adverbial phrases in edgar allan poe’s tell-tale heart

ADVERBIAL PHRASES IN EDGAR ALLAN POE’S THE

TELL-TALE HEART

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

By

PIETER SURYA PUTRA

Student Number: 124214030

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2016

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

ii

ADVERBIAL PHRASES IN EDGAR ALLAN POE’S THE TELL-TALE

HEART

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

By

PIETER SURYA PUTRA

Student Number: 124214030

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2016


A Sarjana Sostra Undergraduate Thesis

ADYERBIAL PHRASES IN EDGAR ALLAN POE'S THETELL.TALE HEART

August 9,2016

Arina Isti'anah. S.Pd.. M.Hum.Co-Advisor

August 9,2076

ul

Number: 1

1", ffi""*{ax: fl,ffx;ffiN a

L- | ,e$


A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis

ADVERBIAL PHRASES IN EDGAR ALLAN POE'S THETELL-TALE HEART

ByPIETER ST]RYA PUTRAStudent Number: 124214030

Board of Examiners

Name

Secretary

Member 1

Member 2

Member 3

lv

Declared

Yogyakarta, August 3 l, 2016Faculty of Letters


ffi":iI

STATEME}TT OT ORIGINALITY

I certi$, that this trndergradtrae thsis conains no material which has bsen

previousll submitted forthe aunand of any other degue at any university, and thst"

to ttre best of my knowledgg this uudergrduate thsis contains no male,rial

unitten by my other person except urh€re due reference is made in the

text of the rmdergradtrate thesis.

Yogyalarta Augrst 9, 2A16

Pieter Surya hsra


LEMBAR "*ffi#il ffiffif,H,{Xil lH^Hffiil KARYA ILMIAH

Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharrra

Nama : Pieter SuryaNomorMahasiswa :124214030

Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada PerpustakaanUniversitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul

ADYERBIAL PHRASES IN EDGAR ALLAht POE'S THETELL-TALE HEART

beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada).Dengan demikian saya memberikankepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dhanna hak untuk menyimpan,mengalihkan dalam bentuk media laiq mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalandata, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet ataumedia lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin kepada sayamaupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama sayasebagai penulis.

Demikian pemyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.

Dibuatdi YogyakartaPada tanggal 9 Agustus 2016

Yang menyatakan,

vt


vii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all, I am grateful to Jesus Christ for if it was not because of His Mercy,

I would not be able to complete this work. Even though I admit that this work is

still far from perfection, I hope this study will enrich people’s knowledge in the

future and be used for good purposes.

I wish to express my sincere thanks to Anna Fitriati, S.Pd., M.Hum. for being

my thesis advisor. She always guided me in completing this thesis and gave me

feedback to improve my writing. I remember well the first time I had consultation,

she patiently guided me and I am really grateful to have her as my advisor. I also

would like to thank my Co-Advisor, Arina Isti’anah, S.Pd., M.Hum. for her

criticisms and feedback so I can make this work better.

My greatest thanks are for my family, to my mother, Christiana Budiman who

always supported me with a lot of care, my father, Novian Suryo Utomo, who

always gives me motivation and prayer everyday, and also, my brother, Michael

Surya Christabel. I am also grateful to my aunts, Linda Valentina Budiman and

Elizabeth Ika Hesti for giving me a lot of good resources to improve my thesis.

I offer my big thanks to my college friends, Andira, Ami, Wiwid, Agatha,

Eka, Tjia and Doni. I also give my special thanks to Henokh who helped me

collecting the data and Crawford who checked my grammar. It is because all of you

I can finish my undergraduate thesis.

Pieter Surya Putra


viii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE ....................................................................................................ii

APPROVAL PAGE ..........................................................................................iii

ACCEPTANCE PAGE .....................................................................................iv

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN

PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH ............................................v

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ................................................................vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..............................................................................vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................viii

LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................x

ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................xi

ABSTRAK ...........................................................................................................xii

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................1

A. Background of the Study ....................................................................1

B. Problem Formulation ..........................................................................3

C. Objectives of the Study ......................................................................3

D. Definition of Terms ............................................................................4

CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ...................................................5

A. Review of Related Studies ..................................................................5

B. Review of Related Theories ...............................................................7

1. Adverb ..........................................................................................7

2. Grammatical Function of Adverbial as Adjunct...........................8

3. Semantic Role of Adverbial .........................................................10

4. Stylistics .......................................................................................11

5. Foregrounding ..............................................................................12

6. Representation ..............................................................................13

C. Theoretical Framework.......................................................................13

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ................................................................15

A. Object of the Study .............................................................................15

B. Approach of the Study ........................................................................16

C. Method of the Study ...........................................................................16

1. Data Collection .............................................................................16

2. Data Analysis ................................................................................17

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS .............................................................................19

A. The Occurrence of Adverbial Phrases ................................................19

1. Position of Adverbial Phrases ......................................................19

2. Classification of Adverbial Phrases ..............................................22

3. Types of Adverbial Phrases Used in Three Position of Occurrences

......................................................................................................29

B. Significance of Adverbial Phrases in Short Story ..............................31

1. The Settings of Events ..................................................................32


ix

2. Goal of a Character .......................................................................35

3. Character’s Mood .........................................................................38

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ........................................................................42

BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................44

APPENDICES ...................................................................................................46

A. Appendix 1: Distribution of Adjunct Phrases.....................................46

B. Appendix 2: The Text of the Story .....................................................59


x

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. The Distribution of Adverbial Phrases Based on the Position ..............17

Table 2. The Distribution of Adverbial Phrases Based on Types of Adverb ......17

Table 3. Types of Adverbial Phrases and the Occurrences in Three Positions...17

Table 4. The Occurrence of Adjuncts in The Tell-Tale Heart ............................20

Table 5. The Distribution of Adverbs Based on Types in The Tell-Tale Heart .23

Table 6. Types of Adjunct Phrases and Occurrences in The Tell-Tale Heart.....29

Table 7. Distribution of Adjunct Phrases ............................................................46


xi

ABSTRACT

PUTRA, PIETER SURYA. Adverbial Phrases in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-

Tale Heart. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata

Dharma University, 2016.

Adverbial phrase is one of the most ruled out phrases, despite of its

frequency that quite often appears in many kinds of texts or speeches. This study

specifically discusses one branch of adverbial phrases that is adjunct in a fiction

story. The object used for the research is Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart

which was published in 1843. This story has a lot of adverbial phrases, but the writer

of this study only focused on adjuncts.

This study analyzes the adjuncts in phrase forms. The adjunct may consist of

a word or more. In order to analyze the adjunct phrases, the writer makes focuses

on two problems to be discussed in this study. First is the distribution of adverbial

phrases in the story. Second is the significance of adverbial phrases in the story.

In this study, the writer employs population study to collect the data and

library research to find sources related to style in writing. The writer uses a stylistics

approach to answer the problems.

Findings from the analysis, the writer divides the distribution of adjunct

phrases into their positions and functions. Adjuncts phrases occur 11 times in Initial

Position (IP), 129 in Middle Position (MP), and 51 in Final Position (FP). The

occurrences adjunct phrases are Spatial Position 39 times, Spatial Direction 14

times, Temporal Position 26 times, Temporal Duration 17 times, Temporal

Frequency 9 times, Temporal Relationship 6 times, Process Manner 64 times,

Process Instrument 2 times, Process Mean 3 times, Process Agent 2 times, and

Contingency Purpose 9 times. The adjuncts significantly contribute in developing

the story. Adjuncts can describe the settings of the story, point goals of characters,

and characters’ mood. All of these three help to make the reader realizing the

implicit parts of the story. They help the author to deliver the implied message about

the characters’ purpose and attitude.


xii

ABSTRAK

PUTRA, PIETER SURYA. Adverbial Phrases in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-

Tale Heart. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas

Sanata Dharma, 2016

Frasa adverbial adalah salah satu kelas kata yang sering dikesampingkan,

meskipun kelas ini yang sering muncul di berbagai teks dan pembicaraan. Skripsi

ini secara spesifik membahas salah satu bagian dari frasa adverbial yang adalah

keterangan dalam cerita fiksi. Data yang dianalisis dalam penelitian ini adalah

cerpen yang ditulis oleh Edgar Allan Poe yang berjudul The Tell-Tale Heart yang

dipublikasikan di tahun 1843. Cerpen ini memiliki banyak frasa adverbial, dan

penyusun skripsi ini fokus menganalisis keterangan.

Skripsi ini menganalisis keterangan yang muncul dalam bentuk frasa.

Keterangan tersebut bisa terdiri dari satu kata atau lebih. Untuk menganalisis frasa

keterangan dalam cerita, penyusun skripsi mengusulkan dua buah rumusan masalah

yang akan dibahas. Rumusan masalah yang pertama membahas mengenai distribusi

frasa keterangan dalam cerita. Rumusan masalah yang kedua membahas fungsi

signifikan dari frasa keterangan di cerita.

Dalam skripsi ini, penyusun menggunakan studi populasi untuk

mengumpulkan data dan kajian pustaka untuk mencari sumber-sumber mengenai

gaya penulisan. Penyusun menggunakan pendekatan stilistika untuk menjawab

rumusan masalah.

Hasil dari analisis, penyusun membagi distribusi frasa keterangan

berdasarkan posisi dan fungsi. Frasa keterangan muncul 11 kali di awal kalimat

129 kali di tengah kalimat dan 51 akhir kalimat. Distribusi frasa keterangan

berdasarkan fungsi semantiknya adalah sebagai berikut: Ruang Posisi 39 kali,

Ruang Arah 14 kali, Waktu Posisi 26 kali, Waktu Durasi 17 kali, Waktu Frekuensi

9 kali, Waktu Relasi 6 kali, Proses Secara 64 kali, Proses Alat 2 kali, Proses Cara 3

kali, Proses Agens 2 kali, Kemungkinan Tujuan 9 kali.. Keterangan-keterangan

dalam cerita berkontribusi secara signifikan dalam mengembangkan alur cerita.

