![]() ![]() Without having to do much work at all-we’re only three words into the novel itself, we already learn a lot about Ishmael: that he is at odds with the world and with those around him to keep from “methodically knocking people’s hats off,” he seeks the solitude that only an ocean voyage can provide. This allusion to the Biblical Ishmael achieves two goals, then. For our purposes, Ishmael is known for being an outcast from a great family according to an angel who protects Ishmael’s mother Hagar, he is to be “a wild man” whose “hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.” Ishmael is a Biblical name from the book of Genesis-he’s the oldest son of Abraham and brother of the more well-known Isaac. When the narrator of Moby Dick introduces himself to the reader, he refers to himself as Ishmael perhaps as a way to make himself more anonymous, and indeed, the reader would not necessarily need to pause and ask the question, “What is the significance of the narrator naming himself ‘Ishmael’?” However, a careful reader would indeed be rewarded by her curiosity. So, how does this work? What do allusions achieve and why do authors use them? Let’s refer back to our examples. However, allusions are an essential tool for literary artists that often serve to situate their own works within the wider culture and the contexts of literary history. An allusion is not a deep meditation, but a passing signal that can sometimes escape notice if you’re not reading carefully. Allusion is distinguished from other forms of reference-the many ways that works of literature can call out to other works of art-by its brevity and often by its indirection, though just how indirect an allusion is can vary by a wide degree. Allusions are generally regarded as brief but purposeful references, within a literary text, to a person, place, event, or to another work of literature. ![]() The use of allusion by these authors exemplifies both what an allusion is and why it is used. Conference for Antiracist Teaching, Language and Assessment.Fall 2023 Undergraduate Course Descriptions.Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS).Scientific, Technical, and Professional Communication Certificate. ![]()
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