The Role of the Clock in Poe's "The Masque Of The Red Death"

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The ebony clock in the Mask of the Red Death symbolizes the presence of mortality. The clock is crafted with ebony, a black wood. Under normal circumstances, black color is often a symbol of mortality and death. In other understanding, the black color signifies dark and hideous days, probably the rapture where no one can survive. Moreover, the ebony clock is housed in the seventh room. This room is the westernmost room based on the Prince Prospero's design. The room painted black and "blood red". In the Mask of the Red death, red is associated with death because it is the Avatar and seal of terrible and fatal diseases raging through the city. In regards to this description, it`s imperative to conclude that the primary role of the clock in the seventh room located in the westernmost room symbolizes a terrible death in the story. Following the natural phenomena in the universe, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, while the room farthest to the west is the room housing the clock and made up of colors associated with death. In addition, the sun's route is frequently symbolic of a human lifespan. In other words, sunrise is birth, the sun at its zenith is midlife while the sunset is death. Considering these evidences, the clock in the seventh room seems to be a symbol of mortality.
In addition, it is inevitable to note that the clock has got fearful and terrible effects on the party goers alongside Prince Prospero, despite his financial strength in the story. The fearful effects are seen when the revelers hear its chimes after every three thousand six hundred minutes. Mos...