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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
Key Examples in The Man Who Would Be King
Allegory
Explanation and Analysis—Colonialism:
While “The Man Who Would Be King” is, on the surface, an entertaining story about two ineffectual con artists taking over a foreign land, it is also an allegory about British colonialism. While Kipling was a proponent of British colonialism, he took issue with some of the ways that the British government was ruling India. He believed that colonization must come from a place of moral authority—of desiring to improve the quality of life of colonized subjects by “civilizing” them—rather than from controlling and exploiting them for personal or financial gain.
Related Themes:
