In this paper, I will examine the numerous symbols of transience Poe uses in "The Masque of the Red Death" and analyze what they represent and how they contribute or influence the plot of the story. Therefore, I will refer to the work of various literary and social scientists and critics such as Jeffrey Meyers and Sabrina Laurent, but also other scholars from different fields. In addition, I will depict that the events within the short story are intended to give an insight into the negative behavior of humans in order to serve as an example of what morally reprehensible behavior can result in.
Nowadays it is common knowledge that Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most famous representatives when it comes to the involvement of personal experiences and the placement of hidden symbols in short stories and poems. The Masque of the Red Death is no exception and also represents one of Poe's most popular tales. It first appeared in Graham's Magazine in May 1842 and, due to the time it was written, was part of the so-called "Masquerades" along with three other of Poe's stories.
The short story contains a decent amount of symbolism and has therefore often been interpreted differently by many literary scholars over the past years. It was investigated where the origins of the story may lie, which parallels can be drawn to the real world, what basically inspired the story and what morals can be derived from it. But many attempts have also been made to identify the true nature of the disease of the same name. Therefore, the variety of publications on this work is very broad and thus offers different answers and analysis approaches. Still, it is certain that the short story follows many traditions of Gothic fiction and is often analyzed as an allegory about the inevitability of death.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Plot summary and literary features
- Representation of symbols
- Rooms and Colors
- Time
- Death and the Masque.
- Characteristics of the narrator
- Modern-Day parallels of "The Masque of the Red Death"
- Red death associated with the Corona Pandemic
- Red death as an allegory of transience
- Conclusion...
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the numerous symbols of transience Poe uses in The Masque of the Red Death and analyzes what they represent and how they contribute or influence the plot of the story. The paper also explores the negative behavior of humans as depicted in the story and its implications for morality.
- The role of symbolism in The Masque of the Red Death
- The inevitability of death and its representation in the story
- The connection between the story and real-world events, particularly the Corona pandemic
- The nature of human behavior and its impact on morality
- The use of literary features to create a specific atmosphere and enhance the symbolic meaning of the text
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter introduces The Masque of the Red Death as a work by Edgar Allan Poe and discusses its historical and critical context. It also outlines the paper's objective and approach.
The second chapter provides a summary of the plot and discusses key literary features, focusing on the setting, characters, and atmosphere.
The third chapter focuses on the symbolism present in the story, with a particular emphasis on the seven rooms and their colors, the representation of time, and the relationship between death and the masquerade.
The fourth chapter analyzes the characteristics of the narrator and examines the different perspectives from which the story can be viewed.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main keywords and focus topics of the text are: Edgar Allan Poe, The Masque of the Red Death, symbolism, transience, death, allegory, morality, human behavior, literary features, atmosphere, Gothic fiction, Corona pandemic.
- Citar trabajo
- Steffen Kockel (Autor), 2021, Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" provides various symbols of transience in connection with the lack of morality in human behavior, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1024698
