Read the excerpt from "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. in what way is the excerpt characteristic of gothic literature? it features a bright, inviting setting. it explores fear and strong emotions. it includes a supernatural creature. it focuses on science and reason.