Today in class, we discussed exactly what an allegory was and how it is used to elevate fictional writing. An allegory is described as a network of metaphors, which are words or phrases applied to an object that are not normally applicable. The example of a metaphor we used in class today was Romeo's woe to Juliet, "What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun." The words light, the east, and the sun are called vehicles, which are people/objects/actions that express the ideas. In this example, the ideas being expressed in this passage are importance, life-giving, incomparable, and warmth. Juliet serves as the tenor, which is the idea being communicated. Thus, all the ideas listed above are served to describe how Juliet makes Romeo feel.
Allegories are simply multiple metaphors using to express a common idea or theme. One famous example of an allegory are the X-Men comics. Moat of the superheroes or villains could be compared to real-life heroes, such as Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X. Another example of an allegory is the chess scene in The Wire, where drug pawn D' Angelo uses the drug trade to describe the different pieces and moves in chess.
Most importantly, however, allegories not only help to describe objects in a creative way, but they also effectively shed light on real-world problems. The chess scene from The Wire, for example, helped to describe chess in an efficient way, but it also made assertions about how "the rich get richer but the poor stay poor". Ray Bradbury explains how allegories in his own allegory, using the example of how in order to Medusa, Perseus needed to use the reflection in his shield. Although it is easier to tackle a problem head on, Bradbury argued that using allegories to describe and discuss real issues would be more effective and provocative. Thus, allegories could easily be applied to the political and social issues of today, making it easier to talk about upsetting issues while also captivating a wide array of audiences.
Great organization of our learning from class! The paragraphs mark natural transitions in our exploration and the writing is a great balance of clear and specific. Title and picture are nice too! Only area for improvement: the extension! You start to connect Bradbury's allegory to politics/social issues, but then it doesn't go anywhere. Would be better to SHOW US a social issue via allegory (even if it doesn't apply to every social issue and every allegory).
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