21st

Century
Literature

Mark James T. Olarita

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 IDENTIFIYING THE SIMILARITIES AND
DIFFERENCES OF THE 21ST CENTURY LITERARY
THEME
THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH
NATURAL OR MAN-MADE
CATASTROPHE
THE MYSTERY ILLNESS OR PANDEMIC
DESCRIBED IN "THE MASQUE OF THE
RED DEATH" CAUSES DISCOMFORT,
SUDDEN DIZZINESS, AND PROFUSE
BLEEDING BEFORE KILLING THE
VICTIM WITHIN 30 MINUTES. A
WEALTHY NOBLEMAN NAMED
PRINCE PROSPERO FLEES TO ONE OF
HIS ABBEYS TO ESCAPE THIS AWFUL
DISEASE WITH HIS ENTOURAGE OF
1,000 FRIENDS AND HANGERS-ON,
WHERE THEY IMMEDIATELY BEGIN
TO HAVE FUN WITH PARTIES,
REVELS, AND OTHER AMUSEMENTS:
IN THIS TALE, A PRINCE AND A
THOUSAND OF HIS COURTIERS FLEE
TO THEIR CASTELLATED MONASTERY
TO ESCAPE THE HORRIFYING AND
QUICK-ACTING "RED DEATH." POE'S
TALE CAN BE READ HERE. IT'S TIME
TO OFFER SOME ANALYSIS OF THIS
INTRIGUING TALE, WHICH, LIKE
MANY OF POE'S BEST WORKS,
APPEARS TO FUNCTION ON A
NUMBER OF LEVELS.
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THE VACCINE
PERSONALIZED NARRATIVE
I WOULD DEFINE IT AS A
PERSONALIZED NARRATIVE
TOPIC BECAUSE THE ENTIRE
BOOK CENTERS ON THE
CHARACTER'S REAL-WORLD
EXPERIENCE OR A THIRD-
PERSON NARRATION OF HIS
PROFESSION AS A POLICE
OFFICER. IT SHOWS HOW JIM,
THE MAIN CHARACTER, GOES
ABOUT HIS DAILY BUSINESS,
INCLUDING HIS PREPARATIONS,
THOUGHTS, AND ACTIVITIES. HE
WAS MOVED BY HIS
INTERACTION WITH THESE
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN OUR
CULTURE, AS IT IS DESCRIBED IN
THE TEXT. ADDITIONALLY,
CURRENT WORLD EVENTS HAVE
IMPROVED MY EMPATHY, OR
CAPACITY TO COMPREHEND AND
EXPERIENCE OTHER PEOPLE'S
SENTIMENTS. EVEN NOW, THESE
KINDS OF EVENTS STILL OCCUR,
AND IN SOME SITUATIONS,
THEY'RE GETTING WORSE.
 SIMILARITIES

THOSE STORIES ARE INTERPRETED AS AN

ALLEGORY OF LIFE AND DEATH AND THE
INABILITY OF PEOPLE TO ESCAPE DEATH'S GRIP.
BOTH STORIES THUS STAND FOR DEATH BOTH
LITERALLY AND ALLEGORICALLY. NO MORTAL,
NOT EVEN A RICH PERSON, CAN ESCAPE DEATH,
REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU LOOK, HOW OPULENT
THE APPAREL, OR HOW WEALTHY THE FOOD.
HOWEVER, THE NARRATIVE ALSO INTENDS TO
CHASTISE PROSPERO FOR ITS CONCEIT CAN USE
RICHES TO STOP LIFE'S INEVITABLE, SAD
PROGRESSION. PROSPERO'S HAUGHTINESS IS
COUPLED WITH A SHOCKING LACK OF EMPATHY
FOR LESS FORTUNATE PEOPLE. THE LITERAL
PLOT POINTS AND THEIR FIGURATIVE
COUNTERPARTS, FREQUENTLY INCORPORATE
SIGNIFICANT PHILOSOPHICAL IDEAS (SUCH AS
LIFE AND DEATH)

THAT’S ALL
THANK YOU

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