Joseph Conrad’s novel “The Secret Agent” is a complex work of fiction that has been widely studied and analyzed since its publication in 1907. The novel is set in London at the end of the 19th century and explores themes of terrorism, espionage, and political corruption. Conrad’s use of allegory in the novel has been …
Types of Allegories
Sandra Cisneros’ “The House on Mango Street” is a coming-of-age novel that has become a classic in American literature. The novel consists of a series of vignettes that tell the story of Esperanza Cordero, a young girl growing up in a Latino neighborhood in Chicago. Through Esperanza’s eyes, readers are exposed to the harsh realities …
“The Little Black Fish” by Samad Behrangi is a well-known Persian children’s book that has been widely recognized as a political allegory. The story follows the journey of a little black fish who dares to swim against the current and explore the world beyond her small pond. Through her encounters with various creatures, the little …
“The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” is a novel written by Michael Chabon that won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2001. The novel follows two Jewish cousins, Czech artist Joe Kavalier and Brooklyn-born writer Sammy Clay, before, during, and after World War II. In the novel, Kavalier and Clay become major figures in …
“The Leopard” by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa is a novel that was published in 1958. It is considered to be one of the most successful literary works of 20th-century European literature. The book is set in Sicily during the 1860s and follows the life of Don Fabrizio Corbera, Prince of Salina, as he witnesses the …
Milan Kundera’s “The Book of Laughter and Forgetting” is a novel that explores the theme of forgetting as it occurs in history, politics, and life in general. The novel is composed of seven separate narratives that are united by some common themes. The stories contain elements found in the genre of magic realism, and they …
“The Heart of the Matter” is a novel written by Graham Greene and published in 1948. The book is set in West Africa during World War II and follows the story of Henry Scobie, a police officer who faces a moral crisis that tests his faith and his sense of duty. Through Scobie’s experiences, the …
Waiting for the Barbarians, written by J.M. Coetzee, is a novel that explores themes of power, oppression, and the consequences of colonialism. The story takes place in a frontier settlement owned by an unnamed empire, where the protagonist, a nameless civil servant, serves as a magistrate. The empire is in opposition to the “barbarians,” a …
“The Green Knight” by Iris Murdoch is a novel that explores the complexities of human relationships and the blurred lines between good and evil. The story is centered around the lives of Louise Anderson and her daughters Aleph, Sefton, and Moy, whose lives become intertwined with a mystical character known as the Green Knight. The …
“The Passion of New Eve” is a novel by Angela Carter that was first published in 1977. The book is set in a dystopian United States where civil war has broken out between different political, racial, and gendered groups. The novel is a dark satire that parodies primitive notions of gender, sexual difference, and identity …