Final Stylistic Analysis of the short story "The Masque of the Red Death"

    It's high time for me to do it.
    1. The short story "The Masque of the Red Death" is written by an American author, poet, editor, and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is generally considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre. He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction. He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

    2. In 1842, Edgar Allan Poe wrote a short story called “The Masque of the Red Death.” It certainly seems as if Poe's conception of the story was helped along by accounts of the Bubonic plague, also known as the "black death." Taking on the form of an allegory, “The Masque of the Red Death” portrays many symbolic meanings appear to be hidden to the reader.  

     3.With these symbolic meanings, we can unlock the hidden message in the story that proves that no one can escape death. 

    4. From the point of view of presentation the text is 3rd person narrative.

   5. Only two characters are named in the story: Prospero and the Red Death.

Prince Prospero: The prosperous Prince invites citizens "from among the knights and dames of his court" to reside with him in his odd fortressed castle. His intent is to prevent the Red Death from affecting him or his guests. He falsely believes that he and his guests can prevent death. The Prince's name is symbolic. He is wealthy. He is noble. He is respected. He still dies.

The Red Death: Prince Prospero throws a costume party at which a figure "tall and gaunt, and shrouded from head to foot in the habilements of the grave" strolls through the castle. "His vesture was dabbed in blood and his broad brow, with all the face, was besprinkled with the scarlet horror." (149). The Red Death has arrived. Many interpret the story as an allegory of life, the end result being death to all.

Prospero's Guests: None of Prospero's guests are named. We do know, however, that they are of noble blood and that peasants and commoners are locked out, leading many to surmise that the story is an allegory for the death of feudalism, an economic system in which peasants worked the land and nobles made the money.

  6. The plot of the story:

Exposition: the author tells about "The Red Death" the pestilence which had devastated the counrty. There we got main information about the main character - Prince Prospero.

Climax: meeting Prospero with the ghost - "The Red Death", his death.

Anticlimax: "And now was acknowledge the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night."

Conclusion: "And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all."

   7. The type of speech employed by the author of the analysed story are combination of narration, description and monologue.

  8. This story is full of stylistic devices which can be found almost in every sentence. The main function of stylistic devices in this short story is to describe the situation clear, to create special image and atmosphere of the horror gothic story.
There is a list of stylistic devices which is used in the short story "The Masque of the Red Death":
Epithet: light-hearted friends, a masked ball, a gigantic clock, a dull, heavy, monotonous clang, clear and loud and deep and exceedingly musical sound, a magnificent revel, bold and fiery plans, a masked figure, the scarlet horror, blasphemous mockery, solemn and measured step.
Metaphor: the heart of life, to arrest the attention, there are chords in the hearts.

Allegory: “The Masque of the Red Death” is an allegory. It features a set of recognizable symbols whose meanings combine to convey a message. An allegory always operates on two levels of meaning: the literal elements of the plot (the colors of the rooms, for example) and their symbolic counterparts, which often involve large philosophical concepts (such as life and death). We can read this story as an allegory about life and death and the powerlessness of humans to evade the grip of death. The Red Death thus represents, both literally and allegorically, death. No matter how beautiful the castle, how luxuriant the clothing, or how rich the food, no mortal, not even a prince, can escape death. In another sense, though, the story also means to punish Prospero’s arrogant belief that he can use his wealth to fend off the natural, tragic progress of life. Prospero’s arrogance combines with a grievous insensitivity to the plight of his less fortunate countrymen. Although he possesses the wealth to assist those in need, he turns his wealth into a mode of self-defense and decadent self-indulgence. His decadence in throwing the masquerade ball, however, unwittingly positions him as a caged animal, with no possible escape.

Simily: He had come like a thief in the night.
Repetition: There were much of the beautiful, much of the wanton, much of the bizarre, something of the terrible, and not a little of that which might have excited disgust. To and fro in the seven chambers stalked, in fact, a multitude of dreams. There were buffoons, there were improvisatori, there were ballet-dancers, there were musicians, there was Beauty, there was wine. All these and security were within. Without was the "Red Death."

Climax: No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal--the madness and the horror of blood.

Anticlimax: And the rumor of this new presence having spread itself whisperingly around, there arose at length from the whole company a buzz, or murmur, of horror, and of disgust.

    To sum up everything which I've managed to mention, I want to say  that no one can escape death. And this story shows it.