Keterangan dapat mendeskripsikan latar di dalam cerita, menunjukan tujuan akhir

dari seorang karakter, dan menjelaskan susasana hati dari karakter. Ketiga hal ini

membantu dalam menyadarkan pembaca tentang bagian implisit sebuah cerita. Hal-

hal ini menunjang penulis cerita dalam menyampaikan pesan tentang tujuan dan

perilaku karakter dalam cerita.


1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Language is a way to communicate. It can be written and spoken. In

written language, we can identify it in many things, such as newspaper, timeline

twitter, magazine, novel, or short story. Language can be found every day and

almost everywhere because “we live in a world of language” (Fromklin, et.al, 1991:

2). We are hardly free from words when we are still living, even sometimes in our

dreams, we have conversations. We can also use language to persuade, explain, or

convey experience.

In communicating ideas using language, we have to be able to make a good

sentence in order to communicate well. Thus, several components are needed to

make a good sentence. There are several components of a sentence, such as words,

phrases, and clauses. This study will focus on phrases. There are several types of

phrase such as noun phrase, verb phrase, adverbial phrase, and adjective phrase

(Delahunty & Garvey, 2010: 274), but the writer will only focus on adverbial

phrases.

An adverbial phrase or an adverb often appears in many kinds of text,

whether it is scientific or literary text, but adverbial phrase is often forgotten.

Jackendoff maintains that “perhaps the least studied and most maligned part of

speech has been the adverb” (1972: 47). The role of adverbial phrases is important.

It can modify verb, adjective, or another adverb. This modification is very


2

significant because it can give more detailed information. Adverb describes the

circumstances in certain context (Simpson, 2004: 14). The adverbial phrases also

have a complex distribution because they can appear in the beginning, middle, or

end of a sentence. Consequently, adverbial phrases deserve more attention because

of their significant roles in sentences.

The writer’s focus in this study is adverbial phrases in a short story. A short

story uses a lot of linguistic aspects, just like other literary texts. It needs many

language applications to deliver its message to the readers. In this study, the writer

tries to identify the significance of adverbial phrases in the short story.

The short story discussed in this study was written by Edgar Allan Poe

titled The Tell-Tale Heart. The writer uses this short story because Poe is well-

known with his gothic horror style of writing. This short story has considerable

amount and variation of adverbial phrases to be studied. Adverbial phrases are used

frequently in the horror story to create suitable atmosphere. Poe described the

situation and atmosphere of the story in such a detailed way. Wiratningsih argues

that “when Poe tells the reader what happens, he will describe event in clear,

reportorial style” (2003: 2). In other words, it is important to analyze how adverbial

phrases contribute to modify lexical categories and develop the story.

In analyzing literary works, we cannot forget about the intrinsic elements

of the work, such as settings, plot, and characters. In order to describe these

elements, adverbial phrases may take part in explaining the detail of the elements.

This study will see the connections between adverbial phrases and intrinsic

elements in a short story.


3

In consequence, it is worthy to study adverbial phrases in the short story

because it gives readers more knowledge on how adverbial phrases work in literary

works. Moreover, this study also gives more understanding to the readers about the

short story by identifying the relation between adverbial phrases and horror story.

B. Problem Formulation

From the background written above, the writer will discuss two questions

as problem formulation, which are as follows:

1. How are the adverbial phrases distributed in Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart?

2. What is the function of the adverbial phrases in Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart?

C. Objectives of the Study

Based on the problem formulation, the writer would like to achieve two

objectives at the end of this study. First, this study determines how adverbial

phrases in the short story are distributed. The study of the distribution also includes

the types and the position of adverbial phrases. This distribution is helpful to

analyze the second problem formulation.

Second, this study aims to understand the contribution of the adverbial

phrases in the short story. By analyzing the semantic features and style of the

adverb, the writer can identify the significance of the adverbial phrases to the story.

Further, the writer will reach conclusion of the distribution of adverbial phrases in

the story and adverbial phrases contribution that gives significance to the story.


4

D. Definition of Terms

In this part, the writer clarifies some terminologies used in the study in

order to avoid misunderstanding and misinterpretation. The writer provides the

following definition of terms that frequently appear in the study.

Traditionally, an adverb is defined as “a word used to modify a verb,

adjective, preposition or another adverb” (Delahunty & Garvey, 2010: 178). Thus,

an adverb will never modify a noun. Examples of adverb are very, dreadfully,

slowly, usually, and well. The writer will use this definition in this research.

Phrase is a word or a group of words that is not containing a verb and its

subject and used as a single part of speech (Delahunty & Garvey, 2010: 274).

Therefore, a phrase can consist of a word or more as long as it does not have subject

and verb. Examples of phrase are in my desperately wounded condition, the rays of

numerous candles, and about the closing in of an evening in autumn.

Adverbial phrase is an element of a clause in form of phrase with major

functions: to add circumstantial information about the proposition, to express writer

stance towards the clause, or to link the clause to some other unit (Biber et al., 1999:

762). Therefore, adverbial phrase is very versatile in clauses because it may be used

in different purposes.


5

CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL REVIEW

A. Review of Related Studies

The previous study of adverb is conducted by Jonathan Irene Sartika Dewi

(2011). Her study is about adverbs ending with –ly modifying verbs of speaking in

a literary work. She studied how the distribution of adverbs ending with –ly modify

verbs of speaking and their significances in a novel titled Confession of a

Shopaholic. The findings of analysis include position, grammatical function, and

semantic roles. The result of her research is that the significance of adverbs ending

with –ly modifying verbs can be seen in terms of developing the elements in the

story. They are character’s personalization, character’s expression and tone in

speaker, characters’ manner management in speaking. Another significance can be

found through the reader’s emotion engagement to the story from major character

point of view.

Another study of adverb is conducted by Thomas Ernst (2003). This study

discusses the distribution of adverbs based on their semantic properties. He uses his

own sentences as examples as the data. This study discusses the distribution of

adverb that depends subtly on lexicosemantic properties. The distribution is related

to the semantic property. It may have a high degree of indeterminacy and context-

dependence. Thus, not all adverbs can adjoin to the right in functional projection,

while other adverbs may. However, the distribution can still be predicted by specific

semantic properties of the adverb.


6

There are many studies about Edgar Allan Poe’s works. The writer uses

the previous study by Riah Wiratningsih (2003) in this research to be reviewed. She

conducted a research in Poe’s mystery-themed short stories entitled The Fall of The

House of Usher, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Black Cat. Wiratningsih discusses

the mystery in the short story. The result of her study is Poe creates the appearances

of mystery through idiosyncrasy of his characters. He makes the creation of

uniqueness and strangeness and his characterization is supported by point of view,

setting, plot, foreshadowing and diction. Those elements of works contribute to the

effect of mystery in Poe’s short story (2003: 1).

Reviewing those studies, there are some similarities and relevance with

this study. Dewi’s study only focuses on adverbs ending with –ly, which are adverbs

of manner. This study covers larger context, that is phrases. This study investigates

adverb of place, adverb of manner, adverb of time, adverb of degree, and adverb of

frequency, and their significances to the story.

This study is relevant to Ernst’s because his study shows the distribution

of adverbs based on their environments that are semantic properties of the adverbs.

This study also discusses the distribution of adverbial phrases in gothic-horror

literary text which should have its own context and semantic property. This study

is also similar to Wiratningsih’s study that is analyzing Poe’s mystery-themed short

story, however, the difference is this study conducts linguistic study to analyze the

significance of adverbial phrases in Poe’s short story. As a result, referring from

those two short studies, this study identifies the distribution of adverbial phrases in

Poe’s short story and their significances.


7

B. Review of Related Theories

1. Adverb

Biber, et al. state that an adverb can either be integrated into an element of

the clause or function themselves as an element of the clause (1999: 538). It means

that adverbs may have various occurrences in a clause because they may serve as

modifiers of other elements of the clause. The adverb serving as modifiers also can

also function as adverbials. The difference between adverb and adverbial is an

adverb is a word class label, while an adverbial is a function label. It means that

adverbials are the units that provide the answer for the question such as ‘why did

this occur?’, ‘how did this occur?’, ‘when did this occur?’, and ‘where did this

occur?’.

The forms of adverbs are commonly characterized with ending –ly.

However, Biber et al. categorize adverbs into four major categories (1999: 539).

First is a simple adverb. Simple adverbs are single words that are not formed from

compounds or derivational affixes, e.g. well, quite, here, and soon. Other simple

adverbs are related to other words classes: long and fast can be adjectives; down

and round can be used as preposition; yesterday and tomorrow can be used as

nouns. Second is a compound adverb. Compound adverbs are formed by combining

two or more elements into a single word, e.g. anyway (any + way), and nowhere

(no + where).

Third is an adverb derived by suffixation. Many adverbs are formed by

suffixing –ly to the base form of an adjective, such as slowly formed from the

adjective slow. However, not all adverbs ending in -ly are formed by the addition


8

of the suffix to an adjectival form and not all words ending in –ly are adverbs, such

as friendly, lovely, and leisurely. Fourth is fixed phrase. These phrases are invariant

in form, and the component words rarely retain their independent meaning, e.g. of

course, kind of, and at last.

2. Grammatical Function of Adverbial as Adjunct

Quirk divides the grammatical functions of adverbials into four main

divisions. They are Adjunct, Subjunct, Disjunct, and Conjunct (1985: 503).

However, this study focuses more on adjunct because most data found in the story

are in adjunct form.

In sentences, adjuncts resemble other sentence elements, such as Subject,

Object, and Complement (Quirk, 1985: 504). Adjunct can also be the focus of a

cleft sentence. Generally, adverbs as adjuncts have more freedom of position in a

clause than other elements. Adjunct is divided into two subcategories: Predication

(Obligatory and Optional) and Sentence. Adjuncts also have grammatical

realization of their sematic roles. They are as follows:

i. Adjunct of Space

Adjunct of space has two groups related to space or place which are

Position and Direction (1985: 514). In short, it deals with locations and positions of

something. Explanation of Position (in, on, at) or Direction (there, here, ahead) will

complete verbs like live, be, bring, take, and put which take obligatory predication

adjuncts.


