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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?

1. "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."

2. "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."

3. "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.'"

Answer :

Final answer:

Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" illustrates the insensitivity of the wealthy through their disregard for the suffering caused by the plague. Key phrases highlight their isolation and indulgence while ignoring the suffering of the afflicted. The text serves as a critique of social indifference during a crisis.


Explanation:

Identifying Insensitivity in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death"


In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death," several parts of the excerpt reveal the insensitivity of the wealthy and powerful towards the suffering caused by the Red Death. Here are three key elements that highlight this theme:



  2. "The scarlet stains upon the body... shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men." This line emphasizes the stigma and abandonment faced by those afflicted by the disease. The wealthy ignore the plight of the sick, focusing solely on their own safety and separation.

  4. "The prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure... All these and security were within. Without was the 'Red Death.'" This reflection on Prince Prospero's extravagant measures to isolate himself and his court from the disease illustrates his detachment from the suffering outside. The contrast between their indulgence and the horror beyond the walls is stark.

  6. "The external world could take care of itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve, or to think." This statement encapsulates the arrogance of the elite, indicating their belief in invulnerability and lack of concern for the broader societal crisis.


Overall, Poe uses these examples to critique the indifference of the rich towards the suffering masses during times of crisis, illustrating a profound moral decay.


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