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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
4. The Causeways of the Sun
Explanation and Analysis—Inverted Crusoeism:
In Chapter 4, Kerans reflects on how few resources he will have to survive once Riggs and the rest of the crew leave, and on how ironically unconcerned he is. He uses an allusion to make sense of the strange choice he is making:
The tank on the catamaran outboard motor carried three gallons, enough for thirty miles, or a return trip a day for a month between the Ritz and Beatrice’s lagoon.
For some reason, however, this inverted Crusoeism—the deliberate marooning of himself without the assistance of a gear-laden carrack wrecked on a convenient reef—raised few anxieties in Kerans’ mind.
Related Themes:
9. The Pool of Thanatos
Explanation and Analysis—To Be or Not to Be:
In Chapter 9, after Kerans almost dies in the underwater planetarium, Beatrice insists that it can't have been a suicide attempt. Kerans and Strangman aren't so sure, and Strangman uses an allusion to comment on how delicious he finds the situation:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Strangman shrugged theatrically. ‘It might,’ he repeated with great emphasis. ‘Let’s admit that. It makes it more interesting—particularly for Kerans. ‘Did I or did I not try to kill myself?’ One of the few existential absolutes, far more significant than ‘To be or not to be?’, which merely underlines the uncertainty of the suicide, rather than the eternal ambivalence of his victim.’
Related Themes:
10. Surprise Party
Explanation and Analysis—Art and Art History:
Allusions to music, art, and art history are a motif in the novel. One rich example occurs in Chapter 10, when Strangman summons Kerans, Beatrice, and Bodkin to a dinner party for which he has decorated with an array of plundered art surrounding a giant Renaissance painting:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Its title was ‘The Marriage of Ester and King Xerxes’, but the pagan treatment and the local background of the Venetian lagoon and the Grand Canal palazzos, coupled with the Quinquecento décor and costume, made it seem more like ‘The Marriage of Neptune and Minerva’, no doubt the moral Strangman intended to point. King Xerxes...seemed completely tamed by his demure, raven-haired Ester, who had a faint but none the less perceptible likeness to Beatrice. As he cast his eye over the crowded spread of the canvas...Kerans suddenly saw another familiar profile—the face of Strangman...—but when he approached the painting the similarity vanished.
Related Themes:
