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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
Allusions
Explanation and Analysis—Bob Dylan:
The final lines of the story—which capture the moment when Connie leaves her house to join the coercive Arnold in his car—contain an allusion to Bob Dylan, as seen in the following passage:
“My sweet little blue-eyed girl,” he said in a half-sung sigh that had nothing to do with her brown eyes but was taken up just the same by the vast sunlit reaches of the land behind him and on all sides of him—so much land that Connie had never seen before and did not recognize except to know that she was going to it.
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Explanation and Analysis—The Bible:
When Arnold Friend appears at Connie’s house, one of the first things Connie notices is that his car is covered in words and numbers. Many scholars agree that the specific numbers on his car that Arnold points out to Connie in the following passage are a subtle allusion to the Bible:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“Now, these numbers are a secret code, honey,” Arnold Friend explained. He read off the numbers 33, 19, 17 and raised his eyebrows at her to see what she thought of that, but she didn't think much of it.
Related Themes:
