Genre Studies- Unit- III ALLEGORY

ALLEGORY

An allegory is a simple story in which a writer tries to convey hidden or complex meaning through symbolic figures, actions, imagery or events which together create the moral, spiritual, or political meaning.

An allegory is a tale consisting of a series of incidents analogous to another series or incidents, which it is intended to illustrate. The object of such a tale is to exemplify and enforce some moral truth as in Bunyan’s “The Pilgrimage Progress”, Ralph Hodgson’s “The Bull”.

CHARACTERISTICS

1.      Multiple meanings – Literal story presented in the words and the figurative story depicted in the way the writer intends readers to interpret.

2.      Polarizing Relationship – Oppositional views between characters or objects in the story.

3.      Object Personification – To give human qualities to objects or animals

4.      Author’s Values – Political or moral values of the writer

FUNCTIONS

·         Allow the authors to represent a moral through their writing

·         Makes each character multi-dimensional and more meaningful

·         An allegorical writing represents the writer’s mind as how he thinks and views the world.

TYPES OF ALLEGORY

1.      Biblical Allegory

2.      Classical Allegory

3.      Medieval Allegory

4.      Modern Allegory