Blogger #10 - Charles Gian - Period 3 - 10/12/21

Aim: How are allegories and symbolism utilized to highlight the conditions in "The Masque of the Red Death"?

Do Now: 

Based on your research of the Number “7”, share your findings with your partner. 

• I researched and found that the number “7” has various meanings. For example, casinos primarily use the number 7 to symbolize luck and wealth, such as rolling three 7s in a row (777) mostly shows a jackpot or the most amount of money won from the machine. The number can also connect to spiritual beliefs, with the number 7 being “the number of God and the number of completeness and perfection”, and the 7 deadly sins (Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride).
• My partner also discussed the same things I researched, including the lucky connotation behind the number, being used primarily at Los Vegas casinos, but added on the fact that there were 7 wonders of the world (Taj Mahal, The Colosseum, Chichen Itza, Machu Picchu, Christ the Redeemer, Petra, Great Wall of China), further showing the reach of the number 7.

A very in-depth explanation of all the different meanings of the number 7:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS3j7u6Vuo0

Class Discussion (& more):

We then had a class discussion about the various meanings behind it, and other people pointed out the 7 continents, the show, and deeper meanings about it. Mrs. Peterson pulled up a slide showing most, if not all, meanings behind the number 7:

1. Complete cycle and renewal
2. Sense of change
3. Perfect life cycle
4. 7 stages of life
5. 7 virtues / flaws / punishments
6. Perfection
7. The universe created by God
8. Number of creation and space
9. Eternal Life
10. Wonders of the world
11. Security
12. 7 deadly sins

Allegory:

A literary, dramatic, pictorial device in which each literal character, object, event, represents symbols illustrating/showing an idea, moral, or religious principle. A parable, fable, story.
A narrative that can be read on more than one level, and intended to be read on a symbolic level, and to teach a moral lesson and reveal a truth about a condition in life.
The characters, settings, and events are intended to have meanings independent of the action in the surface story.

A quick 60-second definition of Allegory:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3iXy-I2PEg

What to Look For?

• As you read “The Masque of the Red Death” (Paragraphs 1 & 2), try to determine what the events and the people of the story might mean.
• Then try to interpret the events on an allegorical level.

Questions:
1. Describe the symptoms of the plague and how long it takes to kill its victims.

My group and I discussed and said that the symptoms of the plague were sharp pains, sudden dizziness, profuse bleeding at the pores with dissolution, and the trademark red blood that came out as a result of the plague concretely shows if someone has been infected. There is also a seizure you have to endure, and it takes around 30 minutes to kill its victim.
2. Describe Prince Prospero, and explain the symbolic meaning Prince Prospero’s name may suggest.
The Prince’s name may suggest that he wants self prosperity, is really rich, and tends for only himself and people in power rather than try and confront the pestilence to save the other lower wealth people. Not only does his name symbolize something, but the large iron gates that shut them out from the rest of society furthermore shows his willingness to lock outside people out, which symbolizes the distrust of the public.
3. Describe the setting of the story.
We can infer that the setting of the story was most likely around the medieval times, with the princes, knights, courtiers, and the descriptions of the entertainment he brings with him into the abbey.
4. Why does Prince Prospero summon and take a thousand of his knights and dames to the abbey of his castle?
Prince Prospero summons and takes a thousand of his knights and dames to the abbey of his castle to most likely save everyone in the higher class that hasn’t gotten the plague to have somewhere to be safe and entertained at, but there could also be an underlying motive to mold their minds to think of the Prince as the best. We can make a connection in history to King Louis XIV, with him bringing all people in power that can overthrow or make decisions that might conflict with his belief into his massive estate, making them think and act like him, and basically mind controlling all of the people that hold power to do something against hsi total monarchy to support him. While this might not be the Prince’s main intent, that could be another reason why he shuts everyone that has power inside the abbey with him.
5. Critique Prince Prospero’s actions; is he really a dauntless and sagacious ruler, and for that matter, what does Prince Prospero’s action(s) say about his role as a leader of his dominion?
In my group’s opinion, Prince Prospero’s action doesn’t signify him as a dauntless and sagacious ruler. He’s, in reality, a really bad ruler because he only cares about the people high in power, and doesn’t care about anyone else like the lower or middle class, he just left them to fend for themselves against the plague. He is smart, though, to force every single person in power to move into his abbey if his motive really was like Louis XIV’s.
6. Describe the abbey and what the courtiers have done to keep people from coming in and out?
The abbey is very magnificent, with the prince designing it, it being secluded and massive, and has large iron gates. To keep people from coming in and out, they obviously have the knights to defend in the case of any intruders, and they brought workers to physically shut them off from the rest of society by welding the bolts for the gates, keeping them in no matter what.
7. List the things Prince Prospero brings with him to the abbey to entertain his one thousand guests.
Prince Prospero brings entertainment people, such as clowns, dancers, ballerinas, musicians, and also brings wine to ease the guests.
8. How long have the guests and Prince Prospero been trapped in the abbey, and what does Prince Prospero decide to do after this length of time?
The guests and Prince Prospero have been trapped in the abbey for at least 5 or 6 months, as that’s when the pestilence raged most furiously. After this amount of time of 5 to 6 months, he decides to host a masked ball for the thousand people, which was of “the most unusual magnificence.”
9. According to Prince Prospero, what is within the Abbey and what is without?
According to the Prince, within the Abbey was beauty, security, entertainment, and wine, and everything without was the “Red Death”, or the plague going around at that time.

Reflection:

In this lesson, I learned about a new vocabulary word “Allegory” being the literary device or way the author conveys an underlying message to the reader, and we further read “The Masque of the Red Death”. I learned this to further develop my literary skills, to branch out my vocabulary, and make my life as a reader better to be able to spot those underlying themes or messages of a story. To use what I’ve learned, I can more easily spot when an author is trying to convey an underlying message when reading any text, and having a lesson like this to further develop our knowledge of little details like this when reading can really enhance our reading experience and knowledge.