Comparing Poe's The Masque Of The Red Death And Alone

Edgar Allan Poe incorporated parts of his life, which was filled with suffering, fear of death, and loneliness, into his writings. His stories are known for their horrific descriptions and intense pieces of writing. Poe’s stories often mirror his anguished life. Edgar Allan Poe’s experiences with alcoholism, tuberculosis, and failed military career influenced “The Black Cat”,“The Masque Of The Red Death” and the poem “Alone” one can see the various aspects of Poe’s troubled life in these three pieces of writing.
Edgar Allan Poe suffered from alcoholism throughout his life. (Research) Poe’s addiction to alcohol can be seen in several pieces of his writings the most famous being “The Black Cat”. In fact, The narrator’s experiences with alcoholism …show more content…
He has pets such as birds, rabbits, goldfish, a dog, a small monkey, and a cat. His best loved animal is a cat named Pluto. Pluto means so much to him, and he spends most of his time with Pluto. The cat follows him around everywhere which demonstrates how close their friendship is. All of a sudden, the narrator begins drinking and every aspect of his life change. The narrator admits, “My disease grew upon me—for what disease is like Alcohol!” Alcohol causes his behavior to change. He states, “I grew, day by day, more moody, more irritable, more regardless of the feelings of others. I suffered myself to use intemperate language to my wife. At length, I even offered her personal violence.” Over time, he becomes progressively worse, and he cannot no longer control his evil actions. A literary critic Dawn Sova from Montechasir State University writes “The narrator admits to suffering from serious alcoholism, which seems to be the chief cause of his growing viciousness, as he admits that once he started drinking his attitude toward his wife and his formerly loved pets changed” (Sova 34). The narrator becomes arrogant and short-tempered. His behavior is threatening, and he abuses his …show more content…
Due to this horrible disease, thousands of people were killed and many people wanted to escape from the disease. “There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution.” When the disease developed in the country, the symptoms were known to most people. Having blood come out of the face and body was a sign that showed they were infected with the red death. “The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim, were the pest ban which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men.”Although Poe had never experienced the plague he did understand the horror of illness. Poe witnessed disease with his own eyes. He saw his beloved wife, mother, brother, and foster mother suffer from tuberculosis and they would throw up blood as the disease worsened. The red death can actually be associated with the red blood that comes from the mouth due to Tuberculosis. The mask of the red death is considered an allegory in which an actual quest arrived at a ball thrown by prince prospero. There is no way to kill the red death; all die. In poe’s life there was no escaping from tuberculosis. Once the disease struck, it could not be cured, and death would eventually come. In the story, the red death comes to the Prince’s ball and it kills the wealthy nobility. For Poe, this symbolized how everyone around him who had tuberculosis died. It did not