In Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart, the primary theme revolves around the inevitable descent into madness, driven by obsessive guilt and anxiety over the narrator's actions. The story opens with the narrator already questioning the reader’s perception of his sanity, declaring, “—very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?” This self-awareness introduces the central conflict, as the narrator is fixated on proving his sanity, even as his behavior becomes more unhinged, and his fixation on this denial deepens.
As the narrator recounts the events, his subconscious struggle with madness becomes increasingly apparent. He claims, "You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me." This passage sets the story on an ironic path. He insists that “madmen know nothing,” while his own obsessive thoughts and erratic behavior demonstrate a growing madness he refuses to acknowledge. His constant rejection of the label “madman” shows how desperate he is to convince both himself and the reader that he has maintained control. Yet, the more he tries to assert his sanity, the clearer it becomes that he is losing his grip on reality. Ultimately, the narrator’s obsession with proving his sanity leads to his downfall. Despite the police showing no suspicion, the weight of his guilt manifests in the imagined sound of the old man’s beating heart. Overcome by his own mind, he confesses to the murder. The irony lies in the fact that his fixation on avoiding madness has driven him straight into it, with the confession serving as the final collapse of his fragile facade of sanity.
Similarly, in The Masque of the Red Death, Prince Prospero’s attempt to avoid inevitable death parallels the narrator’s attempt to escape guilt. Prospero creates a lavish, walled-off sanctuary for the wealthy, believing he can cheat death and protect his guests from the plague ravaging the outside world. However, despite his efforts, the “Red Death” infiltrates the party, symbolizing that no amount of wealth or power can divert fate. Like the narrator in The Tell-Tale Heart, Prospero’s obsession with avoiding an inescapable truth only accelerates his doom. Additionally, the colour red is utilised in a way that portrays blood, evil and death. As Prospero is followed by the figure and he cannot escape his fate of inevitable death.
Both The Tell-Tale Heart and The Masque of the Red Death illustrate how obsessive avoidance of inner conflict leads to inevitable downfall. Whether it's the narrator’s refusal to confront his guilt or Prospero’s denial of death, their avoidance ultimately brings about the very thing they sought to escape. Poe’s stories remind us that denial and obsession can manifest our deepest fears into reality.
As a reader of these texts, I found the central themes both horrific and intriguing. The use of symbolism and metaphors through both texts creates a very strong correlation between the texts themselves, and reality. Poe’s portrayal of denial, avoidance, and obsession mirrors real-world events. The COVID-19 pandemic serves as a clear example of this idea. Throughout the pandemic, many celebrities were seen partying and disregarding safety measures, neglecting the necessity of isolation despite the ongoing spread of the disease. Ironically, many of these partygoers eventually contracted COVID-19, a fitting consequence of their denial and avoidance.
This scenario closely parallels The Masque of the Red Death, with shades of The Tell-Tale Heart woven in. Just as Prince Prospero and his guests believed they could escape the plague, many influencers and celebrities believed their wealth and status made them immune to the consequences of the pandemic. The obsession with being ‘rule-breakers’ ultimately led to catastrophic outcomes, undermining the sense of control they sought to maintain. In both the pandemic and Poe’s stories, those who try to avoid confronting harsh realities end up succumbing to the fate they attempted to escape.
