Allusion

English III

Allusion…What is it?

   A reference to a historical or literary figure or event. An ALLUSION is an indirect reference to another idea, person, place, event, artwork, etc. used to enhance the meaning of the work in which it appears.

Often confused with

illusion

(which is a false perception), an

allusion

is a literary term that refers to a reference in one literary work to another literary work. The Simpsons television show constantly refers to (some may say,

steals from

) movies, music, literature etc. In a scene where Principal Skinner is in his office, he suddenly turns to his window and looks out at an old, spooky house while he talks about a tormented relationship with his mother. This is an allusion to the Norman Bates character in the movie Psycho.

Examples of Allusion

  Another example of an allusion would be "The girl's love of sweets was her Achilles heel," referencing the warrior in Greek mythology, Achilles, who could only be harmed if something hit his heel because he was dipped in magic water as baby when his mother held him by a heel. Achilles' only weakness is his heel, so an Achilles heel reference means a downfall or weakness, in this example a weakness for sweets.

More examples…

 An example of an allusion would be "Sue did not want to endure Eve's curse, so she opted for the epidural" The allusion here is Eve's Curse, and it represents God giving Eve the curse of painful childbirth (Genesis 3:29)  " The killer wore a mark of Cain as he stalked his brother" - referring to the bible story: Cain and Abel.

Final Example

 It has rained so long, it seems as though it has rained for 40 days and nights. (This is reference to Noah's Arc which is a well known event.)

Your task…

 View Pink’s “Stupid Girls” video. What are some examples of allusion found in the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR4yQF ZK9YM  Challenge yourself to find examples of allusion in today’s reading assignment! We will discuss it towards the end of class.