Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Poe's life created the perfect atmosphere for death, sadness, and terror as he watched the people that were closest to him die. It discusses how Poe's tales of terror capture an aspect of life that is real, which allow us to relate to them and they touch on horror, which is just enough to make us fear not only the story but our fellow man, and how it is the connection between the two that make Poe's stories succeed. In particular, the paper examines how "The Masque of the Red Death," "The Tell-tale Heart," and "The Cask of Amontillado" are stores that illustrate that the bad aspects of life are reflected in Poe's work, making them perfect tales of terror.

From the Paper:

"One illustration of pain and suffering can be seen in "The Masque of the Red Death." With this tale, Poe emphasizes the fact that death touches everyone regardless of any actions made to elude it. Prospero does everything in his power to escape the grip of death, which allows Poe to build tension and drama in the story. Suspense builds as Prospero builds a "strong and lofty wall" (Poe 614) around his castle and goes through great trouble to fortify it against any infestation. We know that security was within and "Without was the 'Red Death'" (614). Poe knew about the futility of escaping death because he watched his loved ones die and he warns us about this by reminding us that every hour of life is filled with "Time that flies" (615) and within those hours are three thousand and six hundred seconds. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Magistrale, Tony. American Writers. Parini, Jay. et al.New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 2003.
• Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Cask of Amontillado." The Complete Tales of Mystery and Imagination. Minneapolis: Amaranth Press. 1981.
• ---. "The Masque of the Red Death." The Complete Tales of Mystery and Imagination. Minneapolis: Amaranth Press. 1981.
• ---. "The Tell-tale Heart." The Complete Tales of Mystery and Imagination. Minneapolis: Amaranth Press. 1981.
• Sullivan, Jack, ed. The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural. New York: Viking Penguin, Inc. 1986.

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