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All 10 Flashcards — Allusion & allegory
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Question
What is an allusion?
Answer
A passing reference to another text, person or event the reader is expected to recognise.
Question
What is an allegory?
Answer
A whole story that stands for a bigger idea, where the parts map onto something real.
Question
Give an example of an allusion.
Answer
Calling a hard journey ‘an odyssey’ — a nod to the old Greek voyage.
Question
Give an example of an allegory.
Answer
A story about animals taking over a farm that really means a revolution.
Question
How do you tell them apart?
Answer
An allusion is a small nod inside the text; an allegory is the whole story standing for something.
Question
Why do writers use allusion?
Answer
To borrow a lot of meaning in one word or phrase.
Question
Why do writers use allegory?
Answer
To make a big or risky idea easier to see through a simple story.
Question
How do you analyse an allusion?
Answer
Name what it refers to and the meaning it brings in.
Question
How do you analyse an allegory?
Answer
Name the bigger idea and match parts of the story to it.
Question
Commonest mistake here?
Answer
Spotting an allusion but not saying what meaning it borrows.
Read the notes
Full study notes for Allusion & allegory
Topic 1.5 hub
Irony & meaning
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English A Lang & Lit exam skills
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