Answer:
Irving used wealth as a motivation for his character Ichabod Crane to get Katrina while Poe's Prince Prospero uses his wealth to try to outsmart/ outrun the plague.
Explanation:
In Washington Irving's "The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow", the protagonist Ichabod Crane lost Katrina Van Tassel to his rival to Brom Van Brunt also known as Brom Bones. While Crane is a lowly schoolmaster from New York, Brom Bones is a respected and an epitome of a well-skilled man who also seem to have great wit. Moreover, Katrina belonged to the wealthy family of the Van Tassels which leaves her quite "unattainable" by easy means. But Crane persisted in his efforts which led to the showdown between the two suitors- Crane and Bones.
In Edgar Allen Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death", Prince Prospero decided to have a masquerade party during the plague. He thinks that because of his wealth, the plague might miss/ skip him as if thinking he's above infection or effect from the plague. He invited hundreds of guests for his party and even reveled while people are still so scared of the plague.
Thus, the two short stories reveal how the characters view their wealth as conditions or symbols of their status and ability. Crane's motivation to get Katrina as his wife will make him richer, with better living conditions while Prospero uses his wealth to try to "outrun" the Red Death.
