It is human nature to protect oneself from harm, whether the threat comes from a contagious disease, a natural disaster, or simply the hands of time that eventually ravage us all. The human drive for self-preservation has been a recurring theme throughout literature, from Ellie Wiesel in Night to the character Sangor Rainsford in Richard Connell’s short story “The Most Dangerous Game.” In Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death,” the reader understands and identifies with Prince Prospero's desire to gather all his beloved friends and family and barricade them in a protected environment; however, it is important to remember that there are times when people must look beyond themselves and reconsider their “natural reactions” to contemplate the greater good. When examining the actions of Prince …show more content…
History has demonstrated that effective leaders guide and direct their followers not only through times of prosperity but also through inimical times. In fact, many great leaders have been revealed in times of hardship and adversity. Consider legendary American presidential icons such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln who led this country through times of crisis and calamity. Their legacies were forged through the wrenching decisions and onerous actions that they took on behalf of the country. In contrast to the two aforementioned leaders, consider the actions of Prince Prospero who deserted his subjects in a time of panic and upheaval. His apparent apathy stands in stark contrast to an impassioned
All people wish to avoid suffering, and those with wealth usually take too long to realize that they cannot avert it. In the short story, “The Masque of the Red Death”, Edgar Allan Poe tells the readers of death, and how the upper class deals with it. In this story, Prince Prospero and his wealthy friends hide away in a castle to evade death. This obviously does not work, as death is inevitable, but of course, they attempt to save themselves anyways. In “The Masque of the Red Death”, Poe uses the courtiers, Prince Prospero, and the stranger to symbolize the members of the influential upper class and their habit of using their power to postpone their own impending doom.
Many people possess leadership qualities although they don’t rule a country. Meriwether Lewis, the official leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition has been called “undoubtedly the greatest pathfinder this country has ever known.” Just like Hazel, Meriwether Lewis led a group of followers into unknown territory. The two guides faced many difficult situations that they were able to overcome since they had the qualities of a notable leader. Both of the journeys were rough, but because of the brave leaders both expeditions were successful.
leaders to confront challenges successfully with the support of those whom they lead. In the book, a key quality that is seen in two of the leaders on the island is
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Masque of the Red Death” Literature An Introduction to Reading and Writing. ED. Edgar V Roberts and Robert Zweig. Boston, Longman: 2012. 516-519.
One of the greatest qualities of humanity is the ability to respond to the circumstances and surroundings one might find themselves in at any given time. Authors convey this quality into literature constantly with their novels and articles. “The Most Dangerous Game” is a realistic fiction short story written by Richard Connell. “The Most Dangerous Game” is a stunning short story on the human condition, the dangers of blood-thirsty hunters, and defining the true meaning of a civilized person. Connell’s wrote his novel during the time period wealthy individuals enjoyed hunting animals. TV shows, magazine articles, and even movies are based off Connell’s story. Another example of a novel that responds to the environment is James Hurst’s realistic fiction short story, “The Scarlet Ibis”. “The Scarlet Ibis” is a tragic, realistic fiction that describes the hazards of pride, the terrors of being disparate from others, and the qualities of true brotherly love. “The Scarlet Ibis” was written in the 1960’s when handicapped people were treated differently than normal people. An additional volume worth analyzing is Guy de Maupassant’s realistic fiction, “The Necklace”. “The Necklace” is a narrative about a covetous woman who dreams for impervious goals, and realizes that being prosperous is not always as elitist is as it is made out to be. In reality during periods of great danger or fear, humans occasionally experience a rush of adrenaline that allows them to accomplish otherwise impossible tasks such as mothers lifting cars off of their children. Therefore, the human condition has the ability to overpower common sense and control emotions when the situation at hand requires action.
With this idea Prospero shortly realized a figure dressed in red, with anger he calls upon this figure with little known he called upon his doom. Poe states the selfishness of Prospero; the material reads “The external world could take care of itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve, or to think” (Poe 1842) Poe’s character of Prospero established the corrupt of society that has made man selfish. The Red death was the justice for Prospero actions, for this death was his prison. Poe’s ending was yet again correct proving that no matter what way you try to conceal yourself from death, death is
Every empire, dynasty, government, regime etc. has consisted of both good and bad leadership. This directly affects the society in which they oversee and/or control. The infamous Roman Empire experienced its share of triumphs and depression through its leader’s actions. Run as a monarchy, the kings of Rome had various ways of implementing their authority. Many of them chose to rule based on their interests and desires while others catered to the welfare of Rome’s booming population.
