Skip to main content

What is a comparative/thematic analysis of the shadow self, obsession, and the will to live in Poe's stories "The Masque of the Red Death" and...

Both the narratives of "Ligeia" and "The Masque of the Red Death" dramatize the human desire to conquer death through the power of the will.


In "Ligeia," death is conquered by means of the determination of the will. The narrator feels that there is a connection between part of the character of his beloved Ligeia, who possessed "a stern passion," and the beliefs in the supernatural of Joseph Glanvill, an English moralist who contended:


Man...

Both the narratives of "Ligeia" and "The Masque of the Red Death" dramatize the human desire to conquer death through the power of the will.


In "Ligeia," death is conquered by means of the determination of the will. The narrator feels that there is a connection between part of the character of his beloved Ligeia, who possessed "a stern passion," and the beliefs in the supernatural of Joseph Glanvill, an English moralist who contended:



Man doth not yield himself to the angels, nor unto death utterly, save only through the weakness of his feeble will.



After her death, the narrator reflects upon Ligeia's energy, her knowledge, and her confidence. When she became ill, she fiercely resisted death:



Yet not until the last instance, amid the most convulsive writhings of her fierce spirit, was the external placidity of her demeanor shaken.



Nevertheless, despite her "eager vehemence of desire for life," Ligeia died, her body exhausted. However, her will has survived because it is reborn in the narrator's second wife Rowena, whose dead body is directed by the narrator's own desires of perceiving her by means of his shadow self. This part of his unconscious mind possesses the desire for his beloved Ligeia. His creative energy—"a whirl of violent emotions"—then summons Ligeia's powerful will and Rowena's body begins to display the "hues of life." Soon, the body stirs and the narrator examines Rowena. Somehow she appears taller, and as she removes the "ghastly cerements" from her head, her hair is blacker and her eyes are black, "the wild eyes of ... the Lady Ligeia."


Similarly, "The Masque of the Red Death" exhibits the theme of the will to conquer death. However, while the prince, Prospero, possesses this will to conquer death, he engages in battle with this enemy by means of physical defenses and distractions designed to eliminate the fear of death, rather than by employing the force of the spirit. Prospero's obsessive and elaborate attempts are futile because death slips into the midst of his guests, who shrink at the toll of the hour from the "brazen lungs" of the clock, and in their trepidation and lack of will fall prey to their mortality.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...

What gift did Della buy for Jim and why in "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which... Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair.  Della is still willing to sell her hair so she can b...

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...