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These Allusions Are Real
How would you feel if someone referred to you as “Scrooge”? Or, how would you react if you were speaking and a listener said, “Your nose is getting longer”? Finally, what would you say if someone called you “The Scarecrow”?
In each case, you would probably be offended — and rightfully so. After all, the first person is comparing you to the miserly employer in the Charles Dickens’ novel entitled The Christmas Carol. The second person is calling you a liar by referring to the classic children’s story “Pinocchio” by Carlo Lorenzini. And the third person is saying you need a brain, like Dorothy’s friend in The Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum. No, the purpose of this essay is not to teach you how to trade literary insults, but to emphasize the use of allusions.
An allusion is an indirect reference to a well-known person, place, or event from history, from mythology, from literature, or from other works of art. Allusions are often used for three reasons: to catch the reader’s attention, to provide a short but vivid description, and to make a strong connection.
To Catch the Reader’s Attention. People who write newspaper and magazine headlines use allusions frequently to catch the reader’s…
