The Tell-Tale Heart and The Black Cat - Outline and Introduction

The Tell-Tale Heart

The Black Cat

Starting Topic: Guilt

Limited Topic: Guilt in people’s personality

Thesis Statement: Guilt is a psychological trait of the human brain that can lead a person into becoming either an angel or a devil among other facts.

Guilt is a psychological emotion and people are hardly aware of it in their consciousness. Sometimes it is related to the feeling of regret and it is originated from certain specific behaviour. Thus, this emotion is often covered with extreme reactions but it can also lead a person into proving themselves about a criminal act. So, it could be said that guilt is a psychological trait of the human brain that can lead a person into becoming either an angel or a devil among other facts.

Topic Sentence (2nd paragraph): There are many instances where guilt can be seen to take over a person’s personality.

Topic Sentence (3rd paragraph): In many cases, guiltiness wins and makes a person confess a criminal act. 

Topic Sentence (4th paragraph): Guilt is a feature of human mind that can come out to the surface at any moment.

Topic Sentence (5th paragraph): Guilt is a psychological trait of the human brain that can lead a person into becoming either an angel or a devil.

The Black Cat and William Wilson - Opinion Essay

Starting topic: Love and hate

Limited topic: There is a thin line between love and hate.

Thesis statement: Love can turn gradually into hate and finally into murder.

Love and hate are extreme emotions. However, as it is said, there is a thin line between love and hate. Depending on the day-to-day, we might encounter several situations which lead us to change our feelings little by little. Sometimes we might become evil without even noticing it and our responses could be unexpectedly bad. So, it could be said that love can turn gradually into hate and finally into murder.

Love and hate are opposites, but one can turn into the other without warning. One clear example of this shift in emotions is very well shown in “The Black Cat”, where the main character loves pets and finds one which is really special for him. Little by little, his love for this animal turns into hate without even realizing it.

Due to changing of personality hate can turn into a mortal weapon. In many cases, it is said that hate can turn into madness, violence or even murder. This is the case of “William Wilson”, in which story the main character becomes evil after the repeated appearances of the second William who prevented him of doing certain things. It is believed that the second Wilson felt a kind of love for him whereas the narrator tries to avoid his presence until he turns into an evil person and kills him.

Love can turn into hate and at the same time into a loss of a reason. Some people may plunge into perverseness because of their loss of reason. As it is shown in “The Black Cat”, the narrator turns his love into hate and he blames Pluto for many things. Because of deterioration of his mind, the narrator kills his wife when the second cat appears. Finally, he convicts himself of his own madness. It is believed that when some people change their love into hate, they might encounter an extreme situation which leads them into committing a crime. What happens when we reach hate at its worst level?

We face many circumstances during our whole life. We can fall in love and suddenly, due to some acts, hate that person. It is believed that people are capable, at any time, of undergoing a complete reversal of personality. This can lead to a state of hate and even murder at any moment. Basically, love and hate are interpreted as universal emotions which may be severed due to the specific conditions of time and space. That is why it is claimed that love can turn gradually into hate and finally into murder.