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Literary Devices
Definition of Allegory
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The Tortoise and The Hare" is... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and... read full definition
Key Examples in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Allegory
Explanation and Analysis—The Sixth Borough:
Foer embeds an allegorical frame story within Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close through "The Sixth Borough," a bedtime tale Oskar's father tells him. In this whimsical, magical-realist narrative, New York City once had a sixth borough beyond the familiar five. Over years, "a millimeter at a time, the Sixth Borough receded from New York," until its bridges collapse and tunnels snap. Before it's gone entirely, the residents anchor Central Park in Manhattan, ferrying it across while children sleep on the grass and dream into the night sky.
Related Themes:
