So here is my most recent paper. I did another Cause Effect Essay. I read Edgar Allen Poe's story, "The Masque of the Red Death," and then wrote about it. Basically, I am trying to discuss the effects on society if we, as Christians, cloister ourselves and do not extend the hand of service. I used Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death” to support my points by comparing Christians to Prince Prospero and the partiers. It may have some wordiness, but I think it compares Christians to the story fairly well. If you want to read "The Masque of the Red Death" to get a better idea of the Essay, click here.
Enjoy.
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“Importance of Serving”
“There were buffoons, there were
improvisatory, there were ballet-dancers, there were musicians, there was
Beauty, there was wine. All these and security were within. Without was the “Red
Death.” In Edgar Allen Poe's story "The Masque of the Red Death," similarities
can be made found between Prince Prospero, the partiers, and the Christian
life. Prince Prospero and his friends remove themselves from the Red Death and
hide from it in order to protect themselves. In their safe worlds, Christians
may be oblivious to what goes on outside. They may even become removed from it,
trying to forget and hoping someone else will come along and help. However, it is wrong for Christians to try
and escape because they have been called to do something for those in need. When
Christians do not extend the hand of service to society, Christ is poorly represented
to the world, Christians become deadened to the world’s suffering, and the
world does not hear the Gospel.
As Christians, we represent Christ; however, we represent Him
poorly when we do not extend a hand of service to society. When Christians do
not reach out, they not only make a bad name for themselves, as representatives
of Christ, they give Him a bad reputation. Prince Prospero sabotages his own
name. He holds back from aiding his people and uses what he has to indulge
himself not caring for those around him. Prospero’s reputation, as a king, gets
put on the line. Christians also dishonor Christ when they do not listen to His
commands for them to “Open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to
the poor, in your land.” (Deuteronomy 5:11.), When they disobey this command, Christians tell God that what He says does not matter and that it
is not important. Again, they represent Christ as someone who does not care for
the hurting. Similarly, a king or prince’s job is to rule justly and kindly,
making his people’s well-fare of his priority. “But Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless
and sagacious. When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his
presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends … and with these retired to
the deep seclusion of one of his crenellated abbeys.” Prospero does not only
give himself a bad name, he is a bad example to his one thousand friends
encouraging them to ignore those less fortunate. He possesses privileges of a
prince yet he fails to fulfill the obligations that come with this honor. If he
is not fulfilling his duty as a prince, he does not accomplish what it means to
be Prince thus giving that title a bad name. Similarly, believers who do not
love not only dishonor Christ name, they become a poor example to those who
watch them.
Becoming desensitized to the suffering
and the needy in society may result in Christians failing to reach out to
society. Poe writes, “The scarlet stains
upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim were the pest ban
which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men.” The
victim would be left to die, unaided, uncared for, and unloved. His grotesque
and contagious sickness offended and warded many away. As a Prince, a man with
much wealth and many comforts, Prospero could have made a difference. However,
“the external world could take care of itself. In the meantime it was folly to
grieve or to think.” Likewise, Christians can become misled, thinking that
helping others is not their problem. They may leave it up to the church or
government to help those less fortunate then themselves as reaching out to
people is not always fun or glamorous and can be offensive and uncomfortable.
Safe in their comfortable world, Christians do not feel the need to share their
riches and help others, being sheltered and happy. Because they do not
experience and see it, they may become ignorant of the many needs outside them.
They may know about the desperate needs in society, yet hope that someone else
would take care of the problem. Furthermore, Prince Prospero should be
different from his people. He possesses more resources and power than his
subjects. However, this prince does not make a difference, choosing to flee,
with his friends to his abbey which has a “strong and lofty wall girdled it
in.” In hiding away he becomes desensitized to his people’s very really needs. This
can also happen when Christians desire to stay comfortable; slowly suppressing
sensitivity and compassion, they begin ignoring the desperate needs of society.
Christians miss many
opportunities to share God’s love. Giving to those in need becomes a tangible
way of sharing God’s goodness. Prospero had a chance and the ability to change
lives. “The tastes of the duke were peculiar…His plans were bold and fiery, and
his conceptions glowed with barbaric lustre.” Prince Prospero could have
reached out to his dying people in many ways.
He could have shared his provisions and clothes with those struck with
the red death and give them these small comforts. Instead, he left his own
people to fend for themselves, retreating to his comfortable and wealthy
dwellings. Prince Prospero showed no love for his people. Like Prospero, when
Christians do not help the needy, they are not sharing love. Not helping people
closes opportunities to share God’s kindness that could have only happened
because of service. Prince Prospero had many doors open to him in which he
might have shared compassion to his people. However, he did not care for his
people, he did not aid them, and the doors shut. When people hurt like in the
red death, from illness they cannot give back, so they are most open to help
and hearing God’s word. Christians failing to share with the less fortunate,
will close doors that could have been open to the furthering the Gospel.
When
Christians fail to reach out, secluding themselves, they hinder the spreading
of the gospel and ultimately, disrepute Christ’s name. These become the effects
on society when Christians isolate themselves and do not offer aid. In the end,
Christians are much like Prince Prospero as they have been given the
opportunity and resources to extend the hand of service. Likewise, they, as
does Prince Prospero, have a duty as Christ’s servants to fulfill that obligation.
However, prince Prospero did not assist his people and dies in the end. He did
this out of selfishness in order to try and save himself. Christians should act out of love since they
have a perfect example of how to love in Jesus. People can learn much from the
“Masque of the Red Death.” Christians should remember the importance of
service and how they too can impacts society for Christ.
