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
Chapter 1: Ragged Dick Is Introduced to the Reader
Explanation and Analysis—Dick's Straw Box:
When describing Dick's makeshift bed, Alger implicitly alludes to the manger where, according to Christian tradition, Jesus Christ was born. In the novel's opening chapter, Alger writes:
His bedchamber had been a wooden box half full of straw, on which the young boot-black had reposed his weary limbs, and slept as soundly as if it had been a bed of down.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—George Washington's Coat:
Until Dick gets a new suit from Frank, he wears a ragged, out-of-style coat. This coat is so old that he frequently says it used to belong to George Washington, making a humorous allusion to the first president of the United States. Talking to Mr. Greyson, Dick quips:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“This coat once belonged to General Washington [...] He wore it all through the Revolution, and it got torn some, ’cause he fit so hard. When he died he told his widder to give it to some smart young feller that hadn’t got none of his own; so she gave it to me."
Related Themes:
Chapter 16: The First Lesson
Explanation and Analysis—Horace Greeley:
Several times during the novel, Dick, who hawked newspapers on the street before embarking on his career as a boot-black, alludes to the real-life 19th-century newspaper editor Horace Greeley. Joking with Fosdick about his lack of education, Dick says,
Unlock with LitCharts A+“My friend Horace Greeley told me the other day that he’d get me to take his place now and then when he was off makin’ speeches if my edication hadn’t been neglected.”
Related Themes:
