Paranoia In The Tell-Tale Heart And The Masque Of Red Death

Known to be a primal survival instinct, fear has been benefitting the human race for ages. Since fear keeps us on high alert, it restrains us from making hasty decisions. However, being on the edge at all times is not a healthy trait. Paranoia, or the phobia of always being watched, is a deadly attribute that is generated from being exposed to excessive amounts of fear. In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” and “The Masque of Red Death,” Edgar Allan Poe shows us how deadly fear can be. By using symbols, irony, and personification, Poe shows us that fear can prompt paranoia and unhealthy obsessions, clouding your perception of reality, and consequently sealing your fate.

In “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Masque of Red Death,”

For instance, the old man in “The Tell-Tale Heart” makes it manifest that he is afraid of death, for he wants to keep all evil out. However, he does not realize that the evil is lurking within his house, undetectable to him. During one of his midnight observations of the old man, the narrator mentions, “His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness (for the shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers) . . .” (75). Although the old man took precautions to keep himself away from the hands of death, his fate was sealed when he unknowingly trusted a vile man. He suspected nothing out of the ordinary, for the narrator continued to be gracious and empathetic. Believing that his measly locks could protect him, the old man is unwary of his approaching murder, foolishly believing he has escaped death. Similarly, Prince Prospero, in “The Masque of Red Death,” dreads the thought of death so amply, that he hides himself. For he is so fearful of the pestilence that devastates his kingdom, Prince Prospero seals himself within the walls of his castle. While the disease ravages the land, Prince Prospero, attempting to avoid the Red Death, orders all windows and doors to be sealed shut: “The courtiers, having entered, brought furnaces and massy hammers and welded the bolts. They resolved to leave no means of ingress or egress . . . The