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Allegory
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
Key Examples in House Made of Dawn
Prologue
Explanation and Analysis—House Made of Dawn:
The "house made of dawn" in the novel's title is both an allusion and a metaphor. The prologue further elaborates on the house:
There was a house made of dawn. It was made of pollen and of rain, and the land was very old and everlasting. There were many colors on the hills, and the plain was bright with different-colored clays and sands. Red and blue and spotted horses grazed in the plain, and there was a dark wilderness on the mountains beyond. The land was still and strong. It was beautiful all around.
Related Themes:
8. The Priest of the Sun, January 26
Explanation and Analysis—Abel and Cain:
Abel's name is an allusion to the biblical story of Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve. In Chapter 8, Milly's account of her childhood helps demonstrate the significance of the allusion, turning the entire novel into an allegory:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The earth where we lived was hard and dry and brick red, and Daddy plowed and planted and watered the land, but in the end there was only a little yield. And it was the same year after year; it was always the same, and at last Daddy began to hate the land, began to think of it as some kind of enemy, his own very personal and deadly enemy.
Related Themes:
