FREE ESSAY ON MONKEY AND MASQUE- A COMPARISON OF SYMBOLISM

MONKEY AND MASQUE- A COMPARISON OF SYMBOLISM

Imagine you could wish for your heart's desire. It could be anything you wanted. However,
someone would have to die for your wish to come true. Remember, be careful of what you
wish for; The consequences may be horrific. The idea of fate and symbolism, when mixed
together, can make a lethal pair. Poe and Jacobs use fate and symbolism to paint an
effective picture of death.
The idea of fate is used in both "The Monkey's Paw" and "The Masque of the Red Death"
very well. In "Monkey", the paw manipulates faith. "It moved.....As I wished it twisted
in my hand like a snake." The twisting and movement represents someone or something
manipulating fate for their wants. In "Masque", the aristocracy also tried to manipulate
fate. However, they weren't wishing any material possessions; they were trying to control
fate to survive the Red Death. "The abbey was amply provisioned. With such precautions
the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion." By provisioning the abbey and taking
other precautions, the partygoers were trying to cheat death.
Changing your destiny can have consequences. Op and Jacob's both demonstrate this. In
"Monkey", the father wishes for two hundred pounds. While it does come true, there was a
consequence. This was Herbert's death. The same thing goes for "Masque." Even though the
people took precautions (a.k.a. manipulating fate) against the Red Death, they still
died.
Edgar Allen Poe and W.W. Jacobs do an excellent job of using symbolism in their stories.
Jacobs uses the monkey's paw to symbolize someone trying to change or manipulate fate.
The fact that is a monkey's paw is important for one reason: A monkey is the only other
animal besides humans that has opposable thumbs. In "Masque", one of the seven deadly
sins, pride, is used to symbolize fate manipulation. The people had so much pride that
they thought they could do anything. They even thought they could change their destiny.
Another symbol in "Monkey" is the chessboard and game at the beginning. The chessboard
symbolizes life. The pieces are people like us. They can move certain ways, but if they
make a mistake or try to do something audacious, there can be consequences. Checkmate, or
death, is one of those consequences. The mummer in "Masque" also symbolizes death. "The
figure was tall and gaunt, and shrouded from head to foot in the habiliments of the
grave. The mask which concealed the visage was made so nearly to resemble the countenance
of a stiffened corpse that the closes scrutiny must have had difficulty in detecting the
cheat." This description alone represents the Plague, the death of the people.
Poe and Jacobs both used the idea of changing our fate very well in their stories. They
did the same with symbolism, too. These two literary concepts can create a vivid image
for the reader. I feel there is one major theme you can get from these stories,
especially "The Monkey's Paw." That is: Be careful what you wish for.