Allegory Literary Term

In literature, there are a number of various devices that writers can employ in order to capture symbolism. An allegory is a such a literary term, one in which characters or events come to symbolize a concept. Allegories convey a hidden meaning through symbolism.

One of the most famous allegories is Plato's "Allegory of the Cave," which appears in The Republic. In this famous passage, Socrates describes a society of people chain inside a cave, able to see only reflected shadows on the wall. These shadows are only reflections of reality, describing how the Philosopher saw human understanding of existence.

Examples of Allegory

Writing a research paper on an allegory is actually a very interesting way to study a literary theme.

Examples of allegories in literature are as follows:

• John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress is an allegory about Christianity and salvation.
• A modern allegory is George Orwell's Animal Farm, which loosely tells the story of the Soviet Revolution through the use of farm animals.
  • The pigs are used to represent the Soviet leaders, especially Stalin and Trotsky.
  • By using obvious symbolism, Orwell was able to criticize the corrupt nature of the Soviet system.

Allegories, like Animal Farm, frequently are used in order to convey a moral or political message. They are often employed in order to convey an abstract term in a concrete way. Allegories can also be described as extended metaphors, in that they are employed throughout a work of literature, as opposed to used in passing.