9

ii. Adjunct of Time

Adjunct of time is the adverb that explains any matter related to time. The

aspects explained by adjunct of time are position, duration/span, and frequency

(1985: 526). Adjunct of time-position usually uses prepositional phrase or noun

phrase, e.g. in 2000, at 10 o’clock. Prepositional phrases help to distinguish the

narrowness or broadness of the time ‘location’. Further, it is divided into two modes

of orientation. First, it denotes a point or period of time, e.g. now ‘at this time’ and

simultaneously ‘at the same time’. Second, it gives additional implication to another

period of time, e.g. later ‘afterward’ and eventually ‘in the end’.

Adjuncts of span and duration are the adverbs that give explanation related

to time as linear dimension. All adjuncts of time have an orientation to the speaker’s

‘now’ (the primary concern to the speaker/writer within a given context), the one

referring to a span in the past, the other to one in the future. Thus, there are three

types of this adjunct. They are Forward Span (e.g. until, till), Backward Span (e.g.

since, lately), and Duration Adjunct. Duration Adjunct is divided into Definite

Frequency and Indefinite Frequency. Definite Frequency is the times by which

frequency can be measured, while Indefinite Frequency is the opposite. It cannot be

measured. Definite Frequency is divided into two, they are Period Frequency (e.g.

weekly, daily, annually) and Occasion Frequency (e.g. twice, once). Indefinite

Frequency has Usual Occurrence (e.g. commonly, usually), Continuous (e.g.

always), High Frequency (e.g. frequently, often), and Low Frequency (e.g. seldom,

rarely).


10

iii. Process Adjunct

Process adjunct explains how something is done. All four semantic types

of process adjunct can be realized by prepositional phrase (1985: 556). First type is

Manner Adjunct. It is performed by derivational adjective + suffix –ly which can

be paraphrased by in a … manner or in a … way where the adjective fill the blank

position. This adjunct also answers a How question. It is because how is usually

expected to elicit Manner Adjunct. Second type is Means Adjunct, e.g. You can turn

on this machine by pressing this button. Third type is Instrument Adjunct, e.g. We

cut the tree with this axe. Fourth type is Agentive Adjunct, e.g. She was killed by a

murderer.

iv. Respect Adjunct and Contingency Adjunct

Respect Adjunct is an adverb that show its parasitic character in being

realized formally by expressions whose primary function is to realize other classes

of adjunct (1985: 563). In the other words, it explains the content of the sentence in

its association with certain classes (most of them are adjective) as the related point,

e.g. She’s advising them legally. Legally here means ‘from a legal standpoint’.

Contingency Adjunct, meanwhile, is realized by the prepositional phrases e.g.

because of (reason), for (purpose), if (condition), and though (concession).

3. Semantic Roles of Adverbial

Quirk distinguishes seven main categories of semantic roles of the

adverbials (1985: 479). First, adverbial roles as Space has three aspects, they are

Position and Direction (which are interrelated with source [from] and goal [to]), and

Distance (e.g. far). Second, adverbial roles as Time has four aspects, they are


11

Position and Duration (which are interrelated with forward span [until] and

backward span [since]), Frequency (e.g. often, always) and Relationship (e.g. still,

already). Third, adverbial roles of Process has four aspects, they are Manner (e.g.

loudly, well), Means (e.g. by plane, in mathematics), Instrument (e.g. with a

hammer, using a calculator), and Agentive (e.g. by John Passive Voice).

Fourth is adverbial role of Respect. It has concerned with the use of

adverbial to identify a relevant point of reference in respect of which the clause

concerned derives its truth value (e.g. She helped him a little with his book). Fifth,

adverbial roles of Contingency has Cause (e.g. She died of cancer), Reason (e.g.

He brought his umbrella because today is going to rain), Purpose (e.g. They train

every day to win the championship), Result (e.g. He ran so fast, so he won the

medal), Condition (e.g. I can eat, if I have a job), and Concession (e.g. I still can

eat, though I do not have any job). Sixth, adverbial roles as Modality has Emphasis

(e.g. She will certainly go to the party), Approximation (e.g. She will probably go

to the party), and Restriction (e.g. She will go only to the party). Seventh, adverbial

roles as Degree has Amplification (e.g. I love her so much), and Diminution (e.g. I

like her a little bit).

4. Stylistics

Stylistics analyzes the unique language feature that gives the author’s

message and affects the reader through the text. Verdonk maintains that “stylistics,

the study of style, can be defined as the analysis of distinctive expression in

language and the description of its purposes and effects” (2002: 4). It means that


12

the different feature of the author in delivering message or affecting the reader can

be observed through stylistics.

Adverbial phrases are also one of many features that the author uses to

deliver his message. It is meant to give effect to the readers by his style of writing,

and in this case, the adverbial phrases that the author used. An adverb, which is also

known as adjunct, is usually treated as a tool to describe the environment in a clause.

They (adjuncts) basically describe the circumstances that attach to the process

related by the clause and for that reason they can often be removed without affecting

the grammaticality of the clause as a whole (Simpson, 2004: 14).

5. Foregrounding

Foregrounding is “the bringing of particular textual features into

prominence, e.g. distinct patterns or parallelism, repetitions, and deviations from

general linguistic rules or from the style expected in a specific text type, or genre,

or context” (Verdonk, 2002: 118). It is like ‘throwing into relief’ of linguistic sign

from common norms of ordinary language. It is the particularly noticeable features

to show the relationship with other features of style in order to awaken the reader’s

emotions or interest. In the story, one of many features used by the author is

adverbial phrases. It can be observed that adverbial phrases are used in many

varieties. Some of them distinguish themselves from ordinary language. It can be

said that they violating grammatical norms. Later, it will be proved that adverbial

phrases can trigger the reader’s emotions and interest.


13

6. Representation

Representation is the use of language to create a context of reality rather

than to identify aspects of an existing one; projection though language of an

alternative world. “The people, places, and times in the story act on readers as cues

to imagine them as participating in the situation of the fictional world of the

discourse” (Verdonk, 2002: 34) in order to make the readers can engage to the story.

It makes the reader be like in the world or situation of the story, escapes from reality

to feel the conflicting emotion in the story. Adverbial phrases work as the feature

to create the projection of the world of the story. It will be analyzed how adverbial

phrase signifying to the context of reality in the story.

C. Theoretical Framework

The theories above are used to answer the problem formulation of this

study. The theory of syntactic function of adverb and semantic roles of adverb are

used to find out the distribution of the adverbial phrase. The grammatical function

of adverbials is used to identify what certain adverbs explain. It gives clear

explanation about the function of adverbs grammatically in sentences. It also helps

to classify the distribution of adverbs in the short story. The semantic roles of

adverb help to analyze what aspects are described by the adverbial phrases.

Considering that an adverb is a content word that carries certain meaning, the

semantic roles of adverb is the perfect guideline to identify the meaning of the

adverb. Several semantic roles that can be assigned in certain adverbs are Space,

Time, Process, Respect, Contingency, Modality, and Degree.


14

The theory of foregrounding and representation help to study the

prominent feature of adverbial phrases which have significances. In foregrounding,

the writer will highlight that certain adverbs may be included in a form of distinct

patterns, repetitions, and deviations from general rules in language. In

representation, the writer will relate that the representation may help the readers to

engage themselves to the short story written by Edgar Allan Poe. All these theories

will be elaborated to identify the significance of adverbial phrases to the story.


15

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study

The object of this study is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe. The

tittle of the work is The Tell-Tale Heart published in 1843. It first appeared in the

inaugural issue of the Boston magazine, The Pioneer. Though this story is favorite

with today’s readers, The Tell-Tale Heart was rejected the first time Poe tried to

publish it.

The linguistic element that the writer will analyze is an adverbial phrase.

An adverbial phrase may be in form of a word or a phrase. The adverb might modify

other part of speech such as verb, adjective, or even another adverb. However, the

most common part of speech that adverbs modify is verb. Adverbs may be optional

in matter of use in a sentence. They are often omitted by some writers to make their

sentences shorter. Even though adverbs are optional, they can still give significance

when they are used in completing a sentence because adverbs add some details to

the sentence. Thus, the writer here is trying to explain the significance of the

adverbs in story.

In the story, there are a lot of adverbial phrases used. It is because the

author has unique and dark way of writing. This style of writing appeals to emotion

and drama. This style makes the readers invited to the environment and situation of

the story. This later will be proved by analyzing the significance and distribution of

adverbial phrases that the author used.


16

B. Approach of the Study

In order to identify the distribution of adverbial phrases and the

significance of them to the story, the writer used stylistic approach. Stylistics is the

study of style in language. Leech states that “literary stylistics has, implicitly or

explicitly, the goal of explaining the relation between language and artistic

function” (1981: 13). Thus, stylistics can be used to identify the linguistic

expression and description to find out why the author here describe his story in this

certain way. This approach is used to analyze the data from the short story. The data

is the adverbial phrases in the short story. Foregrounding and representation theory

are appropriate to conduct this study to ascertain the importance of the adverbial

phrases in the story.

C. Method of the Study

1. Data Collection

In this study, the writer employs population study for collecting the data.

Population study is the most suitable method in collecting the data in Poe’s The

Tell-Tale Hear. Population study here means the data collected share similar

characteristics, and in this study, the population are adverbial phrases. However,

the population is too wide, thus the writer narrows this study and take adjunct

phrases as the sample population. Population study is the most suitable because this

method can be used to draw conclusions that will apply to the entire population.

