PALE HORSE, PALE RIDER. A Modern Allegory of an Encounter with Death
PALE HORSE, PALE RIDER. A Modern Allegory of an Encounter with Death

Summary/Abstract: The novella Pale Horse, Pale Rider, authored by Katherine AnnePorter and published in 1939, is set against the backdrop of the 1918–1919Spanish flu pandemic towards the end of World War I. It narrates the dualstory of individual and societal trauma and survival amidst the pandemic,contributing to the cultural memory of that era in American history.The narrative draws heavily on autobiographical elements, with the protagonistMiranda’s experiences closely reflecting Porter’s own. As Mirandabattles a life-threatening flu, her delirious mind traverses past, present,and future, blurring the boundaries between them. This paper examinesPorter’s employment of modernist techniques such as dreams, visions,archetypes, biblical allusions, and stream of consciousness to articulateMiranda’s harrowing yet transformative passage through a liminal spacebetween life and death. Porter’s novelistic approach is distinctly modernin its exploration of mortality and the portrayal of Miranda’s near-deathexperience, aligning her with modernist contemporaries like T. S. Eliotand James Joyce, who also eschewed traditional literary forms to depictthe profound dislocations of their time. The enduring appeal of Pale Horse,Pale Rider lies in its rich symbolism and psychological depth in addressingthemes of death and illness.

• Details
• Contents