{"content":{"sharePage":{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"987951","dateCreated":"1189686744","smartDate":"Sep 13, 2007","userCreated":{"username":"alytapp","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/alytapp","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1245073150\/alytapp-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/tapp10.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/987951"},"dateDigested":1532428742,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Literary Reaction #1","description":"Please post your reaction to "Masque of the Red Death" here.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"1009477","body":"\u201cMasque of the Red Death,\u201d by Edgar Allan Poe, emphasizes that no matter how high up a person is in society or how much money they have, it is impossible to be completely immune from the scourges of humanity. Prince Prospero tried his best to escape the horrific Red Death, thinking that his riches and high social standing will save him. Despite locking himself and his friends away in an abbey of his, the Red Death would not be kept out. The piece also shows how not to handle such a situation as a leader. For example, while his people were suffering, the Prince was hiding at a party. Instead of dieing out in the streets helping people, he died while trying to save himself. Finally, this story conveys the truth that material values cannot put someone above his or her fellow man.","dateCreated":"1189973160","smartDate":"Sep 16, 2007","userCreated":{"username":"stephenlog","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/stephenlog","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1202793136\/stephenlog-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"1010461","body":""The Masque of the Red Death," a short story by Edgar Allen Poe based on the Black Death, is both dark and theme-driven. By the way he portrays the rich and the manner in which he brings about the Prince's destruction, Poe hints that, because of his low class in life, he had negative feelings towards the upper-class. The theme of this short story is that death is inevitable to all, and that there is no possible way to cheat it. The approach of death is shown by the colors of the decorations in the room, starting with blue, a common representation of spirit, intellect, eternity, and the beginning of life, up until the seventh room which is colored black to represent death. The seven rooms, representing the progressing stages towards death, may be an allusion to Shakespeare's "The Seven Ages of Man." These stages of life are even more apparent as the Prince is being chased by Death through the different colored rooms.
\nAlso in the story, after Prince Prospero isolates himself to avoid falling victim to the Red Death, it appears that he is flaunting the fact that he can avoid death by masquerade and lavish decorations.","dateCreated":"1189986183","smartDate":"Sep 16, 2007","userCreated":{"username":"apatellio","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/apatellio","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"1010513","body":"(the explanations for the color symbols were found in the Dictionary of Symbolism by Hans Biedermann)","dateCreated":"1189986462","smartDate":"Sep 16, 2007","userCreated":{"username":"apatellio","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/apatellio","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"1010581","body":"Edgar Allen Poe in famous for writing morbid and dark stories that are based on subjects that most people try to avoid. Case in point, "The Masque of the Red Death". Throughout this story Poe frequently refers to an insidious plague that is spreading rapidly through a country. However, the opulant Prince Prospero manages to briefly evade this epidemic by locking he and his rich friends away in a convent. This attempt is ultimately futile, due to the point which Poe is trying to get across throughout this story, which is no matter how welathy or powerful you are, you will someday meet your end. This point is mainly signified in Prince Prospero, whose name itself is an oxi- moron. Prospero seems to be related to the word prosperous, which doesn't exactly fit considering Prospero is ultimately caught by the vicious disease.
\nAnother fact that Poe is trying to convey is that people as a whole are afraid of death. This is exemplified through the decor of Prince Prospero's lavish masquerade. The majority of the rooms are draped with rich and bright colors. While in the last room, the walls are covered in black and the windows are stained blood red. The guests in the story try very hard to avoid this room because it represents morality. Also the guests are extremely terrified by the chiming of the clock because it gives the feeling of time ticking away which strikes a chill through everyone at the party. In conclusion, the main point that poe is trying to convey through the story "The Masque of the Red Death" ar people in general are afraid of death.","dateCreated":"1189986916","smartDate":"Sep 16, 2007","userCreated":{"username":"Jhallz","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Jhallz","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1202793136\/Jhallz-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"1010875","body":"Through his use of literary techniques, Edgar Allen Poe conveys his beliefs in the short story \u201cThe Masque of the Red Death\u201d. The word \u201cmasque\u201d in the title can also be used as \u201cmask\u201d which means trying to cover something up. In the story, the main character Prince Prospero tries to cover up or hide the \u201cRed Death\u201d, but it ends up killing him anyway. Poe is making his point that no matter what a person does or who they are death is inevitable. Prince Prospero takes one thousand of his closest friends in his castle and shuts out the rest of the world, not allowing anyone to leave or enter. Poe makes the point that shutting out problems does not mean they go will just go away. Poe discusses how the prince has everything he could want in the castle and goes into extensive detail of all of the rooms implying that sometimes people only let material possessions define who they are. Poe describes the last room as being somewhere \u201cthat there were few of the company bold enough to set foot within its precincts at all\u201d (84). He is conveying that this room represents death and how many are scared to face it. The clock that stops everything and makes everyone nervous represents how no one knows when they are going to die. At the very end of the story, Poe takes a cynical note and talks about everything \u201cdying\u201d, the clock, the lights, and the people. He goes on to say how \u201cDarkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all\u201d (88). Poe once again is telling a dark and frightening story about evil conquering good.","dateCreated":"1189989261","smartDate":"Sep 16, 2007","userCreated":{"username":"mcculluc","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/mcculluc","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"1011081","body":"In, \u201cThe Masque of the Red Death,\u201d Edgar Allen Poe conveys the idea of inescapable fate. The Prince Prospero attempts foolishly to safely lock himself and his followers away in his abbey yet even the highest tower or bulwark could not save them from their fate. \u201cThe Masque of the Red Death\u201d brings about the question and answer to the time old question, \u201cCan we escape fate?