The thorough reading is essential in order to identify the adverbial phrases attached

in the story. After reading the whole story, the writer collected all adverbs in forms

of words and phrases. After that, the writer chose the adverbs to be analyzed based


17

on grammatical function that most often occurs in the story. Based on the

occurrences, the adjunct outnumbered another grammatical function, such as

disjunct and conjunct. After that, the writer classified the adverbial phrases based

on their distribution. After that, the writer preceded the analysis on all of the

adverbial phrases.

2. Data Analysis

In order to understand the distribution, the writer classified the adverbial

phrases in the story based on the theories mentioned above. The purpose of this

analysis was to identify the distribution of adverbial phrases used by the author.

The grammatical function of adverbs and semantic roles of adverb can be used to

classify the distribution of adverbial phrases used in the story. The results of this

analysis are presented in tables based on their position and types of adverb. The

followings are examples of the tables that will be used in analysis:

Table 1. The Distribution of Adverbial Phrases Based on the Position

Initial Position Middle Position Final Position Total

Table 2. The Distribution of Adverbial Phrases Based on Types of Adverb

Grammatical Function & Semantic

Role Total

Table 3. Types of Adverbial Phrases and the Occurrences in Three Positions

Position

Types Initial

Position

Middle

Position

Final

Position


18

In order to reveal the significance of the adverbial phrases, stylistics

theories are used to understand. Foregrounding and representation were used to find

out the significance of adverbial phrases to the plot of the story. Foregrounding was

used to identify the roles and significances of adverbial phrases to the readers,

especially the reader’s emotions and interests. Representation was used to explain

that all of description in the story can be brought to the readers’ imagination through

the adverbial phrases used by the author. Thus, the significance of adverbial phrases

to the story can be seen through the way they represent the reality (to help

improving the reader’s imagination).


19

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

A. The Occurrence of Adverbial Phrases

1. Position of Adverbial Phrases

After reading The Tell-Tale Heart, the writer realized that adverbial

phrases often occur in the sentences. This shows the prominence of adverbs as a

feature of language. There are nearly two hundred occurrences of adverbs in form

of adjunct. Based on the position, most of the adverbs occur in the middle of

sentences. Even though adverbs generally have greater freedom of position in the

clause, the choice of word order may be a matter of focus or emphasis in case of

adverbs of manner. In addition, initial position of adverbs is used for sequence of

adverbials to avoid confusion at the end (Wales, 2001: 9). Thus, the position of

adverbs may give hint about what the author wants to make the attention more in

the story. In the short story, adjunct of manner is the most type of adverb that occur

in the middle position and final position. The position of adverb is important if

there are several adverbs in a clause. For instance, in the sentence (1), the adverb of

time appears in the beginning of a clause, so it can drag the attention of the readers

to the certain time that the narrator mention in the story.

(1) Now this is the point. (p. 277) Initial Position

(2) And every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the

chamber, and spoke courageously to him … (p. 278) Middle Position


20

(3) …As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street

door. (p. 280) Final Position

Those are some examples of adjunct of space in three different

occurrences. When the adjunct appears in the initial position, it immediately points

out the manner or situation before the action is described in the sentence. When the

adjunct appears in the middle or final position, it may modify or be the complement

of the verb. The narrator mentions now in the beginning to give the clear

explanation of time before the reader confused with when the action takes place.

In the second example, the narrator tells about where he went to, thus the

adjunct works as complement because the verb needs complement, but not only

that, it still gives the border of the setting. While still on the same page, adjuncts of

time and adjuncts of manner are less often to be complements, but more likely to

be modifiers. The third example shows that the adjunct of place modifies the noun.

The adjunct explains where the knock came from. The occurrences are the same

with the other adjuncts, such as adjunct of time, adjunct of manner, and adjunct of

respect.

Table 4. The Occurrence of Adjuncts in The Tell-Tale Heart

Initial Position Middle Position Final Position Total

11 129 51 191

Table 4 shows the occurrence of adverbial phrases in the short story. Most

of them appear in the middle of a sentence. It has many occurrences in number

which are 129 data. Adverbs in middle position help to invite the reader’s attention

to the more detailed information, such as how, where, or when the action takes


21

place. It is because the adverbs’ position occurs near the verbs, which are the core

of every sentence.

The adjuncts that occur in the final position are the next adverbial phrases

that often appear in the story. There are 51 adjuncts in final position found in the

short story. Some adjuncts are repeated in the middle of a sentence, but it is counted

as one adjunct (if the adjunct is same). The adjuncts that appear in the final position

usually give the extra information to the sentence. However, they can also be the

main focus of the sentence. Geoffrey Leech states that “The principle that 'last is

most important' means that the nuclear tone's neutral position is at the end of the

tone unit, specifically, on the last lexical item, or 'content word'” (1981: 212). In the

other words, the reader would take the adjunct in the end of a sentence as something

essential to the story. It is not only as a modifier of a sentence, but it may have

special context to the story.

The least adjunct occurrence in the story is the adjunct occurrence in the

initial position. There are 11 data found in the short story. The difference is quite

high compared to the other position. This is because the types of adverb that usually

appear in initial position are conjunct, disjunct, and subjunct. Adjunct is less

common to be in initial position, thus, the amount of adjunct in The Tell-Tale Heart

is relatively little. Adverbs in the initial position draw the reader’s attention about

the situation in a sentence first before the reader understand the action or the whole

sentence.


22

2. Classification of Adverbial Phrases

In this study, the classification of adverbial phrases is conducted based on

classification of Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Svartvit on grammatical function

of adverbials. Based on the grammatical function, adverbial phrases can be divided

into four, they are adjunct, disjunct, subjunct, and conjunct. From the four of this,

adjunct is the type that most often occur in The Tell-Tale. Thus, the study will only

focus on the adjunct to represent the distribution and significance of adverbial

phrases. The other grammatical function may have different significance. The data

taken are only a few to represent each category. The rest of the classification is in

the appendix. The data is collected based on the order of appearance.

There are four types of adjunct that occur in the story. They are Adjunct of

Space (AoS), Adjunct of Time (AoT), Adjunct of Process (AoP), and Adjunct of

Contingency (AoC). In addition, the semantic roles that occur in the story are Space

(Position, Direction), Time (Position, Duration, Frequency, Relationship), Process

(Manner, Instrument, Agent), and Contingency (Purpose and Result). There should

be Adjunct of Respect in this classification, however, there is no data of it found in

The Tell-Tale Heart. Thus, the writer will only focus on these four types of

grammatical function.

The type of adjunct and its semantic roles are presented in a column to

make it easier to read. Here are some presentations of each grammatical function

complemented by the semantic roles taken from the short story:


23

Table 5. The Distribution of Adverbial Phrases Based on Types in The

Tell-Tale Heart

Here are the adjuncts and some examples of their clauses taken from the

story with explanation of their functions.

a. Spatial Position

(4) I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumb

slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man sprang up in bed, crying

out --"Who's there?" (p. 278)

(5) I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the

boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. (p. 281)

In sentence (4), there are three adjuncts of space with position semantic

roles. Three of them point out three different positions. First is in. This adjunct

explains the position of the narrator’s head in which was in the room. Second is

upon the tin fastening. This adjunct explains the position where the narrator’s thumb

slipped, the exact position was on the tin fastening. Third is in the bed. This adjunct

Grammatical Function & Semantic Role Total

Spatial Position 39

Spatial Direction 14

Temporal Position 26

Temporal Duration 17

Temporal Frequency 9

Temporal Relationship 6

Process Manner 64

Process Instrument 2

Process Mean 3

Process Agent 2

Contingency Purpose 9

Total 191


24

explains the position of the old man who woke up as the result of the narrator’s

action. It is the same for sentence (5). The adjunct upon the boards explains the

position of the narrator’s action.

b. Spatial Direction

(6) I proceeded with what caution --with what foresight --with what

dissimulation I went to work! (p. 277)

(7) …, for I had directed the ray as if by instinct, precisely upon the

damned spot. (p. 279)

In sentence (6), the adjunct of space with direction as sematic of role is the

complement for the action verb went. They define the direction where the narrator

went. In the sentence (7), the adjunct is upon the damned spot. Even though the

preposition of the adjunct is upon which is same as in sentence (4) and (5), however,

the verb makes the difference of the adjunct. The verb directed is complemented by

the adjunct with the preposition upon.

c. Temporal Position

(8) And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of

that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable

terror. (p. 279)

(9) Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal

terror. (p. 278)

(10) I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and

deposited all between the scantlings. (p. 280)


25

Sentence (8), (9) and (10) are examples of sentences with adjunct of time

and position as the semantic role. In sentence (8) and (9), the adjuncts show the

position when the action occurred in narrator’s ‘present’ point of view. In sentence

(10), the adjunct then points out a certain time from the narrator’s ‘future’ time

position point of view.

d. Temporal Duration

(11) His fears had been ever since growing upon him. (p. 279)

(12) So I opened it --you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily–until,

at length a single dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the

crevice and fell full upon the vulture eye. (p. 279)

(13) I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes.

(p.280)

(14) Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. (p.279)

In contrast to the previous type of adjunct which time is conceived as fixed

point, this type of adjunct relates to time as a linear dimension (past, now, future).

In this type, the adjuncts may have orientation to the speaker’s ‘now’ or they can

be more general temporal issue, thus not requiring orientation to the speaker’s

‘now’. Sentence (11) is an example of backward span adjunct. Adjunct since

explains the action from certain past time going to narrator’s now. Sentence (12) is

a forward span. It is because the time that is explained starts from the narrator’s

present and goes until a certain time in future when a certain action is completed.

Sentence (13) and (14) are the examples for the latter type which showing duration.


