Not just the tip of the iceberg (or How Dr. Seuss Relates to Dante) Allegory Not just the tip of the iceberg (or How Dr. Seuss Relates to Dante)

Definition of Allegory For a story to be an allegory, it must be appreciated on two levels. The surface level (the story itself) The abstract level (the underlying meaning)

The Surface Story Must be complete. Must be readable on its own as a story without underlying meaning. Must have a beginning, middle, and end.

The Abstract Level All characters, events, objects represent something beyond themselves, telling another, often more important story.

Setting Allegory does not become dated by the passage of years. An allegorical story can be applied to different times, people, or situations in the course of history.

Allegory The meaning is hidden beneath the surface may become apparent only after close analysis.

Allegory Allegories such as John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, and George Orwell’s Animal Farm can be read literally and enjoyed by children.

Allegory Gulliver’s Travels and Animal Farm both serve as political allegories, while Pilgrim’s Progress, like the Divine Comedy, is a religious allegory depicting the Christian’s journey through life’s temptations.

The Allegory of the Journey The allegory of the journey was a particularly important in the medieval period, which was steeped in Christian values. The allegorical journey also appears in many modern literary works, for example, Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

The Allegory of the Journey Examples Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz Robert Frost’s “The Road not Taken” Francis Coppola’s Apocalypse Now

Apply Dr. Seuss to Today How can you apply the allegorical characters and events in any of Dr. Seuss’ stories to current events or people?