\u201d The mummer, by taking on the visage of the red death, answers this question by taking the life out of the party literally one by one. The tale is akin to, \u201cThe Seven Ages of Man\u201d by Shakespeare, which uses metaphors to designate the progression of ages culminating with, \u201cLast scene of all, that ends this strange eventful history, is second childishness and mere oblivion, sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.\u201d In \u201cThe Masque of the Red Death,\u201d the final stage is alluded to by the black color of the seventh chamber. This piece of literature is relevant just as much today, as when it was written. People are facing similar situations today. In places such as the ghetto, people are dying everyday and yet the upper crust of society prefers to ignore their blatant cries for help and go on with their privileged lives isolated from those less fortunate. People cannot continue to indoctrinate themselves that the rest of the world is perfectly fine and does not need any help. It is important that, \u201cThe Masque of the Red Death,\u201d is read because it teaches valuable lessons of morality.","dateCreated":"1189990643","smartDate":"Sep 16, 2007","userCreated":{"username":"kcote","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/kcote","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1202793136\/kcote-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"1011335","body":"Edgar Allen Poe's The Masque of the Red Death is a dark story about human mortality, similar to many of his other works. It is set aptly in the Middle Ages, where disease was a very serious issue and a part of everyday life. The Prince and his friends are having a party in a setting heavily barricaded from the death that roamed outside. When everyone attending the masque ends up dying at the hands of a cloaked manifestation of the disease, Poe conveys his way of thinking about death. Poe adds to the morbid theme of the novel with numerous symbols, namely the dark, ebony clock and the seventh apartment decorated in a blood-like color. Both foretell the fate that occurs to Prince Prospero and his guests. Poe reminds us that today, while we have much more advanced health care than was present in the Middle Ages, we still are not immortal.","dateCreated":"1189992371","smartDate":"Sep 16, 2007","userCreated":{"username":"chasmith","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/chasmith","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1202793136\/chasmith-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"1011631","body":"In "The Masque of the Red Death," Poe uses real events that occured in history. The use of "The Red Death," based off of the "Black Death" adds more reality to the story. In this "The Masque of the Red Death," Poe conveys that nobody can escape from death, no matter how much money or protection he or she has. Also, Poe uses many literary techniques, for example Prince Pospero is a typological character. Another literary technique Poe uses is sympbolism. He uses the ivory clock that chimes every hour to act as a symbol of counting down to death. The author also uses the color black many times in his story. Many of the references to black are in some way associated with death. One example of this is the black room where Prince Prospero died from the Red Death. This story demonstrates that one cannot hide from what will inevitably happen to everyone.","dateCreated":"1189994704","smartDate":"Sep 16, 2007","userCreated":{"username":"KaitLev10","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/KaitLev10","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"1012217","body":"In "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe, Poe uses a variety of symbols to express the deathly atmosphere, which is an atmosphere Poe creates in most of his writings. For example, the ebony clock sybolizes the time until death. Each time the clock chimes it's peculiar note everyone in the party stops because each chime is one hour closer to their ultimate demise. Poe elaborates on the seven rooms decorated in different colors from vivid blue to a horrifying black room with scarlet windows. Each room signifies a stage of life; the last stage being death. Lastly, the unexpected visitor that arrives at Prince Prospero's party represents death itself. All the party goers are terrified as a result of his presense and eventually the ghastly visitor kills Prince Prospero and the rest of the party. At the very end of the story the light coming from the tripod and the clock both die out just like Prince Prospero and his party goers have died.","dateCreated":"1189998433","smartDate":"Sep 16, 2007","userCreated":{"username":"Aubrey_W","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Aubrey_W","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"1027641","body":"According to Alfred Hitchcock "There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.", this idea is well presented in Edgar Allen Poe's story "The Masque of the Red Death". In describing the situation inside the castle Poe points out seemingly unimportant details such as the colors of each room, the happy guests, and the excess of wealth in Prince Prospero's castle. Then he adds more foreboding elements such as the foreboding chiming of the clock and the figure dressed as The Red Death. Using single effect, Poe is able to give the reader a sense of horror as they wonder what will happen when the happy partygoers and the sinister figure collide. The story stops abruptly when it is revealed that the disease has entered the castle and the reader is left with an eerie description of the entire castle filled with death and disease. Edgar Allen Poe is able to use detail in order to fill his audience with a sense of terror.","dateCreated":"1190133634","smartDate":"Sep 18, 2007","userCreated":{"username":"Leah_VK","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Leah_VK","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1202793136\/Leah_VK-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]}],"more":false},"comments":[]},"http":{"code":200,"status":"OK"},"redirectUrl":null,"javascript":null,"notices":{"warning":[],"error":[],"info":[],"success":[]}}