Allegory
An allegory is a narrative in which deeper truths or generalizations are represented by the characters, events, and settings in the narrative than those that are suggested by the surface story. Therefore, an allegory can be understood in many ways. However, the more profound meaning is usually more important than the story itself. The true meaning of the story may be obvious, subtle, or concealed. Like other symbolic literary forms, an allegory, it is just a drawn-out metaphor. It is a way of creating or interpreting works of literature so that they will simultaneously tell a different story then the one that is written. Some of the best fables are allegories in which the author gives human like characteristics to an animal.
An allegory is a narrative in which deeper truths or generalizations are represented by the characters, events, and settings in the narrative than those that are suggested by the surface story. Therefore, an allegory can be understood in many ways. However, the more profound meaning is usually more important than the story itself. The true meaning of the story may be obvious, subtle, or concealed. Like other symbolic literary forms, an allegory, it is just a drawn-out metaphor. It is a way of creating or interpreting works of literature so that they will simultaneously tell a different story then the one that is written. Some of the best fables are allegories in which the author gives human like characteristics to an animal.
The most popular and commonly known form of allegories are nursery rhymes. To children, these are just fun nonsense sayings that rhyme. Some of them are, but many of them are actually allegories of historical events. They just change the names and settings of characters and they have a nursery rhyme. An example of this is Jack and Jill.
Jack and Jill
Went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down
And broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.
Went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down
And broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.
This seems to be a story about two kids who go up a hill to get water but fall down. In reality, it tells of King Louis XVI's fate when he and his Queen, Marie Antoinette, were beheaded during the French Revolution. Some more examples of allegorical nursery rhymes are Humpty Dumpty, Rock-a-bye Baby, London Bridge is Falling Down, Ring Around the Rosie, Little Ms.Muffet, Mary Mary Quite Contrary, Baa Baa Black Sheep,
The first time that a form of allegory was used in writing, it was called Dream Allegory. Dream Allegory is defined by "a medieval poetic convention that was used to present symbolic visions to give them authority and plausibility." Some of the typical dream allegories involve a hero who lays down to sleep and sees allegorical visions in his head. In the first pages of Animal Farm, Old Majors dream was a representation of a Dream Allegory. The Romance of the Rose, The Pearl, Piers Plowman, and Chaucer's Parliament of Fowls are other classic stories that include that plot line. They are mostly framed off of Macrobius' Commentary on the Dream of Scipio which was written around 400 AD. A majority of dream allegories are set in springtime outside.
Iconography is the artistic symbolism of allegory. Some symbols used in allegories are constant and represent the same thing throughout many stories. For example, a dove usually represents peace. Other things can be interpreted as different things between every story. For example, certain characters in stories can represent important people or groups in history. Iconography can refer to ideas or actual people and events.
Animal Farm represents an allegory because if you have no knowledge of the Russian Revolution, then this would seem like a story about animals who are rebelling. However, allegories represent a deeper story and Animal Farm is telling the story of the Russian Revolution. Every animal on the farm symbolizes a major person or a group of people during the revolution and many of the animal's actions are representing events that happened during the revolution.
The first time that a form of allegory was used in writing, it was called Dream Allegory. Dream Allegory is defined by "a medieval poetic convention that was used to present symbolic visions to give them authority and plausibility." Some of the typical dream allegories involve a hero who lays down to sleep and sees allegorical visions in his head. In the first pages of Animal Farm, Old Majors dream was a representation of a Dream Allegory. The Romance of the Rose, The Pearl, Piers Plowman, and Chaucer's Parliament of Fowls are other classic stories that include that plot line. They are mostly framed off of Macrobius' Commentary on the Dream of Scipio which was written around 400 AD. A majority of dream allegories are set in springtime outside.
Iconography is the artistic symbolism of allegory. Some symbols used in allegories are constant and represent the same thing throughout many stories. For example, a dove usually represents peace. Other things can be interpreted as different things between every story. For example, certain characters in stories can represent important people or groups in history. Iconography can refer to ideas or actual people and events.
Animal Farm represents an allegory because if you have no knowledge of the Russian Revolution, then this would seem like a story about animals who are rebelling. However, allegories represent a deeper story and Animal Farm is telling the story of the Russian Revolution. Every animal on the farm symbolizes a major person or a group of people during the revolution and many of the animal's actions are representing events that happened during the revolution.
