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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 2
Explanation and Analysis—Mistress Mary:
The novel often alludes to the nursery rhyme "Mistress Mary Quite Contrary," using it to underscore the changes in character that Mary Lennox undergoes. These allusions create a running motif that functions as a shorthand for whenever the narrator wants to indicate that Mary is misbehaving. This first comes up in Chapter 2, when one of the Crawford children becomes annoyed with Mary's bad attitude and starts to tease her. It unfortunately sticks so much that even their parents take it up:
“She is such a plain child,” Mrs. Crawford said pityingly, afterward. “And her mother was such a pretty creature. She had a very pretty manner, too, and Mary has the most unattractive ways I ever saw in a child. The children call her ‘Mistress Mary Quite Contrary,’ and though it’s naughty of them, one can’t help understanding it.”
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Riquet À La Houppe:
In Chapter 2, Burnett makes an allusion to the French fairy-tale "Riquet à la Houppe." Mary recalls this tale as Medlock tells her the story of the tragic and sudden death of Mrs. Craven, and the despair into which it threw Colin's father:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“She was a sweet, pretty thing and he’d have walked the world over to get her a blade o’ grass she wanted. Nobody thought she’d marry him, but she did [...] “When she died—” Mary gave a little involuntary jump. “Oh! did she die!” she exclaimed, quite without meaning to. She had just remembered a French fairy story she had once read called “Riquet à la Houppe.” It had been about a poor hunchback and a beautiful princess and it had made her suddenly sorry for Mr. Archibald Craven. “Yes, she died,” Mrs. Medlock answered. “And it made him queerer than ever."
Related Themes:
