Examples Of Allusions In Fahrenheit 451

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Allusion: A direct or implied phrase reference to an event, person, or place and can range from anything including, real-world events, works of fiction, and religious manuscripts. Furthermore, allusions can also be used to elude the message or tone of the writing. Ex. In the novel Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, the use of allusions helps the reader understand and visualize the events taking place, and draw connections to events that they can relate to. We see this happen on pg 59, when two books are burnt, Little Black Sambo and Uncle Tom’s Cabin, because they were heavily criticized for their racial issues. This allusion is helpful because it shows the reader why someone might want to burn books, which may have been hard to understand otherwise.

Example: “One felt that he had kept himself unspotted from the world.”
Wilde, Oscar, 1854-1900. The Picture of Dorian Gray. London ; New York, N.Y. :Penguin, 2003. Print. Function:
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The main character, Dorian Gray, once pure, beautiful, and charismatic turns to a life full of sin and self-indulgence after being influenced by Lord Henry. From the moment that the two had met Lord Henry changed Dorian immensely, and not for the better. Over time we see the portrait, that Dorian’s good friend Basil paints of him, turn old, putrid, and disfigured every time Dorian sins. This happens because Dorian sold his soul in order to switch places with the painting so he never ages, but the painting does. In Addition to this, Dorian only commits this atrocious act after his first encounter with the highly Immoral Lord Henry. Wilde shows us, in terms we will be able to understand, how Dorian changes over time, through other works like music, Roman and Greek mythology, and Biblical

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