Symbols In The Masque Of The Red Death

The first example of symbolism is the rooms in the abbey. Each room was a different color and line up from east to west. This is a symbol for the progression of life and death. The first room was blue, representing birth, then purple representing youth, green representing adolescence, orange representing adulthood, white symbolizing old age, violet symbolizing imminent death, and black and scarlet symbolizing death itself. This is also a metaphor as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west; it can also be seen as symbolism for the progression of a day.

In fictional writing there are many important componates that contributes to it success. Such as tone, mood, and setting. Nevertheless symbolism is very also a vital aspect of fiction. Symbolism ensures that the reader looks at the deeper meanings of a piece. This could not be more evident than in the story “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe. Symbolism is the foundation of this story. Everything and everyone in this story in some way was a symbols.

People have always tried to avoid death, but they cannot. In Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death” the characters are trying to avoid the Red Death, but they fail. Every hour an ebony clock chimes indicating that life is passing and death is close. People begin to die every minute once the Red Death enters. This story of death works out, because Edgar Allen Poe gives good use to author’s craft. Edgar Allen Poe uses imagery, symbolism, and setting to create an effective story.

In the story " The Scarlet Ibis" James Hurst shows images of red and expresses that every choice we make has a consequence and its either good or bad. The first place he shows images of red is when doodle and brother went up to the barn loft and saw the coffin. "Daddy had Mr. Heath, the carpenter, build a little mahogany coffin for him". Mahogany is a shade of reddish brown. It shows how death can change the mood of the story. Another spot he shows images of red is when Brother is working Doodle too hard and he stopped on the ground and curled up. "He had been bleeding from the mouth, and his neck and the front of his shirt were stained brilliant red". This image express how doodle was dying and suffering. In conclusion, Hurst explains how

For example, in the text “The The-Tale Heart”, Poe’s use of the old man’s eye symbolized the obsessions and fears of the narrator like, “Whenever it fell upon me, my blood

A great example of this would be, when “And then, for a moment, all is still, and all is silent save the voice of the clock,” (392). With each clock ring it symbolized that time is ending and death may be near. The silence is all around due to the guests scared and wondering if they are about to face death as the sound of the clock roars thorough the hallway. Furthermore, the apartments played a great part as well, “These panes here were scarlet – deep blood color” (391). The deep blood color showing the color related to death.

The color red is shown for when symbolizing for death or fire. But in this case it is known as the death of Doodle. For example when it says “A grind stone stands where the bleeding tree stood…” (Hurst 595), the author tries to tie together the death of Doodle and the death of the Scarlet Ibis. In this way we can see that the Scarlet Ibis had struggles just like Doodle. But unfortunately in the process in trying to succeed in their struggles they did not make it.

Within the novel “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” the author uses specific symbols throughout the book to get certain points across. He uses symbolism through the setting of the book so we are able to read between the lines. The weather and specific objects in nature are two symbolic representations used consistently throughout the novel. Other forms of symbols can include the way he uses character names, senses, and animals. The author chooses to use all of these at specific points in the book to make our attention really drawn to key factors in the novel.

Red is usually a mystery when it comes to stories and is determined by the context of what’s going on with the character’s life. Sometimes it means lust romance and love other times it’s used to describe violence, anger, and evil. It’s well-known that the devil is painted red in stories for a reason. The symbol of red in Heart of Darkness should obviously take a darker approach. The narrator is describing his entrance into the Congo and states, “There was a vast amount of red - good to see at any time, because one knows that some real work is done in there,”( ).

Fear can be very advantageous when it comes to surviving. Fear inhibits you from doing risky actions that can put you and others in danger; it keeps you cautious and careful. Even though fear helps you when surviving, fear can harm you in life. Fear can cause paranoia that keeps you from enjoying life. You start to obsess over minimal things leading to hallucination. In Poe’s stories, the main characters experience fear, but they all handle it distinctively. Poe uses irony, symbolism, and imagery to show how fear affects the narrator’s mindset, along with their future.

I agree that both “The Masque of the Red Death” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe can be described as short stories that value symbol over plot. Poe uses various symbols to disclose information or details to the reader, while also leaving components of the story open to interpretation. This symbolism tells its own story within the overall plot, rather than it being explained clearly by the author, cleverly adding to the interest of the read. This effective allegory allows the reader to question their literal understanding of the story, once faced with the deeper philosophical ideas. This means that in the case of these two short stories, symbols are valued over plot.

Dread can lead to insanity and causes you to become obsessed. Consternation can lead you to become so overly-obsessed that preposterous ideas begin raiding your head. Symbolism, irony, and figurative language are used in “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “The Pit and the Pendulum”, and “The Masque of the Red Death” to delineate how dread deceives the protagonist's’ mind and how obsession overcomes their mind. Poe integrates symbolism into his texts to create many layers of thinking and to form an affiliation with the reader. Poe symbolizes time and the irresistibility of death throughout lots of his work.

This message is shown when the phantom kills the prince in the red room. Throughout the story Poe shows examples of how he reveals his hidden message. Edgar Allan Poe gives symbols and hints revealing a clue about what the message could be. The evidence given was the castle and clock that were used as symbols as well as interesting objects that appear before the “Red Death” came to play.

Although most of the work is covered by subtle colors, there is a small area of red in the form of a fire. The color red is used to signify passion, energy, strength and power. This sharp contrast between the red and blue is apparent and is done on purpose and distinctly. As you can see in the artwork, the fire is representing his agony.

Edgar Allan Poe was an American author and editor, who was best known for his works in Gothic literature. Most of Poe’s stories deal with the theme of horror, as was reflected in Poe’s life as it was full of tragedy involving the loss of many of his beloved wives and mothers. The following stories are amongst Poe’s most celebrated stories; The Tell Tale Heart - a short story told by an unreliable narrator who persuades the readers of his sanity, while telling of a murder he committed. The Masque of the Red Death - a story that illustrates Prince Prospero’s efforts to eschew the dangerous plague by hiding in his castle, where he throws a party. In the midst of the party, a guest in disguise enters the castle, and kills everyone including