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Types of Allusions
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Types of Allusions
Biblical Allusion
- A statement that refers to the Bible without directly mentioning it
Examples:
“He was a good Samaritan yesterday when he helped the lady start her car.” (This refers to a story in Luke about being a good neighbor.)
Allusion
“He was breathtakingly beautiful and she knew that he was forbidden fruit.” (Refers to the forbidden fruit in the the Garden of Eden. Intends to mean that she is tempting.)
A statement that is an indirect reference to a work, person, event, etc.
Effects of Allusions
Literary Allusion
- Lets the reader/ viewer understand new information, characters, setting, plot, etc. by connecting it to something already well-known.
- A statement that indirectly refers to other well-known literary works
Four Types:
- Biblical
- Literary
- Historical
- Cultural (Pop Culture)
- Makes a reader/viewer think and relate the current topic to previous knowledge
Examples:
- “I was surprised Jim's nose was not growing like Pinocchio’s.” (This references the story of Pinocchio and intends to express that Jim was lying.)
Example from Mythology:
- "Chocolate was her Achilles’ heel.” (This refers to the Hero Achilles in Greek Mythology and means that chocolate is her weakness.)
Historical Allusion
- A statement that refers to history without directly mentioning it
Examples:
Pop Cultural Allusion
"The Cunninghams are country folks, farmers, and the crash hit them the hardest." -To Kill a Mockingbird
("The Crash refers to the Stock Market Crash that led to the Great Depression in 1929.)
- A cultural allusion is an association of a specific happening with a given community or culture.
- "Millions of innocent lives were lost due to the prejudice views of a ruthless German dictator." This refers to The Holocaust and Adolf Hitler.)
Examples:
"She is caught in a bad romance" (This refers to the song by Lady Gaga.)
"Come on guys, 'we're all in this together" (This refers to High School Musical.)