Allegory: More than a Children’s Story - Rhetoric Series | Academy 4 Social Change

Allegory: Lesson Plan

Topic

An allegory is a story in which characters, events, and actions are used t o convey ulterior concepts and meanings, which are often political, social, or moral in nature.

Possible subjects/classes Time needed

● English ● Social Studies 30-45 minutes ● Public Speaking

Video link: https://academy4sc.org/topic/allegory-more-than-a-childrens-story/

Objective: What will students know/be able to do at the end of class?

Students will be able to... ● Define allegory. ● Identify allegories and their hidden meanings. ● List the variety of uses allegories serve.

Key Concepts & Vocabulary

Rhetoric, personification, metaphor, symbolism*

Materials Needed

Worksheet (for optional activity), art supplies (for optional art activity), sho rt allegories like Dr. Seuss' The Sneetches or Edgar Allen Poe's "The Masque of Red Death" if the class has not read any allegories prior.

Before you watch

The teacher should summarize the literal events of an allegorical story famili ar to the entire class. Ask students if the given explanation aptly states everythin g

Allegory: More than a Children’s Story - Rhetoric Series | Academy 4 Social Change important to know about the book. Does this explanation leave anything vital out?

If there is no such familiar reading, find a short allegory that can be r ead in a few minutes, like Dr. Seuss' The Sneetches . Ask the students to summarize the events of the story. Ask if their summary of literal events leaves out an importa nt meaning of the text.

While you watch

1. What literary devices do allegories often make use of? 2. What was the definition of allegory narrowed down to when it entered academic circles? 3. Why do allegories work so effectively for a wide variety of audiences?

After you watch/discussion questions

1. Allegories convey a hidden meaning beneath the literal events of its texts - why is this important? 2. Could the same meaning be conveyed less covertly? How does this change the piece? Does it make the message more or less effective? 3. When might it be beneficial to have a hidden meaning in a work?

Activity Ideas

● Allegory stories: Have students create their own short allegorical story. Once they finish writing their allegory, have students pair up and swap stories. Each partner should write up a paragraph or two explaining what the story is an allegory for, providing textual evidence to back up their claim. ● Students individually complete the short answer section of the Worksheet. Then have students discuss answers as a group. Each group works together to complete the short essay question. ● Art & Allegory: Have students break up into groups and discuss a current or past allegorical story they have read during class. Create a list of all allegories and their potential meanings. Then, as a group, redraw an iconic image from the story, laying its allegorical meaning bare and plain to see. If the class has not read any allegories, students could read a short story like Edgar Allen Poe's "The Masque of Red Death" and then complete the assignment.

Allegory: More than a Children’s Story - Rhetoric Series | Academy 4 Social Change

Sources/places to learn more

1. Cowan, Bainard. “Walter Benjamin’s Theory of Allegory.” New German Critique, No 22, Winter, 1981, pp 109-122. DOI: 10.2307/487866. 2. Kelley, Theresa M. Reinventing Allegory. Cambridge University Press, 1997. ISBN: 0521432073. 3. Quilligan, Maureen. The Language of Allegory: Defining the Genre. Cornell University Press, 1992. 4. Tambling, Jeremy. Allegory. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2010. ISBN: 0-203-46212-2.

Notes An allegory is different from a parable. While an allegory can have a moral lesson, it does not need to. A parable must always have a moral or religious lesson that it teaches. Furthermore, a parable does not need to use metaphors, personification, or any kind of symbolism, while an allegory must use some literary device to represent its ulterior concept or idea.