Not a Coincidence

Author's Note: For our Poe Project, I wanted to show symbolism in the Masque of the Red Death. I have never written a symbolism essay before, so I apologize on the not- so- well writing skills.

Seven rooms, each one filled with a different color. A clock that chimes every hour, yet at midnight people start to care. A deadly sickness that can kill you within thirty minutes. Edgar Allen Poe definitely grabbed attention of many with the publication of “The Masque of the Red Death”. But, can all of those things just be coincidences? Is this story really that simple? I believe that Poe used many objects to symbol other ones, which will make the story more haunting.

Blue, purple, green, orange, white, and violet: what do these colors all have in common? They are all happier colors, one with meanings like innocence, natural, and love. These six colors are the first rooms in the palace of Prince Prospero’s house. But the seventh, the seventh is black; black and red to be exact. Besides being the colors of the Pewaukee Pirates, these colors are also the ones of death and abandons. Everyone avoids this room. Ironic, that everyone avoids the room of death…because they are trying to avoid death.

Clocks are almost everywhere. In most rooms there are clocks. What is a clock again though? It is something that counts down time. Clocks seem like our way of making sure we know how much time is left. In many people’s minds, a clock also reminds them of life and death, with the clock ticking down the minutes you have left in your life, creepy right. Some might say that it’s a coincidence that the clock is placed there, but I think Poe knew what he was doing.

The rooms of many colors and the clock are all held somewhere, right? A house, ballroom, holding space – whatever you want to call it. But the whole idea of the party place is that they are trying to go there to avoid the red death. Without there being a red death, there would be no need for a corral space for the people to go in.  This house is a complete symbol of avoiding things that you know are coming for you.

With the red death lurking around, people want to be safe, but some can’t. Even though they’re held in a party, with tons of fun, there are things there that are unmentionable. Edgar Allen Poe knew what he was doing when he was writing this piece. He threw things in that make sense at a glance, but even more sense in a second look.