Conquest of Humanity: Examination of how Demons Exploit the Desires of Humankind in Order to Destroy It
Human beings are not perfect, and do not have total control over their thoughts and emotions. The human mind can easily be influenced by changes that it can not control. The Monkey's Paw, Catbird's Seat, and the Masque of the Red Death are stories where these changes or events can unleash the worst characteristics of people, and a battle for control ensues, between the mind and the dark forces within. Ultimately, the superficial demons of reality and the inner demons of the soul combine to form a fighting force that is strong enough to subjugate even the mightiest human spirit, and drive it into submission.
In The Monkey's Paw, the White family selfishly believes that it can change what Fate has bestowed upon them. However, they try to better themselves by using the power of the paw, in order to restore fortune and loss. They do not realize that by changing their Fate, they are dooming themselves. The Whites revere the paw as something sacred that has come to save them from the hardships of the world, but it is really the instrument of their downfall. Herbert White jokingly tells his father that he would find "…something horrible squatting up on top of the wardrobe watching you as you pocket your ill-gotten gains." (53) The unseen creature is actually Fate, and it waits in the shadows watching the Whites greedily try and improve themselves with money. The Whites mock Fate with their wishes, and are forced to suffer in retribution. After the death of Herbert and receiving two hundred pounds, Mr. White finally realizes that any use of the Monkey's Paw is "…foolish and wicked" (57), and that Fate is in total control of his life. But Mrs. White is still a prisoner of Greed, and believes that her son should be brought back to life, showing that her ambition has driven her to the point where she can not realize what her choice will bring upon them. Mr. White is fearful of the consequences, and does what his wife demands, only to later take it back with his last wish. The Whites could not conquer Fate, and are punished in the worst possible way by their own greedy desires.
The Catbird's Seat is a classic tale about a man overwhelmed by his demons. Mr. Martin plots against the despicable Ulgine Barrows, whose death would serve as a "…correction of an error-in this case an error of Mr. Fitweiler." (1) Mr. Martin is haunted by the demon of imperfection, and Mrs. Barrows is the ultimate embodiment of his internal nemesis. Since Mrs. Barrows is a black spot on his benign and perfect life, Mr. Martin believes that the only way that the error of her existence can be corrected is through death. Mr. Martin soon realizes that the only way he can defeat the Ultimate Imperfection of Mrs. Barrows is to surrender his 'perfect ways', and destroy her using any means necessary. Thus his inner demon engulfs him, and Mr. Martin becomes obsessed in eliminating his menace. Mr. Martin tricks Mrs. Barrows into believing that he is flawed, and this deception launches her into believing that Mr. Martin is insane. In their final confrontation, Mrs. Barrows unknowingly exposes Mr. Martin's scheme when she announces that "If you weren't such a drab, ordinary little man, I'd think you planned it all!" (6) Mrs. Barrows does not realize that Mr. Martin's plan to rid himself of her presence has actually driven him to an extreme point of disorder, and that Mr. Martin himself does not realize his obsessive condition has caused him to go this far against an imperfection. He believes that he has achieved ultimate victory against imperfections, but by plotting the downfall of others, he too has become flawed. Mr. Martin is not destroyed by his demon, but instead he has become warped by the very imperfections he tried to eliminate.
The Masque of the Red Death is the ultimate example of how inferior humans try to overcome against their final destiny, and greatest demon: Death itself. The Prince Prospero laughs at Death "while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad…he entertained his thousand friends at a masked ball of the most unusual magnificence." (83). The prince believes that his special group of nobles is exempt from the suffering occurring around them, and can celebrate with ease. Prince Prospero imagines that he is not destined to die like the others, and so fortifies himself with false illusions that depict harmony and pleasure. These illusions, however, are all stripped away when the ebony clock chimes and "…the giddiest grew pale, and the more age and sedate passed their hands over their brows as if in confused reverie or meditation." (85) The people realize that to evade death is the greatest risk one can take, and the clock is reminding them of how futile this gesture is. When the clock's chime fades away, the people forget about their inevitable demise and go back to believing that they are invincible, only to be reminded an hour later when the clock strikes again. After midnight tolls, a ghastly figure appears who had "…out-Heroded Herod, and gone beyond the bounds of even the prince's indefinite decorum." (87). The figure is the messenger of Death himself, coming to destroy the inferior beings that do not fall beneath its supreme power. The prince is the first to die, as he was the one who believed wholeheartedly that he could evade the End. When all of the nobles are vanquished, Death gloats in silence about its triumph over those who believed they could substitute suffering for pleasure, and how it is the only dominant factor in the world.
Mankind has tried to conquer its hidden demons because it is afraid of them. But despite all of the technological advances that have been made, they are still being undermined by emotional demons like jealousy, hatred, and arrogance. The human race fears these demons for they unleash the worst qualities in people, and can not be conquered by the machines that are revered so much. It is naïve of humans to believe that they can ever vanquish the demons that lurk within their souls, but they are intent on driving out any human qualities that would make them imperfect. Yet they do not realize that imperfection is humanity's greatest trait and weakness at the same time, and that these demons exist to make this fact obvious to all.
Analysis
This sample high school English essay sufficiently argues that when man attempts to combat fate, obsession and death, he is ultimately destroyed. The essay is simply organized, with each paragraph devoted to a short story. The paragraph on the Masque of the Red Death is the essay's strong point, perhaps because Poe's story is the most explicit about what happens when people try to combat one of these "demons."
The essay could be improved by clarifying its definition of a "demon." The thesis statement discusses "superficial demons of reality and the inner demons of the soul" but it could explicitly refer to "fate, death and obsession" to make the reader better understand. Likewise, the essay contains many good thoughts but does not develop them enough - for example, the discussion about the Whites being punished for their greedy desires could use more explanation.
Likewise, the last sentence of this essay ends up rhyming, which comes across as corny. While some teachers may find this humorous, students should make sure their essay ends on a moment that makes their teacher say "Wow" instead of "Why does this sentence rhyme?"
1,078 words / 4 pages
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