Rooms of the Abby in The Mask of the Red Death Each room in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death” has a deeper meaning not openly expressed by Poe, but left up to the reader’s imagination. Poe did not want the reader to just see words, but feel the impact of each scene. Closer inspection of this story will not only examine what each room may symbolize, but will also analyze Poe’s past to establish why he may have elected these representatives. Some critics theorize that each room’s color
reasoning behind Poe’s work The Masque of the Red Death to aid his medical students in their assignment. According to Hurley, the theme of death in Poe’s works may have been a result of his many experiences with deaths. Hurley states his belief that the death of Poe’s wife, Virginia, could have inspired his writing of The Masque of the Red Death. Hurley states that “Death-especially fear of it-is a recurring theme in Poe's work.” Hurley also discusses the details of The Masque of the Red Death and provides