watching the visuals would tell you otherwise. The Ring is obviously more terrifying than The Tell-Tale Heart in many ways. But with this information it is proved that kids around this age range can handle and understand the movie much better than younger kids.
Since kids 13 and up can watch horror movies like The Ring that actually have horrifying visuals then The Tell-Tale Heart is just a slice of cake. Unlike movies this story describes the scenes in your head so that you imagine what a horror it must be. And even just reading it gives you the creeps! But it doesn’t compare to an actual movie and witnessing the murder before your eyes. So The Tell-Tale Heart is way better because it only provides you with descriptions and not an actual murder right before your eyes.
On the other hand, maybe some kids of this age range get scared easily and can’t handle scary/horror related things well. They are most likely going to be forced to read the story even though they wouldn’t like it. But using that as an excuse can be quite weak. School stories are provided for entertainment, but they are mostly provided for their rich vocabulary and excellent literature. So if a student is forced to read a story that they might not enjoy because of the genre it might be to help them excel in their vocabulary, grammar, and etc…
In conclusion, The Tell-Tale Heart is appropriate for my age group. Because it isn’t as graphic when you compare it to other stories and movies of this age group. And it could actually help you in your vocabulary and grammar.
Valerie's Portfolio 