Allegory

1. Allegory World Literature

2. What is an allegory? • A story that can be interpreted to reveal another, hidden meaning • Two stories in one • The plain, literal tale • The higher-level meaning • The underlying meaning of the story is often moral or political

3. Joey: an allegorical tale • Joey the kangaroo loves leaving his mother’s pouch. She tells him over and over not to, but he still does it. One day, he leaves the pouch and gets stung by a bee. His mother welcomes him back to the pouch now that he has learned his lesson. THE LITERAL TALE: The story of a young kangaroo leaving a pouch and getting stung by a bee THE HIGHER-LEVEL MEANING: Young children should not wander far from home

4. MAUS: An allegorical tale • Mice are targeted by a group of hateful cats that seek to destroy all the rodents of Earth • Art Spiegleman uses his graphic novel, Maus, to tell the story of his father’s survival of the Holocaust THE HIGHER-LEVEL MEANING: Nazis want to murder all Jews THE LITERAL TALE: Cats want to destroy all mice

5. Common Allegories • Though it may not be obvious, you have likely read an allegorical tale before

6. Goldilocks and the three bears • What is the higher-level meaning? • Don’t break into random people’s houses and steal their things

7. Little Red Riding Hood • What is the higher-level meaning? • Don’t talk to strangers

8. The Three Little Pigs • What is the higher-level meaning? • Do your job right the first time and you won’t have to re-do it

9. For Some allegories, you may need to look at the earlier (pre-disney) stories

10. The Frog Prince • What is the higher-level meaning? • Don’t judge a person by what they appear to be

11. The Boy who cried wolf • What is the higher-level meaning? • Don’t tell lies; no one will believe you when you’re telling the truth

12. The Little Mermaid • What is the higher-level meaning? • Be happy with where you are in life

13. Symbolism & Allegory • A symbol can be a word, place, character or object that means something beyond what it is on a literal level. • Symbolism is heavily linked to allegory • Symbols allow writers to suggest layers of meanings and possibilities without having to literally explain those layers through words • EX: A character wearing a dark cloak can be seen as suspicious or evil without the author having to say so

14. Symbolism vs. Allegory • An allegory involves using many interconnected symbols in such a way that nearly every element of the narrative has a meaning beyond the literal level • Everything in the narrative is a symbol that relates to other symbols within the story.

15. The Tortoise and the Hare • What is the literal story? • What are the symbols used in the story? • What is the higher-level meaning?

16. WARM-UP: • Complete the “Symbols” Practice. • A symbol is a person, a place, or an object that has its own meaning but also suggests a larger or secondary meaning. • The American flag is a symbol of the United States. • In a story, a dog might be a symbol of friendship or loyalty. • To recognize symbols in literature, look for characters, places, or objects that are mentioned repeatedly or linked to larger concepts.

17. 1. In a story about two friends, Sally and Ashley, the friends share a portable CD player. Sally uses it one week, and Ashley uses it the next. Sally and Ashley have an argument. The next day, the CD player breaks. What is the CD player a symbol of? A. the girls’ friendship C. the girls’ music B. the girls’ argument D. the girls’ unhappiness

18. 2. In a story, Sue goes to the city to become an actress. Before she leaves, her mother gives her an old hairbrush. It first belonged to Sue’s grandmother, who gave it to Sue’s mother. In the city, Sue uses the brush whenever she needs good luck. What is the hairbrush a symbol of? A. family love and pride C. acting B. the grandmother’s hair D. the city

19. ALLEGORY PRACTICE Review: Imagine . . . You are reading a story. How do you know if the story is an allegory? • None of the characters in the story is a symbol. • Each character in the story is realistic. • There many random things in the story that could be symbols. • All characters, settings, and plot events are symbols.

20. ALLEGORY PRACTICE • Read the following Aesop Fable to answer the questions below. • Remember – An ALLEGORY is a story in which all the characters, settings, and events (plot) are symbols. The Ant and the Grasshopper In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest. "Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?" "I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same." "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "We have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger - while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew: It is best to prepare for days of need.

21. 1. Summarize the “literal” story of “The Ant and the Grasshopper.” There’s this field, and in this field is a lazy, good-for-nothing grasshopper who just wants to play. But there’s also this super, super-smart ant who’s collecting food before winter so he won’t starve. Bing, bang, boom, it’s suddenly winter and the grasshopper is about to croak from starvation while the ants survive on the food they collected.

22. 2. What is the “higher meaning” of the story? (Hint: What is the moral?) It’s always best to plan ahead and prepare for the future.

23. 1. The Ant = People who work to prepare for the future. 3. What are the symbols used in the story? (Hint: There are 5) 2. The Grasshopper = People who procrastinate and wait until it’s too late to take action. 3. The Field = Everyday life; the present time. 4. The Corn and Grain = The work needed to be accomplished to better the future. 5. The Winter = The hard times that eventually come along; life’s obstacles.