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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
An 8 page research paper/essay that examines Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Masque of the Red Death.” This short story has been extensively interpreted as an allegory by scholarship. Situated within a canon that is renowned for its chilling effect on the reader, as well as Poe’s often enigmatic plots, “The Masque of the Red Death” can also be viewed as representing the apex of this thematic trend in Poe’s work as this story can be interpreted as the embodiment of humanity’s instinctive reaction against the knowledge that everyone will eventually succumb to death’s ultimate dominion. This interpretation becomes evident by examining the structure of the narrative, the characterization and, most prominently, by the way in which Poe suggests the identity of the narrator. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Page Count:
8 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khpoered.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
period that saw the creation of a number of his classic works (Flight into fancy 62). Poes preoccupation with themes dealing with mortality and the fear of death has been
extensively recognized in literary criticism. This short story has been extensively interpreted as an allegory by scholarship. Situated within a canon that is renowned for its chilling effect on the
reader, as well as Poes often enigmatic plots, "The Masque of the Red Death" can also be viewed as representing the apex of this thematic trend in Poes work as
this story can be interpreted as the embodiment of humanitys instinctive reaction against the knowledge that everyone will eventually succumb to deaths ultimate dominion. This interpretation becomes evident by examining
the structure of the narrative, the characterization and, most prominently, by the way in which Poe suggests the identity of the narrator. Structure of the Narrative: The structure of the
narrative suggests its allegorical, symbolic nature. Poe begins by describing a pestilence known as the "Red Death, which has "blood" as its "Avatar and its seal" (Poe). The gruesome description
details the symptoms and how the victim sweats blood, which constitutes the sign that bans the victim "from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men" (Poe). The entire
decline, from onset to death, takes but "half an hour" (Poe). In the face of this overwhelming specter of death, Prince Prospero is nonetheless "happy and dauntless and sagacious," has
he sums a "thousands hale and light-hearted friends" who retire with him to the safety of the Prosperos abbey, which is their fortress against the contagion (Poe). While
obviously Prospero and his privileged group of aristocratic revelers feel that they can insulate themselves from the pestilence that is ravaging the countryside and the peasantry, this structure fits with
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