ALLEGORY – LOTFMr. MacDonald – Lecture 1

Allegory

• An allegory is something used in literature, and art to signify a meaning that is not literal.

• Likewise, as an artistic device, an allegory is a visual symbolic representation. An example of a simple visual allegory is Ralph

• Ralph represents the struggle for order and democracy in a society. This is evident by his attempting to set up some semblance by using the conch shell.

Question….• How does Superman function as an allegory?

Superheroes ??• Superman, Spiderman, and Batman, for example,

are all allegorical representations of the everyman. The evils they fight are the temptations to greed, to violence and to behavior that will disrupt the society. Superheroes stand as both the 'everyman' and the guardian against evil.

• The following films are ones that have an entertainment value, but they are also revealing important secrets about the true reality of the world in which we live.

Avatar

Avatar(2009) Directed by James Cameron

• The attack on the Na'vi people in avatar makes a perfect allegory to the real history of the oppression on Native Americans or colonial Africans or the Indochinese or the entirety of the World at the hands of the English , Spanish, and Portugese, in the name of the resources.

Batman & Allegory• It would be a mistake to say The Dark Knight is just a

comic book movie. No, this is a cold look at post-9/11 America and how we view right and wrong in a world gone mad. And with a plot that analyzes everything from torture to wiretapping, the allegory is thick.

Fight ClubFight Club (1999) Directed by David Fincher : Plot : An office employee and a soap salesman build a global organization to help vent male aggression. Beyond the explicit violence and dark comedy, the movie is about everything from consumerism to the contemporary perception of society's belief and values

Memorable Quote:

“Materialism is dangerous. It doesn't take long before the stuff that you own starts owning you.”

LOTF & Allegory• Looking back at our lesson on themes in LOTF, how does

Piggy function as an allegory? (What is Golding trying to convey to you the audience)

• The loss of innocence succumbing to the darkness of the boys savagery (Knowledge and Wisdom is lost)

• “Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy” (225).

Breakout Group Work• With a partner complete the LOTF Allegory worksheet