26

e. Time + Frequency

(15) He had never given me insult. (p. 277)

(16) …, but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do

the work; … (p.278)

(17) And every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the

chamber, and spoke courageously to him, … (p. 278)

Adjunct of time with frequency as a semantic role is the type of adjunct

that responds to ‘How often?’. Sentence (15) is the example the frequency that the

action not once ever happened. However, still, it is included to the definite

frequency because of its clearness. In sentence (16) and (17), the adjuncts do not

clarify how many times an action occurs, therefore the reader cannot identify the

exact number. If a clause using a more definite word, such as twice, or four times,

the reader can distinguish the frequency more clearly.

f. Temporal Relationship

(18) He was still sitting up in the bed listening; … (p. 278)

(19) If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe

the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. (p. 280)

This type of adjunct indicates “a relationship between two times position

that are both being considered in utterance are realized by forms that serve more

than one function” (Biber et al., 1999: 550). It means that the adjuncts connect

another utterance in time’s related perspective. The adjunct still in sentence (18)

and (19) explain the time position that are related from another utterance in the

story. For sentence (18), this adjunct relates to the previous sentence which


27

mentions the old man had not lied down. Still in sentence (19) also relates time in

the sentence with the story.

g. Process Manner

(20) And then, when my head was well in the room, I undid the lantern

cautiously --oh, so cautiously --cautiously (for the hinges creaked) … (p.

278)

(21) … and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I

kept pushing it on steadily, steadily. (p. 278)

(22) The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. (p. 280)

(23) I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human

eye -- not even his --could have detected any thing wrong. (p. 280)

This type of adjunct is the type that occurs the most often in the story. The

function of this type is simply to describe the way in which something is done. The

adjuncts modify the verb and give the quality about how the action is performed. In

the examples of this type above, all of them explain how the narrator did his action.

h. Process Instrument

(24) –now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as

a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. (p. 279)

(25) It was a low, dull, quick sound --much such a sound as a watch makes

when enveloped in cotton. (p. 281)

Both sentences are similar and have same the Instrument that is cotton.

This instrument explains the comparison of the sound that the narrator heard that is


28

the sound of a watch when enveloped in cotton. It makes the reader easier to

imagine the sound.

i. Process Mean

(26) Yes, he had been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions:

but he had found all in vain. (p. 279)

(27) I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by

the observations of the men -- but the noise steadily increased. (p. 281)

This type of adjunct may be similar to the previous type. However, there

is a difference between them. While Instrument explains the item used to

accomplish the action, Mean explains the methods or means by which the action

was accomplished. Therefore, it is clear that in sentence (26) and (27), the adjuncts

of Process + Mean describe the way how the doer did his action.

j. Process Agent

(28) And now a new anxiety seized me --the sound would be heard by a

neighbor! (p. 279)

(29) A shriek had been heard by a neighbor during the night; suspicion of

foul play had been aroused; … (p. 280)

There are two data found for this type and both are the same, that is by a

neighbor. The neighbor is the agent of the verb heard and included in this kind of

type because the statement is in form of passive construction.

k. Contingency Purpose

(30) … --I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, … (p. 277)


29

(31) … information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the

officers) had been deputed to search the premises. (p. 280)

(32) In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the room,

and desired them here to rest from their fatigues …(p. 280)

This kind of adjunct is quite easy to find in the data because all of them

start with the preposition of to. Adjunct of Contingency + Purpose explains can be

paraphrased to ‘for the purpose of’. Therefore, it describes what the speaker want

to achieve by his action.

3. Types of Adverbial Phrases Used in Three Position of Occurrences

This part discusses whether the position of adjunct has an influence to the

types of adjuncts in the story or vice versa. This discussion is answering the first

problem formulation in this study, the distribution of adverbial phrases (adjuncts)

in The Tell-Tale Heart.

Table 6. Types of Adjunct Phrases and Occurrences in The Tell-Tale Heart (in %)

Position

Types

Initial

Position

Middle

Position

Final

Position

Spatial Position 0% 46% 54%

Spatial Direction 0% 71% 29%

Temporal Position 31% 58% 11%

Temporal Duration 12% 65% 23%

Temporal Frequency 0% 88% 11%

Temporal Relationship 0% 100% 0

Process Manner 2% 76% 22%

Process Instrument 0% 0% 100%

Process Mean 0% 100% 0%

Process Agent 0% 50% 50%

Contingency Purpose 0% 89% 11%


30

These are the occurrence of adjunct phrases in the story. Adjuncts of process

dominate by number the appearance of adjunct in the story. It means that the author

gives more attention to the verbs because adjunct of process is used to add details

or modify the verb. The second adjunct that often appears is adjunct of time. They

are to convey the time-related meanings. It can deal with the position in time,

duration about how long an event lasted, and frequency of an event.

The third adjunct that quite often appears is adjunct of space. This kind of

adjunct is used to explain the position, source, or direction of an action. The spaces

are not limited only in reality space, but also abstract space. The last adjunct that

infrequently appears is adjunct of contingency. This adjunct covers “circumstance

adverbials that shows how one event or state is contingent upon another” (Biber et

al., 1999: 779). It means that the adjunct must be related or connected to another

element in a sentence, and in this case, adjunct of contingency is related to purpose

and result.

From the table above, the distribution of adjuncts can be comprehended

more clearly. From all types of adjunct, the types appearing in the Middle Position

are one of the most frequent in the story. Its average is more than types of adjunct

in Initial Position and Final Position. Types of adjunct occur in the Final Position

is the second type that quite frequent occur. Types of adjunct in Initial Position

rarely occur in the story. They only occur in three types of adverbial phrases with

low percentages.

Thus, it can be seen that adjuncts in Middle Position are the types that

regularly appear in the story. With this positioning, adjuncts in Middle Position


31

usually modify or give explanation about how, when and where the action

happened. The flexibility of adjuncts in Middle Position can be placed before or

after the verb. It may give more information in the middle of sentence for the reader.

The information from the adjuncts around the verb summon the reader’s

imagination about the manner, time, and place of an event at once because they are

still in the middle of sentence. Therefore, it can be concluded that adjuncts in

Middle Position are contributing in igniting the reader’s imagination to the

situations or event in the story.

B. Significance of Adverbial Phrases in the Short Story

From the data collected of adverbial phrases in the stories, the type of

adverbial which most frequently appears based on grammatical function is adjunct.

This type represents the analysis of the adverbials. Thus, the other grammatical

function such as disjunct, subjunct, and conjunct is not discussed in this study.

Adjuncts, in all kind of texts, can answer the questions How? When?

Where? Why?. These answers are received by the readers’ mind subconsciously

because before them asking this question to the text, adjuncts have already given

explanation about it. They give more detailed description to a text. However, unlike

adjectives that only give description to a noun, adjuncts do not merely serve the

function of qualifying only one type of lexical category. They are more flexible to

modify another lexical category. Adjunct’s capability to give various description in

various forms can be the primary style of the author in telling his stories. When the

author masters the usage of adverbials, he can give more impact to his story. The


32

story may convey a hidden or symbolic message in the adverbials, and make invite

the reader’s attention to understand deeper the adjuncts used by the author.

Therefore, their stylistic significance may vary according to their function in the

clause, but still the description of adjuncts used by author is observable.

In this analysis, the writer discovered some findings about the significance

of the adverbial phrases to the story. It is found how something is being clarified or

modified by other features. Here are some results from analyzing the adjunct

phrases in The Tell-Tale Heart.

1. The Settings of Events

This is a common knowledge that an adverb of place and an adverb of time

describe the setting of space and time of an event. The description of the setting

makes the reader imagine the situation or even feel the atmosphere of the setting.

The example below shows how the setting is described.

It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I

could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha! --would a madman have been so

wise as this? (And then, when my head was well in the room, I undid the

lantern cautiously --oh, so cautiously --cautiously (for the hinges creaked)

--I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye.

And this I did for seven long nights --every night just at midnight --but I

found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for

it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And every morning,

when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber, and spoke

courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring

how he has passed the night. So you see he would have been a very

profound old man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I

looked in upon him while he slept. (p. 278)

The italic phrases above are the adjuncts showing the settings of time and

place of the story. They mostly have the semantic roles of position of space,


33

duration of time, and frequency of time. The adjunct in the room refers to the old

man’s room. The description of the room is explained in another sentence. It is

described that the room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness and the

shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers. This adjunct explains the

space position of the event. In this place, the narrator stalked and killed the old man.

Next adjunct that shows the setting of the event is adjuncts of time. The

adjunct for seven long nights --every night just at midnight and that every night, just

at twelve indicates the action was always done in midnight for seven days straight.

This description of time is the typical of horror story, where something bad or scary

would happen. Rarely authors write the setting of a murder in the morning or noon.

Poe took this setting to make the readers feel the atmosphere of the murder setting.

The second adjunct is adjunct of time every morning. This time frequency

is different from before and the action is also different. In every morning, the

narrator tried to provoke the old man. The writer is certain the narrator cannot kill

the old man in the day because he was afraid of what he did was heard by neighbors.

Then, on the midday, the narrator provoked him intentionally to resolve himself to

kill the old man.

Adjunct of time with a semantic role of position can also describe the

setting of the action. In this story, we have to follow the time from the narrator’s

perspective to understand the time.

And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that

old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror.

Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating

grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety

seized me --the sound would be heard by a neighbor! The old man's hour

had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the


34

room. He shrieked once --once only. In an instant I dragged him to the

floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the

deed so far done. (p.279)

The adjunct now at the dead hour of the night clearly points out a certain

time position. If we take a look at the meaning, dead hour means the time when the

most people die in their sleep in hospital, around 3 a.m. until 4 a.m. Relating to the

story, this is the time when people are generally sleeping deepest, so things are

quietest. Therefore, the author used this adjunct to increase the tension of the

narrator’s murder intent to the readers by creating the atmosphere of time that is

scary.

The next adjunct is another adjunct of space that shows the setting where

the characters are.

I smiled, --for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen welcome. The

shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, I mentioned, was

absent in the country. I took my visitors all over the house. I bade them

search --search well. I led them, at length, to his chamber. I showed them

his treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I

brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their

fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed

my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the

victim. (p. 280)

The adjuncts in this paragraph are used to describe the position of the

characters. The narrator and the officers were in the old man’s house. The narrator

shows several places in the house. The most specific location in that paragraph is

upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim. This adjunct

describes the exact location of the narrator and it makes the reader can imagine it

more clearly.


