Symbolism and allegory both use symbols, but not all stories with symbolism are allegories. Symbols represent abstract ideas or people, and some have become clichés. Allegories are complete stories with every character, action, object, and setting as a symbol. Many are intended for ethical instruction, and some use obvious character names. Religious writings often use allegory, but not all allegories are religious or moral. Examples include Animal Farm, “The Masque of Red Death,” and “The Road Not Taken.”
The connection between symbolism and allegory is that they both use symbols. Every allegory must use symbols, but not all stories with symbolism are allegories. Symbolism can also have many figurative meanings within a work, but an allegory only allows for a literal and a metaphorical understanding.
Any writing that uses symbols is a work of symbolism. Symbols are specific objects, settings, characters, or actions that represent an abstract idea or person. Some meanings are restricted to their context, while others have become platitudes and clichés from overuse. Examples include the heart which symbolizes love or the four leaf clover which symbolizes good luck.
Symbolism and allegory are different because an allegory is made up entirely of symbols, while a work with symbolism can only have one symbol. An allegory is a complete story of any kind that can be understood both literally and figuratively. Novels, short stories, poems, or plays can all be allegories.
The simplest examples of allegories are often fairy tales. Literally, Aesop’s fable “The Tortoise and the Hare” is about two animals that have one race. As a metaphor, this children’s story is about two ways of living and working, and the eventual reward of persistence. In an allegory, every character, action, object and setting is also a symbol of something abstract.
Like Aesop’s fables, most of the allegories are intended for use as ethical instruction. Everyman is a morality work written by an anonymous author in the late 15th century and uses both symbolism and allegory. The title character, a symbol for humans in general, learns that he is about to die, so she attempts to take something with her: friends, family, acquaintances, or even his five senses. In the end, a character called Good Deeds is the only one willing to walk him through death.
Some stories use symbolism and allegory to help the reader understand an abstract idea through obvious character names, such as Good Deeds in Everyman. Similarly, the protagonist of John Bunyan’s 17th-century novel Pilgrim’s Progress is named Christian. Characters such as Stubborn, Faithful, and Desperate serve as symbols for the named trait.
Allegories are common in religious writings. Examples include Everyman, Pilgrim’s Progress, Dante’s Divine Comedy and CS Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series. Perhaps best known are New Testament parables, such as the story of the prodigal son.
Not all allegories are religious or moral. George Orwell’s Animal Farm is a political allegory. Other allegories provide a different perspective on life, such as Edgar Allen Poe’s short story “The Masque of Red Death” and Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.”
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