The deaths and dangers in the world we face are sometimes made of ourselves and of our fears. In the dark story The Masque of the Red Death the danger being unavoidable death that Prince Prospero shuns away but comes back to kill him. In Young Goodman Brown, the protagonist fears that his faith will be loss and nothing will be good in the world anymore. Both these stories are’ descriptive and use many symbols that connect to fear. While the protagonists in Young Goodman Brown and The Masque of the Red Death are both fearful, Goodman Brown fears of losing his innocence and runs off to find faith but loses it on the way, and the prince in The Masque of Red Death fears losing his riches.
Humans have a tendency to shy away from their sufferings. People are known to reach for stimulants in desperation, overriding the prudence of good judgment. Resorting to alcohol, Edgar Allan Poe himself escaped from painful recollections of his loved ones. “It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom.” This quotation written by Edgar Allen Poe, explains the very heart of human behaviour. Humans are notorious for their ability to focus on the negative aspects of life and those who do not acknowledge the bleakness of the world are often caught in the trap of distracting themselves from the agony that surrounds them. The hopelessness within
... to power may have been Poe’s ideals in Hop-Frog and The Purloined Letter, but the reality of the situation was that monetary wealth was the single most useful means of gaining power, at least in the publishing industry. The Masque of the Red Death was a poignant social commentary on this uneven field of play and Poe’s point of view concerning the wealthy capitalists. Nonetheless, the possibility of altering the rules on the field of play lay not in the hands of the mentally acute and those who possessed information, but completely with those who possessed capital.
“A leader or a man of action in a crisis almost always acts subconsciously and then thinks of the reasons for his action.” (Jawaharlal Nehru) Leaders throughout history have been idolized as the magnificent humans with the ability to sway the heart of man with both silent and thunderous footsteps. One such man being Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Shakespeare dictates that a leader is cunning, sharp minded, and a caring person who is prepared to dedicate their life to a goal and to the people they care for; the reason be “right” or “wrong”.
In society today, people tend to go with their feelings instead of reasoning or recalling situations to have happened to them before for insight. The reasoning behind this is due American Romanticism, created in 1800 and lasting through 1860. In this period literature, music, and art was created on how the writers and artists felt instead of logic and reasoning. American Romanticism is clearly shown in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death”. Both Moby Dick and “The Masque of the Red Death” show the struggle of everyday life with vivid use of the five senses, the all-being truth of the cycle of nature, and the wonder, awe, and fear of supernatural beings.
Human nature is a conglomerate perception which is the dominant liable expressed in the short story of “A Tell-Tale Heart”. Directly related, Edgar Allan Poe displays the ramifications of guilt and how it can consume oneself, as well as disclosing the nature of human defense mechanisms, all the while continuing on with displaying the labyrinth of passion and fears of humans which make a blind appearance throughout the story. A guilty conscience of one’s self is a pertinent facet of human nature that Edgar Allan Poe continually stresses throughout the story. The emotion that causes a person to choose right from wrong, good over bad is guilt, which consequently is one of the most ethically moral and methodically powerful emotion known to human nature. Throughout the story, Edgar Allan Poe displays the narrator to be rather complacent and pompous, however, the narrator establishes what one could define as apprehension and remorse after committing murder of an innocent man. It is to believe that the narrator will never confess but as his heightened senses blur the lines between real and ...
In the story “Masque of the Red Death,” there is a prince who feared a foe called death, and hid from the outside world.
What lengths should one go to in order to survive? This is a question which has challenged the human race for generations and to which no satisfactory answer exists. In the modern world, this issue is examined theoretically, but rarely confronts individuals, with the exception of the most destitute. However, in harsh environments and forbidding territories, this matter becomes very real and pressing. Nature pays no attention to the arbitrary emotions of man, demanding only the forfeiture of the sorrowfully short life granted to him. Many would argue that in order to delay the inevitable conclusion awaiting every man, humans must act upon their primal intuition rather than their emotions. Jack London’s “The Law of Life” includes this naturalistic viewpoint that human survival instinct drives individuals more than feelings or compassion. London shows this through his protagonist Old Koshkoosh’s past experiences and tribal upbringing, his view on life, and the actions of his family members.