Edgar Allan Poe Final Paper After reading four selections from Edgar Allan Poe, “The Masque of the Red Death”, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, “The Cask of Amontillado”, and “The Premature Burial”, they all have a common theme of foreshadowing Death. Along with sharing a common theme, they also share similar settings, mood, and typically include isolation. In Poe’s writings the settings are always very dark and dreary. Poe describes them in a particular way to foreshadow death. In the story, “The Cask of Amontillado” the setting is described as a “remote end of the crypt—less spacious—walls had been lined with human remain—bones had been thrown down”. This creates tension by specifying about the bones being thrown down and being surrounded
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all of these stories have people being isolated and cut off from the world around them. In “The Premature Burial” there was a woman whom they thought to be dead. “It was the skeleton of his wife and her yet on molded shroud.” Since she was isolated in a bowl after being dead, when she awoke she couldn't get out and she died. In the story “The Cask of Amontillado” Montresor isolates himself with Fortunato so he's able to kill him without any witnesses. “There were no attendants at home; they had ascended to make merry and the honor of the time.” From ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ Prince Prospero himself from people trying to stay alive, however the Red Death finds him despite his effort. “And now was acknowledge the presence of the Red Death.- and one by one dropped the revelers in the blood-bedewed halls of the revel.” Prince Prospero and his friends try to escape were all isolated together and they all died together. In “The Fall of the House of Usher” the last remaining of the family is Roderick and Madeline Usher. The narrator receives a letter from Roderick messenger who had written him a letter saying that Roderick wanted to see him. He hasn't seen Roderick and many years in an “earnest desire to see me, as his best, and indeed his only personal friend”. Which implies that Roderick has been isolated from the world. Since Robert has been isolated, he's mentally ill. All selections by Poe have isolation that has led to a serious mental illness or death and in some stories
all of these stories have people being isolated and cut off from the world around them. In “The Premature Burial” there was a woman whom they thought to be dead. “It was the skeleton of his wife and her yet on molded shroud.” Since she was isolated in a bowl after being dead, when she awoke she couldn't get out and she died. In the story “The Cask of Amontillado” Montresor isolates himself with Fortunato so he's able to kill him without any witnesses. “There were no attendants at home; they had ascended to make merry and the honor of the time.” From ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ Prince Prospero himself from people trying to stay alive, however the Red Death finds him despite his effort. “And now was acknowledge the presence of the Red Death.- and one by one dropped the revelers in the blood-bedewed halls of the revel.” Prince Prospero and his friends try to escape were all isolated together and they all died together. In “The Fall of the House of Usher” the last remaining of the family is Roderick and Madeline Usher. The narrator receives a letter from Roderick messenger who had written him a letter saying that Roderick wanted to see him. He hasn't seen Roderick and many years in an “earnest desire to see me, as his best, and indeed his only personal friend”. Which implies that Roderick has been isolated from the world. Since Robert has been isolated, he's mentally ill. All selections by Poe have isolation that has led to a serious mental illness or death and in some stories