Masque of the Red Death paper

Alena Stoots

Mrs. Zurkowski

English 9 Greens

10/27/10

Orange, a Lust for Life

In the story, “Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe, the seven different rooms in the castle represent the many stages of life. The beginning of the rooms starts off from the beginning color of life, blue. The last room is all black with red windows. This room obviously represents death. In the story this is where the masked figure kills everyone in the castle. Another one of the rooms was orange and this color is very important in the life stages. The orange room represents when a person is going through a rush of situations, during the ages of 21 to 45.

            During this stage of life, most people are living on their own. Adults are becoming more responsible, and independent. Orange is a very vibrant and outgoing color. During the earlier stage of this life time, people tend to go to a lot of parties. This is where orange stands out because it is really the only time in life where adults party. However, the color orange contains a lot of emotions such as stubbornness, independency, courage, excitement, passion, etc. Also, orange is mostly associated with the season fall. Out of all four seasons, fall is the one right before winter. Winter, in some cases can represent a lot of things dying such as the leaves on trees, plants, animals and sometimes humans. The color orange in the story appears half way through all the seven colors and is almost to the point of dying in the seasons. So, if you are in the orange color stage, you are about halfway through your lifetime.

            The color orange relates to my life because both of my parents are in this current stage. My mom and dad are very intelligent, very mature people and they know how to live on their own. I think orange is one of the most important stages in life because it teaches everyone how to survive in the real world without any help. It also is the time where adults have to make a lot of important decisions in their life. Some of these are like picking job opportunities, getting married, having kids, choosing a place to live, etc. I think this stage of life seems very adventurous and exciting for most people. However, orange reminds me of when people are about to eat an orange the fruit and how they have to peel off the layers of skin before they eat it. This relates to life because an orange isn’t developed at first and then it gets more and more prepared until it is ready to eat. When people take off the layers it’s kind of like a person being peeled away in life until they die. I think orange is one the most important colors in the rooms of Edgar Allan Poe’s story, because it is the only time in your life where you are free to do as you please and not very far from it comes death.

Getting to know O'Henry

• Real name is William Sydney Porter
• Born in Greensboro, North Carolina
• When he was three his mother died

• Was a good reader, but when he was 15 he left school
• Worked in a drug store on a Texas ranch
• After moving to Austin, Texas in 1882, he married
• In 1898 he was convicted of stealing money, and entered a prison in Columbus, Ohio
• While in prison he started writing short stories to support his daughter Margaret
• He moved to New York City in 1902

Last Leaf Questions

The Last Leaf Questions

Probing for Theme

Read the three statements below. Which one best captures the theme of “The Last Leaf”?

1. It is better to die for a dream than to live without hope.

2.   Life can be sustained when a desire to live exists in the heart.

3.    Every artist must paint a masterpiece before dying.

In Search of Meaning

1.    What does the last leaf symbolize in this story? How does Johnsy compare herself to the leaf? In what ways are other characters like the leaf? The leaf symbolizes the last hope before death. The characters are like the leaf because Johnsy compares herself to the leaf, and two days before Mr. Behrman paints the last leaf as his masterpiece he dies.

2.    Why does the doctor want to know if Johnsy has a man on her mind? Why does he suggest a discussion about fashion? What aspects of Johnsy’s disease do you think the doctor understands best? Worst? Explain. He wants to know if she has a man on her mind because maybe that’s why she thinks she isn’t going to get well because she doesn’t think she has anything to live for. Also, he thinks she may have a will to live if she was involved in something like fashion to keep her going. I think he understands best that if she has something worth living for than she will get better.

3.    What is Behrman’s reaction when Sue tells him Johnsy’s thoughts about the leaf and her death? Why does he react in this manner? How do his feelings change and why do you think they change? His reaction is very over protected because he thinks of Johnsy as his own daughter and does not want her to feel like she is relying on a leaf to live. He thinks her relating to the leaf is ridiculous and wants her to have faith to live.

4.    Why does Johnsy decide that she wants to live? How do you respond to this change in attitude as a reader? She decides she wants to live after she saw that the last leaf stayed on the ivy vine after two harsh storms so she took it as a sign saying that she will live and to a more positive attitude. This story surprised me because the whole time I thought she was going to die for sure but she turned her whole attitude around and wanted to live.

How does O. Henry prepare you for the surprise at the end of the story? Would you have preferred a different ending? Explain. O. Henry kind of theories how Mr. Behrman got pneumonia and dies so that’s how he prepares you. I wouldn’t have preferred a different ending because it was really shocking and made sense if you really thought about it. Especially since Mr. Behrman told Johnsy that after he painted his masterpiece he was going to go away, he going away way meant his death. 

Edgar Allan Poe Web quest

1.       1. Provide the following biographical information birthdate; birthplace; death date.

Birthdate: January 19, 1809 Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts. Death Date: October 7, 1849

2.       2.What tragic childhood events influenced his writing?

When he was sent away to college with barely anything, then returning to his fiancés home and saw that she was engaged to another man, all these things made him want to become a poet and to find adventure.

3.       3.There are 13 theories on what caused Poe’s death. List five of them.

Epilepsy, hypoglycemia, diabetes, delirium tremens, or toxic disorder.

4.       4.According to the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, what state did Poe call home?

Virginia.

5.       6.What famous military academy expelled Poe in 1831?

The US Military Academy at West Point

    7. Who did Poe marry? How old was she?

Virginia Clemm. Nearly 14.

   10. When was "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Black Cat" written?

In 1842

   11. When was "The Raven" published?

In 1845

   16. Listen to the audio version of the Raven. What did you think of it?

I think the voice helps you picture everything that is happening more clearly and easily.

   17. Who is the Poe Toaster?

He was a mysterious figure who went annually from 1949 until 2009 to Poe's grave and left three roses and a half-filled bottle of cognac then would run away.

Fresh Start

I have a couple new goals for second quarter. My goals are to continue working to get good grades in all of my classes, try out for winter cheerleading, and I hope to enjoy my classes and what we will be learning. I am excited to be reading stories by Edgar Allan Poe and Shakespeare, they are both very creative and enjoying to read.