Sangō Shiiki is a dialectic allegory written by Kūkai in 797. It compares and critiques Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, making it Japan’s oldest comparative ideological critique. Kūkai wrote this debut work when he was only 24 years old, showcasing his literary talent and his understanding of the three teachings. In Sangō Shiiki, Kūkai discusses the …
Examples of Allegories
Hiram Abiff is a central character in the allegory presented to all candidates during the third degree in Freemasonry. He is presented as the chief architect of King Solomon’s Temple, and his story is shrouded in mystery and intrigue. According to legend, Hiram is murdered inside the temple by three ruffians after they failed to …
“A River Runs Through It” is a semi-autobiographical novella written by Norman Maclean. The story is set in early 20th century Montana and follows the lives of two brothers, Norman and Paul, as they grow up in a family that values fly-fishing and Presbyterianism. The novella explores themes of family, nature, and spirituality through the …
The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa is a literary work that has fascinated readers for decades. This book is a journal that contains the reflections of the author, beginning in 1912 at the age of twenty-four, as he anticipated World War I. Pessoa wrote the book mainly for himself under the pseudonym Bernardo Soares, …
“The Land of Green Plums” by Herta Müller is a novel that portrays the lives of four young individuals living in a totalitarian police state in Communist Romania. The book is an allegory that explores the themes of repression, injustice, and the human spirit’s resilience. The novel’s narrator is an unidentified young woman who belongs …
Nightwood by Djuna Barnes is a novel that has captured the attention of readers for decades. Published in 1936, it is one of the early prominent novels to portray explicit homosexuality between women, and as such can be considered lesbian literature. The novel employs modernist techniques such as its unusual form or narrative and gothic …
Le livre du chemin de long estude by Christine de Pizan is a first-person dream allegory that presents a critique of the moral state of the world, particularly France, lamenting the results of warfare. Composed in 1402-03, the poem was dedicated to Charles VI of France. In the allegory, the author describes a dream in …
Macranthropy is an allegorical concept that has historical roots in several ancient civilizations. The idea portrays the universe as a giant human body, with various cosmic elements represented as body parts. In Ancient India, the concept of macranthropy is embodied in the mahant-ātman or “vast self” of the Early and Middle periods. This concept has …
A Passage to India by E.M. Forster is a novel that explores the complex relationships between the British colonizers and the Indian people during the early 20th century. The novel is set in the fictional city of Chandrapore in British India, and it centers around the experiences of Dr. Aziz, a young Indian Muslim physician, …
Bertolt Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle is a play that has been regarded as one of his most significant works. The play was written in 1944 while Brecht was living in the United States, and it is an example of his epic theatre style. The play tells the story of a peasant girl who rescues …