35

From Table 6, the distribution of adjuncts of space and adjuncts of time

mostly appear in Middle Position and Final Position. The adjuncts in Middle

Position invite the reader’s attention to the modifier of the verb because of the

position of the adjuncts which near with the position of the verb. The percentage

domination shows that Poe uses a lot of adverb in Middle Position to make the

reader aware with what situation described with the adjuncts around the verbs.

While the adjuncts in Final Position have quite high number of appearance, because

Poe sometimes uses them as the main focus of the description of the text, as content

word in the last position can be the most important (Leech, 1981: 212).

Data above has proved that adjuncts of time and space are used to explain

the settings are able to inform the reader about the environment and situation of the

story. Both adjunct of time or adjunct of space contribute for making the setting

suitable to atmosphere of the story, that is murder story. Thus it can be concluded

that these adjuncts significantly affect the story.

2. Goal of a Character

In a story, there must be a certain goal that wanted to be achieved. The

plots are inseparable from characters in minimal sense of agency or purposive

human action. They are explicable by reference of happiness goals (Jannidis, Lauer,

Martínez, & Winko, 2010: 137). The goals of characters may be various, depending

on how the character sees his happiness (personal or social). Personal happiness is

a kind of happiness which only one person that can feel it, e.g. the narrator’s

happiness is when he could get rid of the old man’s vulture eyes forever. Social

happiness is a kind of happiness which can be shared or felt to others. This kind of


36

happiness is pursued for the sake of the others, e.g. when the officers arrested the

killer, it makes not only the officers happy, but also the neighbor who reported the

case. If there is more than one happy individual, then social happiness is achieved.

In the story both kind of goals exist.

In The Tell-Tale Heart, some characters also have their own goals. The

first character is the main character in the story that is the narrator. He used I-

narrator in telling his story.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once

conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion

there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had

never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye!

yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture --a pale blue eye, with a film

over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees -

- very gradually – I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and

thus rid myself of the eye forever. (p. 277)

From the adjunct of purpose above, it is clear that the narrator was

disturbed by the eye and the only way to free from it was by killing the old man.

This is a personal goal because the narrator wanted to achieve his goal for himself.

The statement of the goal is mentioned by the narrator, which is also the character,

it increases the anticipation of the reader. It creates the expectation on the reader

whether the narrator would successfully kill the old man or not. This is the main

point of adjunct of process, increasing the expectation of the story plot.

Another character that has goal in the story is the officers. The goal of the

officers is the opposite of the narrator. It can be said that the officers’ goal is the

anti-climax for the narrator.

When I had made an end of these labors, it was four o'clock --still dark as

midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street

door. I went down to open it with a light heart, --for what had I now to


37

fear? There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect

suavity, as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbor

during the night; suspicion of foul play had been aroused; information had

been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers) had been deputed

to search the premises. (p. 280)

The adjunct to search the premises is the goal of the officers. They were

asked to find clues about the report from the neighbor. This is a social goal. The

officers wanted to achieve the goal for someone’s else good, in the story that is the

neighbor. The goal is to counter the narrator’s action. This adjunct is also significant

to develop the complexity of the story. Without the officers’ goal and action, the

story would be boring because there would be no anti-hero. The officers’ goal also

adds the expectation to the reader about “Will they capture the culprit?” or “how

they will arrest the narrator”.

In order to achieve a goal, a certain action has to be done. Van Dijk points

out that “an analysis of action sequences requires a concept of

SUCCESSFULNESS, and an action is FULLY SUCCESSFUL if the final result of

the action is identical with the purpose” (1977: 175). It means in a story, a

completed purpose has a certain degree of accomplishment, and if a character did

his action and met his expectation, it is called fully successful. In sentence (30), it

shows that the narrator’s purpose was to kill the old man, and he did it. Thus, it is a

fully successful action.

… His fears had been ever since growing upon him. He had been trying to

fancy them causeless, but could not. He had been saying to himself --"It is

nothing but the wind in the chimney --it is only a mouse crossing the floor,"

or "It is merely a cricket which has made a single chirp." Yes, he had been

trying to comfort himself with these suppositions: but he had found all in

vain… (p. 279)


38

The example above is the opposite of the previous. The adjunct shows that

the old man wanted to comfort himself, but it was futile. When the action was

conducted and the result did not meet the purpose, thus it is an unsuccessful action.

Adjunct of purpose in The Tell-Tale Heart can give significant effect to

the reader. The effect is to increase the anticipation of the story plot. It describes

what the characters want to achieve in the story. Contrast goals between two

characters usually are the things that make a story interesting. Additionally, it leads

to the readers’ presumption about how the story will flow. Thus, if the adjuncts are

success in inviting the reader to make expectation, then the story plot will be easy

to be followed by anyone.

3. Character’s Mood

There are some character’s moods in the story that can be observed from

the adjunct used by the author. One of the characters is the narrator. The author may

not write as himself in his story, but he can act as other person or even just act as

an observer. Poe uses I-narrator to tell about his story. It is used to distinguish

between him and the narrator in his work. Leech states the I-narrator as a primary

character creates a personal relationship with the reader which tends to bias the

reader in favor of the narrator/character (1981: 265). It means that the source could

be not reliable.

The narrator in The Tell-Tale Heart is an unreliable narrator. It is because

he is telling the whole story himself without any objective narration to back up his

statements. All of his statements are said from his own perspective which makes


39

the reliability is questionable. However, still it is worthwhile to study his mood

from his own perspective by observing the adjunct that he used.

…I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in

hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily -- how

calmly I can tell you the whole story. (p. 277)

There are two adjuncts of process in the first paragraph describing that he

was not mad, which are healthily and calmly. Both are explaining that he was fine

and not disturbed by anything. They invite the reader to believe that his mood was

calm when telling his story. They could be more convincing if they are stated by a

third person.

After the beginning of the story, the narrator shows another mood by his

manner. When he was stalking the old man, some adjunct of process are mentioned

in the story.

Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you

should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded --with

what caution --with what foresight --with what dissimulation I went to

work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before

I killed him. And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door

and opened it --oh so gently! And then, when I had made an opening

sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, so that no

light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed

to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly --very, very slowly, so

that I might not disturb the old man's sleep. It took me an hour to place my

whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon

his bed. Ha! --would a madman have been so wise as this? And then, when

my head was well in the room, I undid the lantern cautiously --oh, so

cautiously --cautiously (for the hinges creaked) --I undid it just so much

that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long

nights --every night just at midnight --but I found the eye always closed;

and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who

vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And every morning, when the day broke, I

went boldly into the chamber, and spoke courageously to him, calling him


40

by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring how he has passed the night. So

you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed, to suspect

that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept. (p.

277-278)

The adjuncts above show how the narrator did his action. The first adjunct

in this paragraph is wisely. It is quite similar to the previous mood that stated the

narrator was sane and astute. Next adjuncts are --with what caution --with what

foresight --with what dissimulation which modify verb went. They all add details

about what the narrator can do when accomplishing his intention. It creates a serious

mood. It is because the narrator did everything he could to kill the old man. Further,

adjunct gently, slowly and cautiously explain that the narrator did every action

carefully. When the reader read every adjuncts of process above, he would

understand that the narrator’s mood was very cautious. The adjunct slowly is

repeated twice and cautiously is repeated three times. It is repeated because there is

a prominence that the author wants to deliver to the reader.

In order to drill the emotions of the narrator and apply it to the reader, the

author foregrounded this part by repeating the adjunct. Thus, when the repetition

adjuncts successfully invite the reader’s attention, the character’s mood, which in

this context is being cautious, can be seen obviously.


midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street

door. I went down to open it with a light heart, --for what had I now to

fear? There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect

suavity, as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbor

during the night; suspicion of foul play had been aroused; information had

been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers) had been deputed

to search the premises. (p. 280)


41

In this part, when the narrator had dismembered and hid the corpse, he

heard a knock at the door. Then, he opened it with a light heart. This adjunct of

process clearly describes that the narrator was in good mood. With a light heart

gives opposite impression from the other adjuncts that the narrator told before. It

gives a bright impression to his action. Adjunct calmly or healthily gives neutral

impression. The narrator was fine and good. The adjunct cautiously which gives a

rather dark impression. It is because someone who does something cautiously

usually is up to something that he does not want the others to know about it or to

prevent something bad happen if he does it carelessly. Adjunct cautiously also

increases the tension of the action when the reader read the story.

To summarize, adjuncts give hint about the implicit elements in the story,

where the reader’s senses (vision) in the story are depending on how the narrator

tells his story. From the findings, it is proved that the adjuncts in the story contribute

to help author to develop the settings, set a certain goal of the character, and

describe the character’s mood.


42

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

The Tell-Tale Heart is a short story written by a famous American author,

Edgar Allan Poe. It was published in 1843 in a Boston magazine, The Pioneer. The

story is about an anonymous narrator who killed an old man because the narrator

was disturbed by the old man’s eyes. The narrator tried to act unsuspiciously when

the officers came to check, but in the end, the narrator confessed his crime. Poe uses

I-narrator point of view to tell the story. Poe gives the narrator authority to tell his

story from the narrator’s point of view. The way author tells the story by using

adjunct adverbial phrases.

The adjuncts’ position determines the contribution to the story. When an

adjunct appears in the initial position, it immediately points out the manner or

situation before the action is described in the sentence. When the adjunct appears

in the middle or final position, it may modify or complement the verb. The

grammatical function that is discussed is Adjunct, which covers Space, Time,

Process, and Contingency. The semantic roles of adjunct in the story are Position,

Direction, Frequency, Relationship, Manner, Instrument, Mean, Agent, and

Purpose. Thus, these roles give different explanations throughout the story.

