Allegory

Sometimes, a story contains more than meets the eye. Writers can use the literary technique of allegory to craft layered narratives that encourage readers to see the world from a new perspective.

Introduction

Allegories are clever. A skilled creator can tell a simple fictional tale, which in fact relates to something  important in the real world. 

By the time this tale is finished, the audience learns a moral or political lesson which (hopefully) encourages them to think and act in a new way .

Animal Farm

Let's consider an example of a clever use of allegory to make a point. 

George Orwell's Animal Farm is a novella first published in 1945. It tells the story of a group of farm animals who, led by a number of charismatic pigs, stage a revolution to overthrow their brutal farmer overlords. However, over time, the pigs become brutal rulers in their own right, to the point where they become indistinguishable from the humans they overthrew.

Orwell wrote this story with a specific purpose: to critique the Stalinist government of the USSR. Orwell was disgusted by Stalin's betrayal of revolutionary ideals, which led to his formation of a totalitarian regime that was no better than the one that came before it. 

Hoping to show his readers how a revolution can become corrupted if a power-hungry leader is allowed to take charge, Orwell wrote Animal Farm as an effective political allegory.

Understanding Allegory

Allegories like Animal Farm are effective because they explore complex themes in simple ways. 

By relocating the politics of revolutionary corruption from the international stage to a simple farmyard, Orwell's allegory allows him to engage his readers in a much more meaningful way than if he had written a dry piece of nonfiction.

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Symbolism