Literary Elements In Summer People And Mask Of The Red Death

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Use of Literary Elements in Summer People and Mask of the Red Death An author can use various literary elements in their writing to capture and intrigue their audience within the pages of their story. Summer People by Shirley Jackson entails her audience in a slow but twisting plot that is described with great detail which constantly keeps the audience wondering what will happen next. Mask of the Red Death, by Edgar Allen Poe is direct with its theme of Death and uses a constant mood that builds intensity over time as the plot goes on. Both authors Jackson and Poe use three prominent literary elements, setting, theme, and mood to bring about the unexpected ending. The setting of a story sets tone for the basis of the story leading to all…show more content…
The theme of both stories is Death, Jackson uses death in the Summer People in a subtle manner. As the storm rises and wind blows across the lake, the lighting flashes outside of the summer cottage. As the Allisons retreat in their summer cottage, they hold each other hand in hand silently waiting for what is destined for them to be, “…and the radio faded and sputtered, the two old people huddled together in their summer cottage and waited (Jackson 46).” In the Mask of the Red Death, Poe uses the theme of death in a very overt manner by displaying the theme of death at in the very first few sentences of the story. In the final scenes of the story, Prince Prospero and the partygoers face the mysterious figure (Red Death). The Prince commands his guests to seize the man and unmask him, being struck with fear, none of his followers make the first step forward to seize the unknown being. Outraged, Prospero draws a dagger and attacks the Red Death when suddenly he drops the dagger and in a sharp cry, the prince and his entourage of revelers fall subject to the Red Death and blood is spilled in the kingdom once
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