The adjuncts have some significances in the story. First, they help to create

the setting of the story. It is obvious that adjuncts of space and adjuncts of time

describe the environment, so that the reader can imagine where and when the action

happens. Second, the adjuncts describe the goals of the characters. Each character


43

in a story must have a certain goal, thus, a Contingency adjunct with a semantic role

of purpose will explain the goal. Third, adjuncts give details about the characters’

moods. The moods can be clearly seen in their manner of action. If the adjunct of

process is studied, the mood can be revealed.

The points above show that the author’s style of writing affects his works

of literature. The choice of words in the narration eventually will influence the

reader’s emotion towards the story. How the setting is illustrated and how the action

is described can be the bridge for the readers to enter the story, and in here the

adjuncts work as the bridge. In the end, the writer could say that the adjuncts used

by the Poe successfully make the reader imagine the vision or the position of the

narrator in the story.


44

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Biber, Stig Johansson, Geoffrey Leech, Susan Conrad, Edward Finegan. Longman

Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Edinburgh: Pearson Education,

1999.

Delahunty, Gerald and James Garvey. The English Language from Sound to

Sense. Indiana: Parlor Press, 2010.

Ernst, Thomas. Semantic Features and the Distribution of Adverbs. Berlin, New

York: Mouton de Gruyter, 2003.

Fromklin, Victoria, David Blair, Peter Collins. An Introduction to Language.

Sydney: Harcourt, 2000.

Jackendoff, Ray. Semantic Interpretation in Generative Grammar. Cambridge:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, 1972.

Janidis, Gerhard Lauer, Matías Martínez, Simone Winko. Characters in Fictional

Worlds. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, 2010.

Jonathan, Irene. Significances from The Use of Adverbs Ending with –ly

Modifying Verbs of Speaking in Sophie Kinsella’s Confession of a

Shopaholic. Thesis. Yogyakarta: Sanata Dharma University, 2011.

Leech, Geoffrey N. Style in Fiction. London: Longman, 1981.

Poe, Edgar Allan. Tales, Poems, Essays. London: Collins Clear-Type Press, 1952

Quirk, Randolph. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. London:

Longman, 1985.

Simpson, Paul. Stylistics a Resource Book for Students. New York: Routledge,

2004.

Van Dijk, T. Text and Context: Explorations in The Semantics and Pragmatics of

Discourse. London: Longman, 1977.

Verdonk, Peter. Stylistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Wales, Katie. A Dictionary of Stylistics Second Edition. Edinburgh: Pearson

Education, 2001.


45

Wiratningsih, Riah. Mystery as Seen in Edgar Allan Poe’s Short Story The Fall of

The House Usher, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Black Cat. Thesis. Solo:

Sebelas Maret University, 2013.


46

APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Table 7. Distribution of Adjunct Phrases

Page Adjunct Phrase Position Grammatical

Function

Semantic

Role

277

I heard all things in the

heaven and in the earth. Final Space Position

I heard many things in

hell. Final Space Position

How, then, am I mad? Middle Time Position

.., and observe how

healthily... Middle Process Manner

… how calmly I can tell

you the whole story. Middle Process Manner

It is impossible to say

how first.. Middle Time Relationship

... entered my brain;… Middle Space Position

…but once conceived, … Middle Time Frequency

…,it haunted me day and

night. Final Time Position

He had never wronged

me. Middle Time Frequency

He had never given me

an insult. Middle Time Frequency

Whenever it fell upon

me, my blood ran cold… Middle Space Position

and so by degrees -- very

gradually… Middle Process Manner

I made up my mind to

take the life of the old

man…

Middle Contingency Purpose

…, and thus rid myself of

the eye forever. Final Time Duration

Now this is the point. Initial Time Position

You should have seen

how wisely I proceeded… Middle Process Manner

… I proceeded with what

caution-- with what

foresight -- with what

dissimulation…

Middle Process Manner

… I went to work! Final Space Direction

I was never kinder to the

oldman… Middle Time Frequency


47


Function

Semantic

Role

277

.. To the old man than

during the whole week… Middle Time Position

And every night, about

midnight, … Middle Time Frequency

… I turned the latch of

his door and opened it ---

oh so gently!

Final Process Manner

And then, when I had

made an opening

sufficient for my head…

Middle Time Position

… so that no light shone

out, and then I thrust in

my head.


Oh, you would have

laughed to see how

cunningly I thrust it in!


I moved it slowly… Middle Process Manner

… --very, very slowly… Middle Process Manner

278

It took me an hour… Middle Time Duration

… to place my whole

head within the

opening…


... that I could see him as

he lay upon his bed. Final Space Position

And then, when my head

was well in the room,… Middle Space Position

I undid the lantern

cautiously --oh, so

cautiously --cautiously…


… --I undid it just so

much that a single thin

ray fell upon the vulture

eye

Final Space Position

And this I did for seven

long nights --every night

just at midnight...

Middle Time Duration

… --but I found the eye

always closed;… Middle Time Frequency

…; ; and so it was

impossible to do the

work…


And every morning,

when the day broke,… Middle Time Frequency


48


Function

Semantic

Role

278

…, I went boldly into the

chamber… Middle Process Manner

…, I went boldly into the

chamber… Middle Space Direction

…, and spoke

courageously to him,… Middle Process Manner

…, calling him by name

in a hearty tone… Middle Process Manner

…, indeed, to suspect

that every night, just at

twelve,…

Middle Time Frequency

Upon the eighth night I

was more than usually

cautious, …

Initial Time Position

… I was more than

usually cautious in

opening the door.


A watch's minute hand

moves more quickly than

did mine.


Never before that night

had I felt the extent of my

own powers,…


I could scarcely contain

my feelings of triumph. Middle Process Manner

To think that there I was,

opening the door, little by

little…


I fairly chuckled at the

idea;... Middle Process Manner

…; and perhaps he heard

me; for he moved on the

bed suddenly...

Middle Space Position

…; and perhaps he heard

me; for he moved on the

bed suddenly…


Now you may think that I

drew back --but no. Initial Time Position

…, and so I knew that he

could not see the opening

of the door, and I kept

pushing it on steadily,

steadily.



49


Function

Semantic

Role

278

I had my head in,… Middle Space Position

…, and was about to

open the lantern, when

my thumb slipped upon

the tin fastening…


…, , and the old man

sprang up in bed, crying

out --"Who's there?"


I kept quite still and said

nothing. Middle Process Manner

For a whole hour I did

not move a muscle,... Initial Time Duration

…, , and in the meantime

I did not hear him lie

down.


He was still sitting up in

the bed listening;… Middle Time Relationship

He was still sitting up in

the bed listening;… Middle Space Position

… --just as I have done,

night after night,

hearkening to the death

watches in the wall.


… --just as I have done,

night after night,

hearkening to the death

watches in the wall.


Presently I heard a slight

groan, and I knew it was

the groan of mortal terror.


… it was the low stifled

sound that arises from the

bottom of the soul when

overcharged with awe.

Middle Space Direction

… it was the low stifled

sound that arises from the

bottom of the soul when

overcharged with awe.

Final Time Position

I knew the sound well. Final Process Manner

Many a night, just at

midnight, when all the

world slept, …



50


Function

Semantic

Role

278

…, , deepening, with its

dreadful echo, the terrors

that distracted me.

Middle Process manner

I say I knew it well… Final Process Manner

279

I knew what the old man

felt, and pitied him,

although I chuckled at

heart.


I knew that he had been

lying awake ever since

the first slight noise,…


…, when he had turned

in the bed. Final Space Position

His fears had been ever

since growing upon him. Middle Time Duration

His fears had been ever

since growing upon him. Final Space Position

He had been trying to

fancy them causeless,… Middle Contingency Purpose

He had been saying to

himself --"It is nothing

but the wind in the

chimney"…


… --it is only a mouse

crossing the floor,".. Middle Space Position

Yes, he had been trying

to comfort himself with

these suppositions: but he

had found all in vain.


Yes, he had been trying

to comfort himself with

these suppositions; but he

had found all in vain.

Middle Process Mean

…, --although he neither

saw nor heard --to feel

the presence of my head

within the room.


When I had waited a long

time, very patiently,

without hearing him lie

down, I resolved to open

a little --a very, very little

crevice in the lantern

Middle time Duration


51


Function

Semantic

Role

279

When I had waited a long

time, very patiently,

without hearing him lie

down,…


… , I resolved to open a

little --a very, very little

crevice in the lantern.


… , I resolved to opena

little --a very, very little

crevice in the lantern.


So I opened it --you

cannot imagine how

stealthily, stealthily,...


… –until, at length a

single dim ray, like the

thread of the spider, shot

from out the crevice and

fell full upon the vulture

eye.


… –until, at length a

single dim ray, like the

thread of the spider, shot

from out the crevice and

fell full upon the vulture

eye.


…shot from out the

crevice and fell full upon

the vulture eye.

Final Space Direction

It was open --wide, wide

open --and I grew furious

as I gazed upon it.


I saw it with perfect

distinctness--all a dull

blue, with a hideous veil

over it…


… --all a dull blue, with a

hideous veil over it that

chilled the very marrow

in my bones;…


… for I had directed the

ray as if by instinct,

precisely upon the

damned spot.

Middle Process mean


52


Function

Semantic

Role

279



precisely upon the

damned spot.




precisely upon the

damned spot.


… –now, I say, there

came to my ears there

came to my ears a low,

dull, quick sound, such as

a watch makes when

enveloped in cotton.


… I say, there came to

my ears a low, dull, quick

sound, such as a watch

makes when enveloped in

cotton.


… I say, there came to

my ears a low, dull, quick

sound, …

Final Process Instrument

I knew that sound well,

too. Middle Process Manner

I scarcely breathed. Middle Process Manner

I held the lantern

motionless. Final Process Manner

I tried how steadily I

could maintain the ray

upon the eye.


I tried how steadily I

could maintain the ray

upon the eye.


Meantime the hellish

tattoo of the heart

increased.


