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

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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:

Edgar Allan Poe's excerpt from "The Masque of the Red Death" demonstrates the insensitivity of the wealthy through their disregard for the suffering caused by the plague. Key passages emphasize their alienation of victims, dismissive attitudes, and belief in their invulnerability due to wealth. This paints a stark picture of class disparity during a crisis.


Explanation:

Analysis of Class Disparity in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death"

The excerpt from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" highlights the insensitivity of the wealthy and powerful towards the suffering of others during a devastating plague. Here are three key parts of the passage that illustrate this theme:

  1. "The scarlst 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." This line emphasizes how the visible effects of the disease alienate victims from society, showcasing the lack of compassion from those who are healthy.
  2. "The external world could take care of itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve, or to think." This statement reflects the dismissive attitude of the prince and his courtiers, suggesting that they prioritize their own pleasure and safety over the suffering of others.
  3. "With such precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion." This indicates their belief that wealth and privilege can protect them from the realities faced by the less fortunate, reinforcing their disregard for the plight of those outside their walls.

These excerpts collectively highlight the arrogance and detachment of the wealthy as they choose to ignore the devastation caused by the "Red Death," illustrating a critical commentary on social disparities.


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