Theme Of Allusions In Literature

134 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: important allusions in literature

“Good books don’t give up all of their secrets at once” (Stephen King). The most compelling and significant features within a novel typically aren’t bluntly stated or connected with other significant components of the novel in an obvious manner. Authors incorporate allusions within their works to give a deeper meaning to a story by referring to another work with a similar theme which further emphasizes the point that the author is trying to make. By using allusions the author prompts the reader to look more deeply at what the author is trying to say particularly in the works of J.D. Salinger, Ghassan Kanafani, and Ken Kesey in which allusions are used to characterize society, enhance the meaning of the work, and to develop connections between

Show More
Related

  • Allusions In The Grapes Of Wrath

    416 Words  | 1 Pages

    People just don’t seem to give up, they continue fighting till the very end rather than lay down and succumb to the challenge faced. In “The Grapes of Wrath”, John Steinbeck uses symbolism and religious allusions as unifying devices to illustrate the indomitable nature of the human spirit.

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451 Allusion Analysis

    1125 Words  | 3 Pages

    An allusion is a reference to a famous person, place, or historical event. Ray Bradbury wrote the book, Fahrenheit 451, which is filled with all sorts of allusions . The book is about people living in a dystopia where it is a crime to read books. If you are caught reading a book your house will be burnt down by the firemen. Which is ironic because firemen usually put out fires rather than start them. Since the government has so much power over the citizens, they have no knowledge other than the facts they are told in school. Their society has become brainwashed ,and act like robots. The people have no feelings , but that will soon change with help from the book people. To provide deeper meaning Bradbury includes

    Read More

  • Allusions In Huckleberry Finn

    1119 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout literature and novels we can find authors who will reference history, other authors works and most often the Bible. One may ask themselves the reasoning behind allusions and how it can affect our perspective and the authors meaning when reading the novel. In the late sixties, Julia Kristeve, who studied the elements of literature and other communication systems, introduced the word “Intertextuality”. In Kristave’s essay “Word, Dialogue, and Novel” she went into deep analysis of an authors work and its text, “A literary work, then, is not simply the product of a single author, but of its relationship to other texts and to the strucutures of language itself. Any text," she argues, "is constructed of a mosaic of quotations; any text

    Read More

  • Theme Of Allusion In The Novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

    878 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many authors use allusion in an effort to give a deeper meaning to a story by referring to another work, which has a similar theme. It can also be a way to further emphasize the main point and help the reader better understand and think more deeply about what they are reading. Throughout the novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, he incorporates many references to the Christian Faith. Although it isn’t direct, his strong use of allusion and symbolism force us to infer. Randle McMurphy, an intelligent and observant asylum patient, makes his way into the Oregon State Hospital. Kesey utilizes the Christian Faith and Jesus Christ through the characterization and development of the main character, Randle McMurphy. This dominant, yet reformative asylum patient comes to the aid of his fellow men in attempt to change the ways of the ward.

    Read More

  • Allegory In Lord Of The Flies Essay

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    Have you ever thought about six to thirteen year olds ever acting like savages and turning into a serial killer? After reading Lord of the Flies, this is exactly what happened. Ralph, Piggy, Jack and other kids cash land on a gorgeous island with leaving no trace for the world to find them. Ralph tries to be organized and logical, but in the other hand, Jack is only interested in satisfying his pleasures. Just like in the short story, The Tortoise And The Hare, Lord of the Flies, stands for something. This novel is a psychological allegory, the island, as the mind, Ralph, the leader, as the ego, Jack, the hunter, as the id, and Piggy, an annoying little boy, as the super ego. As we read Lord Of

    Read More

  • Roman Fever and Hills Like White Elephants

    2111 Words  | 5 Pages

    Many times in life things are not as they seem. What may look simple on the surface may be more complicated deeper within. Countless authors of short stories go on a journey to intricately craft the ultimate revelation as well as the subtle clues meant for the readers as they attempt to figure out the complete “truth” of the story. The various authors of these stories often use different literary techniques to help uncover the revelation their main characters undergo. Through the process of carefully developing their unique characters and through point of view, both Edith Wharton and Ernest Hemingway ultimately convey the significant revelation in the short stories, “Roman Fever” and “Hills Like White Elephants” respectively. The use of these two literary techniques is essential because they provide the readers with the necessary clues to realize the ultimate revelations.

