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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 25 - In Like a Lion
Explanation and Analysis—David and Goliath:
In Chapter 25, Junior helps his team emerge victorious in their rematch against the Wellpinit basketball team. After the game, an allusion helps Junior make sense of the situational irony surrounding this "victory":
I looked for my dad.
I thought he’d be cheering. But he wasn’t. He wasn’t even looking at me. He was all quiet-faced as he looked at something else.
So I looked at what he was looking at.
It was the Wellpinit Redskins, lined up at their end of the court, as they watched us celebrate our victory.
I whooped.
We had defeated the enemy! We had defeated the champions! We were David who’d thrown a stone into the brain of Goliath!
And then I realized something.
I realized that my team, the Reardan Indians, was Goliath.
Related Themes:
