cstickel

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  • in reply to: Week 11 Reading Responses #788
    cstickel
    Participant

    Mary Catherine, I like how you critiqued the obsession that everyone seems to have with COVID-19. Like you say, the theme of obsession with an outbreak and epidemic is especially mentioned in the Introduction section of Contagious. Reading that piece, I felt that it was very relevant to the current pandemic because of the panic brought on by the constant discussion of the virus. While I think it’s good for people to be concerned and adequately prepared, there is a point when too much discussion can cause panic.

    I also enjoyed reading your analysis of “The Masque of the Red Death” and your comparison of the people staying in the abbey with those not taking the virus seriously during these times. I think the same people in the story can also be applied to those who only think about themselves and try to keep safe without any thought of others, pretending that people aren’t dying while they enjoy life hidden from the world.

    in reply to: Introduction & Red Death #784
    cstickel
    Participant

    I like how you connected “The Masque of the Red Death” with Wald’s piece by discussing the masked man as the virus brought to life that Wald refers to in her Introduction. In my post, I wrote about how the corpse-like man can be seen as an embodiment of people’s beliefs that victims of the disease are accomplices in the disease when they unintentionally spread the disease. I think the people at the abbey’s response toward the man confirms their distrust and hatred of those who are victims of the disease. It reminds me of our discussion of Coronavirus and AIDS in class and how people tend to lash out at victims of the two diseases, treating them like perpetrators of the disease. I think it is cruel for people to treat others because of this, especially when it is based on ungrounded stigmas.

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