    Read More

  • Allusion In Morris Bishop's Poem Phaethon

    352 Words  | 1 Pages

    In Morris Bishop’s poem “Phaethon”, the speaker focuses on the topic of responsibility; using humorous language to relay the message to the reader. With literary allusion, the speaker draws parallels between the past and the present, the old and the new, mythology and reality. Throughout the poem the rhythm and rhyme are reflective of children’s nursery rhymes. This establishes the light and humorous tone best suited to a younger audience, instituting the speaker’s position as a father to a young child. In the poem “Phaethon”, the speaker is trying to dissuade his young son from taking on the responsibilities of an adult before he is ready by telling him the myth of Phaethon and Apollo- creating a humorous lecture through tone, imagery, allusion,

    Read More

  • Examples Of Allusions In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

    1445 Words  | 3 Pages

    “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” Winnie the Pooh once said. In the book, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the men that live in the Oregon Mental Institution do not hear words like these very often. They have been rejected from society because they are not classified to meet the “social norm”. These “outcast” hide away behind the white walls of the ward, protecting themselves from the world around them. In the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, author Ken Kesey uses religious allusions to depict that society rejects people that do not fit the ideal social “norm”, but when someone can prove himself powerful enough to stand up for his beliefs men easily follow.

    Read More

  • Allusion In Trouble With Poetry

    540 Words  | 2 Pages

    In both of the poems, "Introduction to Poetry" and "Trouble with Poetry", Collins makes an interesting form of observation of the world he lives in while possibly explaining his daily life or experiences.

    Read More

  • The Use of Foreshadowing, Irony, and Symbolism in The Book Thief

    967 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Book Thief Short Essay: The Use of Foreshadowing, Irony, and Symbolism in The Book Thief

    Read More

  • What Gives It All Away?

    664 Words  | 2 Pages

    that allow the reader to make assumptions and predict how the author intends to follow through with his or her novel. Nathaniel Hawthorne, being an excellent example, provided such details throughout the entirety of his novel, The Scarlet Letter. What someone might pass off as minutiae, such as the biblical allusion, an extended metaphor, or irony in Chapter 22, others may understand to be the indication of what is to happen in the forthcoming chapter(s). Certain details are very easily overlooked. Therefore, a reader may be required to read more in depth or even research a specific situation, like a government event, to better comprehend the significance.

    Read More

  • Ambiguity in J. D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, Sylvia Plath’s The Ball Jar, and Richard Heller’s Catch 22

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ambiguity in literature after World War II reflects and explores issues of self and society. These two ideas often work against each other instead of coexisting to form a struggle-free existence. J. D. Salinger, Sylvia Plath, and Richard Heller illustrate this struggle with their works. These authors explore ambiguity through different characters that experience the world in different ways. Identity, while it is an easy concept, can be difficult to attain. These authors seek out ambiguity with the human experience, coming to different conclusions. Ambiguity becomes a vehicle through which we can attempt to define humanity. J. D. Salinger’s novel, Catcher in the Rye, Sylvia Plath’s novel, The Ball Jar, and Richard Heller’s novel, Catch 22 explore ambiguity experienced through an attempt to find self. Each experience is unique, incapable of fitting a generic mold created by society.

    Read More

  • Knowledge in Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

    1448 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sisario, Peter. "A Study of the Allusions in Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451"" The English Journal Feb 59.2 (1970): 201+. JSTOR. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

  • Literary Device and Their Uses

    1323 Words  | 3 Pages

    The use of literary devices has proven to be the key to a successful short story. An author's use of these devices makes or breaks the story for a reader. He must successfully define such things as the character, theme and setting to put the reader into their mind frame to fully understand and feel the story. In this week's readings, we are shown the authors' use of literary devices with serious ironies to show human condition and the nature of humanity. Such stories as "The Black Man and White Woman in Dark Green Rowboat," "The Rocking-Horse Winner," and "Gilded Six Bits" shine light on the essence of the human condition and the nature of humanity. While, Ellison's "Battle Royal", and Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" define irony and draw the reader into sympathy and disbelief. Although telling powerful stories can sometimes be as easy as conveying the information, subtly introducing ironies, using correct symbolisms, and even using the right point of view, is what enhances and expands the author's vision.

    Read More

  • The Catcher and the Rye / Huckleberry Finn

    1241 Words  | 3 Pages

    As a writer, the success of most authors’ comes from their power to convert common thoughts or knowledge into something which can enlighten the reader. An author thrives on being unique and imaginative. With this originality comes differentiation, when one compares two authors who have used the same literary device in their writings, this becomes apparent. J.D Salinger’s writings involve an enormous amount of childhood concepts and loss of innocence. Mark Twain is also known for his use of innocence in his novels, specifically The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Although the concept behind innocence is basically the same with both authors, each author applies his own interpretat...

    Read More

More about Theme Of Allusions In Literature

Open Document