It grew quicker and

quicker, and louder and

louder every instant.


It grew quicker and





53


Function

Semantic

Role

279

It grew quicker and



Final Time Duration

It grew louder, I say,

louder every moment! Middle Process Manner


louder every moment! Middle Process Manner


louder every moment! Final Time Duration

… --do you mark me

well? Final Process Manner

And now at the dead

hour of the night, amid

the dreadful silence of

that old house,…


Yet, for some minutes

longer I refrained and

stood still.


Yet, for some minutes

longer I refrained and

stood still.


But the beating grew

louder, louder! Final Process Manner

And now a new anxiety

seized me... Middle Time Position

… --the sound would be

heard by a neighbor! Final Process Agent

With a loud yell, I threw

open the lantern and

leaped into the room.

Initial Process Manner

280

With a loud yell, I threw

open the lantern and

leaped into the room.


He shrieked once --once

only. Final Time Frequency

In an instant I dragged

him to the floor, and

pulled the heavy bed over

him.

Initial Time Duration




him.



54


Function

Semantic

Role

280




him.


I then smiled gaily, to

find the deed so far done. Final Process Manner

But, for many minutes,

the heart beat on with a

muffled sound.


But, for many minutes,

the heart beat on with a

muffled sound.


This, however, did not

vex me; it would not be

heard through the wall.


At length it ceased. Initial Time Position

I placed my hand upon

the heart and held it there

many minutes.




many minutes.




many minutes.

Final Time Duration

If still you think me

mad,... Middle Time Relationship

The night waned, and I

worked hastily, but in

silence.


The night waned, and I

worked hastily, but in

silence.


I then took up three

planks from the flooring

of the chamber, and

deposited all between the

scantling.




of the chamber,and


scantling.



55


Function

Semantic

Role

280



of the chamber, and


scantling.


I then replaced the boards

so cleverly, so

cunningly,..



so cleverly, so

cunningly,..



so cleverly, so

cunningly,..


When I had made an end

of these labors, it was

four o'clock --still dark as

midnight.

Final Time Position

As the bell sounded the

hour, there came a

knocking at the street

door.


I went down to open it

with a light heart,… Middle Process Manner

…, --for what had I now

to fear? Middle Time Position

There entered three men,

who introduced

themselves, with perfect

suavity, as officers of the

police.


A shriek had been heard

by a neighbor during the

night;...

Middle Process Agent

A shriek had been heard

by a neighbor during the

night;...


…; information had been

lodged at the police

office, and they (the

officers) had been

deputed to search the

premises.



56


Function

Semantic

Role

280

…, and they (the officers)

had been deputed to

search the premises.

Final Contingency Purpose

The shriek, I said, was

my own in a dream. Final Space Position

The old man, I

mentioned, was absent in

the country.


I took my visitors all over

the house. Final Space Position

I bade them search --

search well. Final Process Manner

I led them, at length, to

his chamber. Middle Time Position

I led them, at length, to

his chamber. Final Space Direction

…, I brought chairs into

the room, and desired

them here to rest from

their fatigues,...





their fatigues,...





their fatigues,...


…, placed my own seat

upon the very spot

beneath which reposed

the corpse of the victim.


They sat, and while I

answered cheerily, they

chatted of familiar things.


But, ere long, I felt

myself getting pale and

wished them gone.


My head ached, and I

fancied a ringing in my

ears: but still they sat and

still chatted.



57


Function

Semantic

Role

280




still chatted.

Middle time Relationship




still chatted.

Middle time Relationship

281

... I talked more freely to

get rid of the feeling... Middle Process Manner

... I talked more freely to

get rid of the feeling... Middle Contingency Purpose

...--until, at length, I

found that the noise was

not within my ears,...


...--until, at length, I

found that the noise was

not within my ears.


No doubt I now grew

very pale;… Middle Time Position

… --but I talked more

fluently, and with a

heightened voice.

Middle Process manner

… --but I talked more

fluently, and with a

heightened voice.


… --much such a sound

as a watch makes when

enveloped in cotton.

Final Process Instrument

I talked more quickly–

more vehemently; but the

noise steadily increased.










I arose and argued about

trifles, in a high key and

with violent

gesticulations; but the




58


Function

Semantic

Role

281

I arose and argued about

trifles, in a high key and

with violent

gesticulations; but the



I paced the floor to and

fro with heavy strides, as

if excited to fury by the

observations of the men...











Middle Process Mean

… -- but the noise

steadily increased. Middle Process Manner

I swung the chair upon

which I had been sitting,

and grated it upon the

boards,…


…, but the noise arose

over all and continually

increased.


It grew louder --louder –

louder! Final Process Manner

And still the men chatted

pleasantly, and smiled. Middle Time Relationship

And still the men chatted

pleasantly, and smiled. Middle Process Manner

I felt that I must scream

or die! --and now--again!

--hark! louder! louder!

louder! louder!


I felt that I must scream

or die! --and now--again!

--hark! louder! louder!

louder! louder!


…--here, here! --it is the

beating of his hideous

heart!"



59

Appendix 2: The Text of the Story

The Tell-Tale Heart

TRUE! -- nervous -- very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why

will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses -- not destroyed

-- not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in

the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad?

Hearken! and observe how healthily -- how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived,

it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I

loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For

his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a

vulture --a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood

ran cold; and so by degrees -- very gradually --I made up my mind to take the life

of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.

Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you

should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded --with what

caution --with what foresight --with what dissimulation I went to work! I was

never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. And

every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it --oh so

gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a

dark lantern, all closed, closed, so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my

head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it

slowly --very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man's sleep. It took

me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him

as he lay upon his bed. Ha! --would a madman have been so wise as this? And

then, when my head was well in the room, I undid the lantern cautiously --oh, so

cautiously --cautiously (for the hinges creaked) --I undid it just so much that a

single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long nights --

every night just at midnight --but I found the eye always closed; and so it was

impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil

Eye. And every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber, and

spoke courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring

how he has passed the night. So you see he would have been a very profound old

man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him

while he slept.

Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door. A

watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that night

had I felt the extent of my own powers --of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain

my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening the door, little by little,

and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the


60

idea; and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly, as if startled.

Now you may think that I drew back --but no. His room was as black as pitch with

the thick darkness, (for the shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers,)

and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it

on steadily, steadily.

I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumb slipped

upon the tin fastening, and the old man sprang up in bed, crying out --"Who's

there?"

I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle,

and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down. He was still sitting up in the bed

listening; --just as I have done, night after night, hearkening to the death watches

in the wall.

Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror. It

was not a groan of pain or of grief --oh, no! --it was the low stifled sound that

arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound

well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up

from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted

me. I say I knew it well. I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I

chuckled at heart. I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight

noise, when he had turned in the bed. His fears had been ever since growing upon

him. He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not. He had been

saying to himself --"It is nothing but the wind in the chimney --it is only a mouse

crossing the floor," or "It is merely a cricket which has made a single chirp." Yes,

he had been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions: but he had found

all in vain. All in vain; because Death, in approaching him had stalked with his

black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim. And it was the mournful

influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to feel --although he neither

saw nor heard --to feel the presence of my head within the room.

When I had waited a long time, very patiently, without hearing him lie down, I

resolved to open a little --a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it --

you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily --until, at length a single dim ray,

like the thread of the spider, shot from out the crevice and fell full upon the

vulture eye.

It was open --wide, wide open --and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it

with perfect distinctness --all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled

the very marrow in my bones; but I could see nothing else of the old man's face or

person: for I had directed the ray as if by instinct, precisely upon the damned spot.

And have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over

acuteness of the senses? --now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick

sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well,


61

too. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating

of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.

But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I held the lantern

motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray upon the eye. Meantime

the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder

and louder every instant. The old man's terror must have been extreme! It grew

louder, I say, louder every moment! --do you mark me well? I have told you that I

am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful

silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable

terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating

grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized

me --the sound would be heard by a neighbor! The old man's hour had come!

With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked

once --once only. In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy

bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many

minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it

would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I

removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed

my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes. There was no pulsation.

He was stone dead. His eye would trouble me no more.

If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise

precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I

worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the

head and the arms and the legs.

I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all

between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that

no human eye -- not even his --could have detected any thing wrong. There was

nothing to wash out --no stain of any kind --no blood-spot whatever. I had been

too wary for that. A tub had caught all --ha! ha!


midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street door. I

went down to open it with a light heart, --for what had I now to fear? There

entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as officers of

the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbor during the night; suspicion of

foul play had been aroused; information had been lodged at the police office, and

they (the officers) had been deputed to search the premises.

I smiled, --for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen welcome. The shriek, I

said, was my own in a dream. The old man, I mentioned, was absent in the

country. I took my visitors all over the house. I bade them search --search well. I

led them, at length, to his chamber. I showed them his treasures, secure,


62

undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the room,

and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild

audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath

which reposed the corpse of the victim.

The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at

ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But,

ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I

fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing

became more distinct: --it continued and became more distinct: I talked more

freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definiteness --until, at

length, I found that the noise was not within my ears.

No doubt I now grew very pale; --but I talked more fluently, and with a

heightened voice. Yet the sound increased --and what could I do? It was a low,

dull, quick sound --much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in

cotton. I gasped for breath -- and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more

quickly --more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued

about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily

increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy

strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men -- but the noise

steadily increased. Oh God! what could I do? I foamed --I raved --I swore! I

swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but

the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder --louder --

louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they

heard not? Almighty God! --no, no! They heard! --they suspected! --they knew! --

they were making a mockery of my horror! --this I thought, and this I think. But

anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this

derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream

or die! --and now --again! --hark! louder! louder! louder! louder! –

"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed! --tear up the

planks! --here, here! --it is the beating of his hideous heart!"


adverbial phrases in edgar allan poe’s tell-tale heart

Documents