Previous
Literary Devices
Definition of Allegory
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The Tortoise and The Hare" is... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and... read full definition
Allegory
Explanation and Analysis—Religion:
Doctor Moreau's island is an allegory for the role organized religion plays in broader society. Moreau is a creator, like God. The Beast Folk so believe in his power that Prendick is able to convince them that when Moreau dies, he has really left his body so that he can observe the goings-on on the island from on high. He is also a king, making and enforcing the Law the Beast Folk must follow. His dual role as God and king represents the ways Christianity functions as the original foundation for much of the law in England and elsewhere in the world. Although England's political structure had gone through some periods of upheaval, the basic structure of the monarchy meant that for centuries, kings and queens supposedly chosen by God had been making laws that pointed back to Christian beliefs about right and wrong. Victorian society and Moreau's island alike seem to be entirely dependent on inhabitants' willingness to buy into a fixed set of rules set forth by Christianity and those who use it to maintain political power.
Related Themes:
