Metropolis, a 1927 German expressionist film directed by Fritz Lang, is a cinematic masterpiece that has influenced science fiction and dystopian films for decades. The film is set in a futuristic city-state, where the wealthy elite live in luxury above ground while the working-class toil in the depths of the city. Metropolis is a story …
Types of Allegories
“Brave New World” is a novel written by Aldous Huxley that has stood the test of time as a classic dystopian work of literature. The story is set in a future society where technology and conditioning are used to control every aspect of human life. Huxley’s novel explores themes such as individuality, freedom, and the …
“The Man in the High Castle” by Philip K. Dick is a novel that explores alternative history. It depicts a world wherein the Axis Powers won World War II, and Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany rule the partitioned United States. The story is set in 1962, fifteen years after the end of the war in …
Perelandra, the second book in C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy series, is a novel that explores the themes of temptation, sin, and redemption. The story follows the protagonist, Dr. Ransom, as he travels to the planet Perelandra, where he encounters the innocent and sinless inhabitants of the world. However, Dr. Ransom soon discovers that the planet …
The Plague by Albert Camus is a literary masterpiece that has been widely studied and analyzed for its allegorical meaning. The novel is set in the Algerian city of Oran, where a deadly plague outbreak occurs, causing widespread panic and chaos. The story follows the lives of several characters, including Dr. Bernard Rieux, as they …
“The Day of the Locust” by Nathanael West is a novel that explores the dark underbelly of Hollywood through the eyes of its protagonist, Tod Hackett. Published in 1939, the novel follows Hackett, a disillusioned artist, as he encounters eccentric characters and witnesses the decay of dreams in the entertainment industry. The novel is a …
“The Allegory of Love” by C.S. Lewis is a book that explores the allegorical treatment of love in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Published in 1936, it is considered one of Lewis’s most influential works. The book traces the development of the allegorical form of literature, which was a popular way of conveying complex …
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a dystopian novel that has captured the hearts of many readers since its release in 2008. The story takes place in the nation of Panem, which is divided into 12 districts and a Capitol. Every year, the Capitol holds the Hunger Games, a brutal competition where one boy …
Absalom, Absalom! is a novel by William Faulkner that has been widely regarded as one of the greatest works of American literature. The novel tells the story of Thomas Sutpen, a man who comes to Jefferson, Mississippi, in the early 1800s and builds an empire on the backs of slaves and the exploitation of the …
“Bartleby, the Scrivener” is a short story written by Herman Melville in 1853. The story is about a Wall Street lawyer who hires Bartleby, a new clerk, to work in his practice. However, Bartleby soon refuses to do his job and rejects every request with a polite “I would prefer not to.” The story has …