Previous
Literary Devices
Definition of Allusion
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to... read full definition
Allusions
Explanation and Analysis—Allusion to Hamlet:
O'Farrell builds Hamnet around an allusion to one of literary history's most poignant facts: William Shakespeare had a son named Hamnet who died at age 11. Years later, Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. Scholars have long speculated that the play's title and its themes of death and grief were shaped by that loss. O'Farrell transforms this historical possibility into the emotional and imaginative core of her novel.
Related Themes:
