Supernatural Tales of Death and Jealousy

Paper Summary:

The paper analyzes how Edgar Allan Poe's "Masque of the Red Death" and Robert Olen Butler's "Jealous Husband Returns in the Form of a Parrot" use supernatural plots to highlight the intense emotions humans often feel about death and the loss of a loved one to someone else. The paper compares the supernatural quality and the style of narration in both works.

From the Paper:

"Poe's tale is written in the style of American Romanticism, and uses highly ornate language and a European setting to create an atmosphere of death, misery and decay. Poe's tale begins strangely, and becomes even stranger as the narrative wears on. The final appearance by death as a masked figure at a costume ball makes the allegorical theme of the story horrifyingly real--not even the wealthy can escape sickness and the inevitability of death. Butler's tale begins in a way that seems utterly surreal to the modern reader, even more so than Poe's narrative. However, the colloquial voice of the parrot gives it a greater sense of immediacy and realism than is present in Poe, and also a greater sense of pathos, despite its allegorical content. Eventually, the reader comes to sympathize with the figure of the parrot, who cannot communicate with his wife, no matter how hard he tries to speak her language."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Butler, Robert Olen. "Jealous Husband Returns in the Form of a Parrot." Fiction from Web Del Sol. 22 Feb 2008. http://www.webdelsol.com/butler/rob-5.htm
• Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death." Online Literature. 22 Feb 2008. http://www.online-literature.com/poe/36/

More papers on Supernatural Tales of Death and Jealousy:

• Essay # 89859 : "Concepts of Death and the Underworld "
• Book Review # 129142 : "Accuracy of "Death and the King's Horseman"
• Analytical Essay # 43916 : "Concepts of Death and Immortality"

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