Transcript Allusion, Allegory, and Parody

Allusion, Allegory & Parody
What are these?
How are they used?
Allusion
 An Allusion is a brief reference to a
person, event, or place, real or
fictitious. A casual reference to a
famous historical or literary person or
event.
 Allusions can be drawn from history,
geography, literature, or religion.
 Allusions help the reader/viewer
understand
characters/plot/theme/etc. by
connecting the topic to something
already known.
In Song Lyrics
 In the song "That Don't Impress Me Much,"
Shania Twain says, "Okay, so you're Brad
Pitt?/That don't impress me much/So you've got
the looks but have you got the touch?..."
 She refers to a famous figure known for good
looks (Brad Pitt) instead of saying "Okay, so
you're handsome.”
Impressive?
Allusions by the Police
 In “Wrapped Around Your Finger,”
the lyric says, “you consider me a
young apprentice, caught between
the Scylla and Charybdis.”
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv
WINSRhQU0
 Which epic poem is this lyric alluding
to?
Allegory
 An allegory is a story with two
meanings, a literal meaning, and a
symbolic meaning.
 An allegory is a form of an extended
metaphor in which objects, persons,
and actions in a narrative, are
equated with the meanings that lie
outside the narrative itself.
An example….
 The Matrix describes a
future in which reality
perceived by humans is
actually the Matrix: a
simulated reality created
by sentient machines in
order to pacify and
subdue the human
population while their
bodies' heat and
electrical activity are
used as an energy
source.
Another
 The Star Wars
movies also
represens the
generic
allegorical
elements of
good vs. evil.
 Harry Potter
anyone? Hunger
Games?
Last, but not least.
 Animal Farm is an
allegory in which
animals play the roles
of the Bolshevik
revolutionaries and
overthrow/oust the
human owners of the
farm, setting it up as a
commune in which, at
first, all animals are
equal; however, class
and status disparities
soon emerge between
the different animal
species.
Parody
 Parody is a work used to mock,
comment on, or poke fun at a
subject, author, or some other target
by means of humorous, satiric, or
ironic imitation.
 Think Family Guy, The Simpsons,
South Park, Etc.
 Saturday Night Live is a good
example.
 “A Haunted
House” is a
parody of which
movie series?
Lots, right?
 Check out the following two music
videos. Can you tell the difference?
Do you see the parody?
 http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/b
eat-it-video
 http://www.metacafe.com/watch/sy336010670/weird_al_yankovic_eat_it
_official_music_video/
 You’ll want to look for parody
examples as you read AF.