High School

Select the correct text(s) in the passage.

Which three parts of this excerpt from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" suggest that the powerful and wealthy in the story are insensitive toward the outbreak of the disease and those who are suffering?

---

The "Red Death" had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood. There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution. The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim were the pest ban which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men. And the whole seizure, progress, and termination of the disease were the incidents of half an hour.

But the Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious. When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys. This was an extensive and magnificent structure, the creation of the prince's own eccentric yet august taste. A strong and lofty wall girdled it in. This wall had gates of iron. The courtiers, having entered, brought furnaces and massy hammers and welded the bolts. They resolved to leave means neither of ingress nor egress to the sudden impulses of despair or of frenzy from within. The abbey was amply provisioned. With such precautions, the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion. The external world could take care of itself. In the meantime, it was folly to grieve or to think. The prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure. 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."

It was towards the close of the fifth or sixth month of his seclusion, and while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad, that the Prince Prospero entertained his thousand friends at a masked ball of the most unusual magnificence.

Answer :

Final answer:

The passage contains insensitive portrayals of the wealthy's treatment of the Red Death outbreak, especially through the actions of Prince Prospero and his courtiers. Their indulgence in pleasure while ignoring the plight of the suffering population exemplifies a disregard for communal empathy. This insensitivity is highlighted through their isolation and celebration during a time of crisis.


Explanation:

Insensitivity in "The Masque of the Red Death"

The excerpt from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" contains several instances that may be perceived as insensitive toward the pandemic and those suffering from it. Here are three specific parts that illustrate this insensitivity:

  1. Prince Prospero's Indifference: The prince calls for light-hearted friends to enjoy a luxurious seclusion while people outside suffer from the horrific effects of the Red Death. His retreat to a fortress for amusement, despite the dire situation outside, epitomizes a disregard for the collective human experience of tragedy.

  2. Celebration During Plague: While the pestilence rages furiously, the prince organizes an extravagant masked ball for his guests, showcasing a blatant acceptance of pleasure over concern for those struggling with the disease. This act signifies an unempathetic retreat into a world of extravagance while ignoring the suffering occurring just beyond the walls.

  3. Isolationism: The internal thoughts of the courtiers illustrate a profound selfishness as they believe they can simply lock themselves away from the ‘Red Death.’ This perspective dismisses the shared humanity of those outside the fortress and highlights a troubling response to communal suffering.

The themes depicted in the rich imagery of indulgence and detachment from reality serve to emphasize the insensitivity of the wealthy elite as they evade the consequences of the plague, which decimates the lower classes.


Learn more about insensitivity in literature here:

https://brainly.com/question/26981328


Other Questions