Download
1 / 6
E N D
Allusion • An allusion is a literary device that stimulates ideas, associations, and extra information in the reader's mind with only a word or two. Allusion means 'reference'. It relies on the reader being able to understand the allusion and being familiar with all of the meaning hidden behind the words. • Here's an example: • As the cave's roof collapsed, he was swallowed up in the dust like Jonah, and only his frantic scrabbling behind a wall of rock indicated that there was anyone still alive. • The allusion in the sentence above is to Jonah. The reader is expected to recognize the reference to Jonah and the whale, which should evoke an image of being 'swallowed alive' ... in this case, behind a wall of dust and rock. • Allusions in writing help the reader to visualize what's happening by evoking a mental picture. But the reader must be aware of the allusion and must be familiar with what it alludes to. • Allusions are commonly made to the Bible, nursery rhymes, myths, famous fictional or historical characters or events, and Shakespeare. They can be used in prose and poetry. Here are some more prose examples: • Christy didn't like to spend money. She was no Scrooge, but she seldom purchased anything except the bare necessities. • Did you spot the allusion to Scrooge? That name should bring to mind an image of someone who 'pinches pennies' and hoards money with a passion. But the allusion only works if the reader is familiar with Charles Dickens' story A Christmas Carol. Here's and example from Herman Melville's Moby Dick: • ‘Well,’ said the Lieutenant, who had listened with amused interest to all this, and now waxing merry with his tipple; ‘Well, blessed are the peacemakers, especially the fighting peacemakers! “’ • In this case the allusion is a Biblical reference to the Beatitudes ... 'Blessed are the peacemakers ...'.:
How many of the following allusions do you know? • Hades • Achilles Heel • Catch 22 • 15 Minutes of Fame • A Cowardly Lion • Benedict Arnold • Casanova • Draconian • Sell Down the River • Gordian Knot
ALLUSIONS Hades The Greek word for the underworld or Hell. The word also refers to the ruler of the underworld. An allusion to Hades suggests death, danger, or darkness; e.g., In the forest at night, the soldiers felt as if they were journeying through Hades. Achilles Heel In Greek mythology, the warrior Achilles was made invulnerable as a baby by being dipped into the River Styx. Only his heel—the place he was held by when being dipped—was left unprotected, which led to his downfall when it was struck by an arrow. An Achilles heel refers to a person's vulnerability or fatal flaw. He was a shrewd business man and investor, but his Achilles heel was gambling. Catch 22 This phrase comes from a novel by Joseph Heller. Catch-22 is set on a U.S. Army Air Force base in World War II. “Catch-22” refers to a regulation that states an airman’s request to be relieved from flight duty can only be granted if he is judged to be insane. However, anyone who does not want to fly dangerous missions is obviously sane, thus, there is no way to avoid flying the missions. Later in the book the old woman in Rome explains that Catch-22 means ‘They can do whatever they want to do.’ This refers to the theme of the novel in which the authority figures consistently abuse their powers, leaving the consequences to those under their command. In common speech, “catch-22” has come to describe any absurd or no-win situation. 15 Minutes of Fame Andy Warhol, a 20th-century American artist most famous for his pop-art images of Campbell soup cans and of Marilyn Monroe, commented about the explosion of media coverage by saying, ‘In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.’ Today, when someone receives a great deal of media attention for something fairly trivial, and he or she is said to be experiencing his or her “15 minutes of fame”, the allusion is to Andy Warhol's famous saying.
ALLUSIONS CONTINUED… A Cowardly Lion The 'cowardly lion' from the Wizard of Oz was a coward. ‘I am afraid of spiders, but I'm no cowardly lion! 'from Emily in Grade 6 at Worsley School. Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold (1741–1801), was a successful general for the American colonies during the Revolutionary War before switching sides and fighting for the British. His name has become synonymous with “turncoat.” Everything was going well until that Benedict Arnold, Diane, gave our trade secrets to the competition. Casanova Giovanni Giacomo Casanova (1725–98) was a famous Venetian adventurer and writer who romanced well over a hundred women in the course of his travels. In modern parlance, a Casanova is a charismatic man with a reputation for having many romantic conquests. I know he's a Casanova, but I can't resist those eyes. Draconian A lawmaker in Athens in the 7th century B.C., Draco's legal code was unusually severe, meting out the death penalty for minor offenses. Laws are now referred to as Draconian when they're perceived as offering excessively harsh penalties. The activists sought to change the Draconian jaywalking laws.
Allusions Continued… Sell Down the River During the early- to mid- 19th century in the American South, slaves were transported down the Mississippi River for sale to plantations where the work was harder. To sell another person down the river is to betray him or her for one's own benefit. The CEO sold his employees down the river by cutting their benefits while raising his own salary. Gordian Knot According to Greek legend, King Gordius had a wagon tied to a temple column by means of an intricate knot. He then said that whoever untied it would rule Asia. Alexander the Great arrived on the scene and with one swift stroke of his sword untied the knot to become the ruler of Asia. However, even though Alexander succeeded, the allusion to Gordian Knot suggests an extremely difficult problem; The president believed he could cut through the Gordian knot of growing civil unrest by sending in the national guard with tear gas.
