The document discusses Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Masque of the Red Death". It provides details about Prince Prospero retreating to his palace with followers to escape a plague called the Red Death. It describes the series of seven rooms used for a masquerade ball, including their colors and decorations. It also compares life outside the palace to the isolated life inside and describes the appearance of an intruder who resembles the Red Death plague. Finally, it suggests some symbolic interpretations of elements in the story like Prospero, the masquerade, and the seven rooms.