Using Allusions

An allusion calls to mind a well-known event, person, or object. By recognizing allusions, you can better understand the meaning of a certain work, whether it be a novel, story, poem, song, piece of art, or even a television show or movie. As you can see, allusions are widely used in creative works.

Not only are allusions found in literature, but they are also found in the world around you. You might be surprised to know that allusions are used in the names and branding of many products and services you purchase or use in your daily life. The following categories of allusions mainly cover Greek, Roman, and Christian references: Works of literature (particularly examples from Dante, Shakespeare, or Voltaire), famous artists and their works (like Michelangelo, Da Vinci, or Picasso), and famous structures that exist now or are well-known from history (such as the Sphinx, Eiffel Tower, or the Colossus).

Many allusions reference the myths of Greek and Roman mythology. For instance, a character named Cassandra might have characteristics similar to the Trojan princess who was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo in return for her affections. She spurned his advances so he cursed her to only see prophecy about death, destruction, and doom. A story might reference an act as being similar to opening Pandora’s box, which refers to a Greek myth about a daughter of Zeus who could not resist opening a sealed box she had been given. She opened the box and released envy, crime, hate, and disease into the world of man, with hope left in the box. An author might describe a task as a Herculean labor, which is a very difficult, laborious task that is almost impossible to undertake and complete, much like the twelve labors that Hercules had to overcome.

Allusions to classical mythology are not reserved for works of literature or art. Even more common in your daily life are classical mythological allusions in many of the months of the year. The following months are named after Roman gods:

The Bible is a hearty source of allusions for literature and other works of art. For instance, you might think of the serpent as an evil, sneaky creature because of the allusion to the biblical serpent that was responsible for Adam and Eve's fall from paradise. The serpent alludes to a tempter who brings about destruction.

Use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the interactivity or click on each term to learn about commonly used allusions to classical mythology and the Bible. Click the player button to begin.

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Allusions in Rowlandson's Captivity Narrative

As popular as allusions are today, they were also equally popular in early American literature. Allusions can be seen in almost any piece of historical American writing. The early colonists especially liked to make allusions to the Bible as many of them were Puritans. Puritans were a strictly religious sect of people who attributed everything to God’s will, or providence. One such Puritan was Mary Rowlandson, who used numerous Christian allusions in her narrative "The Narrative of the Captivity and the Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson" to express the reliance she had on her faith while held captive by Native Americans. “The Narrative of the Captivity…” is one of the first captivity narratives we have in American Literature. With this writing, Mary Rowlandson was even one of the first Puritan women to speak out publically about her experiences.

Learn more about Mary Rowlandson, the faith she kept in captivity, and how that faith influenced her use of allusions in this interactivity. Click the player button to begin.

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In Rowlandson’s narrative, the Native Americans are “ravenous beasts” from which the Christians are saved by a provident God through His grace. Rowlandson is a dynamic narrator whose attitude about the Native Americans varies from loathing to understanding and even to appreciation. She appreciates the kindness she sometimes receives at the hands of her captors, and she does not attempt to escape when two Native Americans volunteer to run away with her back to her home. She says:

“I was not willing to run away, but desired to wait God's time, that I might go home quietly, and without fear.”

Rowlandson makes numerous Biblical references in her narrative, which has been described as a spiritual journey that tests her faith through intense struggle. Rowlandson’s description of her daughter’s death is generally regarded as one of the most moving accounts in early American literature. Readers can also see her own starvation and determination revealed when she takes food from the mouth of a starving English child, an act that Rowlandson herself describes as an “abomination.”

 

Meaning in Allusions Review

After studying the use of allusions in literature, find the meaning and source behind the allusions in this non-graded activity. Match the following classical references to their sources by choosing from the drop-down menus. Click the player button to get started.

 

Grammar – Indirect Objects and Subject Complements

Direct vs. Indirect Objects

Now that you have studied Rowlandson’s narrative, you may notice that studying works from earlier time periods may prove difficult as the sentences are often written in a style different than those used in contemporary times. Identifying parts of a sentence not only allows you to break down a difficult sentence into simpler parts, it can also help you to improve your own writing. You have already been introduced to sentences that contain just subjects, verbs, and direct objects. Now it is time to add indirect objects and subject complement sentence patterns. Sometimes an action verb may also take an indirect object with a direct object.

In this sentence pattern, a direct object answers the question what from the subject and the verb: Grandma baked what? She baked cookies. Direct object = cookies.

The indirect object answers the question to or for whom. In the original sentence (Grandma baked us cookies.), the preposition "for" is understood but not stated. In sentences like this, the indirect object always falls between the verb and the direct object. In sentences where the preposition "to" or "for" is stated, the indirect object appears somewhere after the direct object in the sentence. See the example below.

Grandma baked cookies for us.

Direct object = cookies
Indirect object = us

The indirect object is a person (noun or pronoun) that indirectly receives the action of the verb.

Look at the following sentences and notice how the bolded indirect object answers the question to or for whom the subject completes the action or verb in the sentence. Also, you may notice where the indirect object falls between the verb and direct object.

Linking Verbs and Subject Complements

What happens if the verb is a linking verb? You have looked at sentence patterns with an action verb, but many English sentences are formed with a linking verb. In a linking verb sentence, there is no action to be received, so a linking verb CANNOT take a direct or an indirect object. Linking verbs, however, link the subject to words that rename or describe the subject called subject complements.

The what question can also be used to find the subject complement. He was what? Tired. Just remember that a subject complement can ONLY come after a linking verb, which in the sentence above is was. The linking verb, therefore, links the subject to its complement. You know it is the subject complement because it “complements” the subject by describing it or renaming it.

In the sentences below, notice how each bolded subject complement answers a what question, and describes or renames the subject. The subject complement also comes after the verb or linking verb.

Parts of a Sentence

Explore how the linking verb, subject complement, indirect object, and direct object function in a sentence. Click on the arrow at the upper-right corner of the interactivity below or click on the arrows pointing to the parts of the sentence. Click the player button to begin.

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Grammar Review – Indirect Objects and Subject Complements

In this non-graded activity, identify whether the underlined word in the sentence is a direct object, indirect object, or a subject complement. Click the player button to get started.