Literary Allusions Flashcards
Augean Stables
From Greek mythology; Hercules had to clean the Augean Stables which was very difficult because it hadn’t been cleaned in 30 years, any near impossible cleanup, real or imaginary, can be referred to as cleaning the Augean stables
artful dodge
From Oliver Twist, Dickens; nickname of Jack Dawkins who was the head pickpocket of the Fagin’s gang, any skilled thief may be called this.
belling the cat
From an old fable and Piers Plowman; mouse trying to put a bell on a cat but finding it difficult because of the dangerousness of this, anyone that bells the cat is someone that is courageous and stands up for their friends
Big Brother is watching you
From George Orwell’s 1984;
Bligh
From mutiny on the bounty, by nord hoff and haul, any person who is cruel, unreasonable, and tyrannical is a captain Bligh
Brahmin
From Oliver Wendell Holmes, formed a close literary group and were prolific in their writings and criticisms, the members of this group were often referred to as the Boston Brahmins from the Hindu Brahmin, meaning of highest class. Now the term refers to an socially prominent and intellectual refined individual.
Byronic
After Lord Byron, was English Romantic Poet, now the term refers to anyone who is like Byron himself or who’s writing includes handsome, sad, bruiting, and appealing characters like Lord Byron’s
Catch-22
From Heller’s Catch-22, Yossarian, Heller’s protagonist, tried to get out of dangerous air corps by claiming insanity, however, the doctors told him anyone who wanted to avoid combat was sane, and if he was really crazy, we wouldn’t be sane enough to apply for a discharge. This is the circular catch 22, now any situation where you lose no matter which decision you make is called a catch 22.
Damon and Pythias
Damn takes Pythias’ place for execution but Pythias returns and they both live. Any close friends are sometimes called Damon and Pythias.
Dantesque
Dante wrote with epic scope, vivid detail, and allegory. Now any writing resembling this is considered Dantesque.
Dickensian
He wrote about poverty, injustices, and misery in Victorian England. Writing that covers similar topics can be referred to as Dickensian.
dog in the manger
From an old fable, about an ox being cheated by a dog. Anyone who tries to spoil something for someone else, even though it is of no use for himself, can be called a dog in the manger.
Don Juan
From Byron’s epic, this describes someone who is a playboy or philanderer.
Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde’s character, Dorian Gray, wanted to be young and handsome forever. Anyone who has similar feelings about aging could be called Dorian Gray.
Everyman
From a play, Everyman, where Everyman represented every man or all men.
Faulknerian
William Faulkner had characters driven by hidden forces beyond their control, and the plots included tragic violence set in the South. Works using similar characters or setting are called Faulknerian.
Faustian
Faust sold his soul to the Devil to gain power, youth, and wealth. Today, a Faustian bargain is one in which a person sacrifices everything to obtain immediate gratification, but pays the price later on.
For whom the bell tolls
John Donne said “no man is an island” and that all people shared a common fate. He used the phrase, ‘Never send to know for whom the bell tells, it tells for thee.” The expression continues to have a similar meaning in later works.
Gatsby
Jay Gatsby from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, describes a man who gives in to his own fantasies and obsessions and represents lavish living.
gilded age
From Twain’s novel, The Gilded Age, deals with greed in post-Civil War America. The phrase has come to denote the post-Civil War era.
heart of darkness
From Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness, The phrase derives from Marlow’s search through the forest for another man. The term now refers to the dark side of the human soul.
holy grail
from arthurian legends, the holy grail symbolizes any difficult or possibly unattainable goals.
homeric
anything that is “larger than life” can be described as Homeric, referring to the epic poems, the odyssey and the iliad
horatio alger
Alger’s stories deal with poor boys who became rich. Now anyone who makes good after being born into a life of poverty is referred to as Horatio Alger.
Kafkaesque
Franz Kalfka’s writings often surreal and bizarre, presented characters thwarted by red tape and authoritarian bureaucracy. Now any literature or situation similar to this is called Kafkaesque.
spithead and nore
an infamous mutiny concerning British sailors took place at these locations. Any reference to Spithead and Nore alludes to mutiny.
Lord Nelson
England’s most renowned naval hero. References to Nelson typically allude to heroism, particularly military heroism.
Montaigne
a philosopher and essayist who believed man can find truth in the universe though he is a victim of customs, prejudices, and self-interest. Any allusion to Montaigne evokes his basic philosophy.
last hurrah
by Edwin O’Connor, was based on the life of James Curley, a former Boston mayer. That last hurrah refers to the last speech or function of a prominent person, particularly a politician, before retiring or leaving office. It has become to stand for the final action of a person before the end of a career.
leviathan
From Hobbe’s Leviathan and the Book of Job, was a giant sea monster, today anything that is huge or monstrous is said to be a Leviathan.
Lilliputian
In Jonathan Swift’s story the Lilliputians were tiny people who were able to work together to subdue the giants. Now anything very tiny that can control somethign larger than itself is called Lilliputian.
Machiavellian
Niccolo Machiavelli thought people were basically evil and that is was sometimes necessary to use evil means in order to rule. The term in present refers to anyone who is merciless, clever, and unethical to obtain goals, particularly politically.
man for all seasons
after Thomas More, author of Utopia, was jailed and executed by Henry VIII of England and was called a man of all time or a man for all season because he stuck to his beliefs so strongly. Now this term means any respected person who stands up for his ideals under pressure.
Moby Dick
From Herman Melville’s story, the whale, Moby Dick, symbolically represents any monstrous obsession.
munchkin
from Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, they were diminutive, lively people. Now people use this term to describe a physically small person, often affectionately.
noble savage
From Rousseau’s writings, this expression refers to an uncultivated person who is really more worthy and sensible than some of his or her “civilized” counterparts
Oedipus complex
from Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, the idea more fully developed by Sigmund Freud, is a child’s powerful erotic attachment to the parent of the opposite sex, which creates rivalry with the parent of the same sex.
Orwellian
After George Orwell’s novel, 1984, which expressed his disillusionment with communism, totalitarianism, and bureaucracy. Today, the term Orwellian is used to describe anything bleak and oppressive, especially a political situation.
pilgrim’s progress
from Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan’s character, Christian, overcame all obstacles through faith. Today anyone who overcomes worldly problems is said to have a made a pilgrim’s progress.
platonic love
the love plato speaks of is based purely on mental and spiritual closeness. thus any strong but nonsexual affinity for another person is called platonic.
promethean
Prometheus was a Greek god who defied authority and was punished. Prometheus has been alluded to in various ways in literature; defiant attitude, punished he received, and a hero of independence. Today a Promethean person is anyone who does any of those this.
pygmalion
the mythological pygmalion sculpted a statue of the ideal woman and fell in love with it. any story or situation where a mentor takes on pupil, remakes the person, then falls in love with the resulting creation is compared with the pygmalion myth.
queeg
herman wouks character, captain queeg, was an erratic, unstable commander who persecuted his subordinates. The name has come to denote any petty, incompetent person in a leadership position.
quixotic
migel de carvantes character, don quixote, steadfastly sough knightly glory, colliding with everday reality. Today anyone who pursues idealized, impractical goals is called quixotic.
rube goldberg
cartoonist rube goldberg drew fanciful, complex machines that did simple things. thus any procedure that makes a simple task seem complicated is compared to a rube goldberg contraption
runyonesque
damon runyon wrote about the seamier side of new york, and his likable characters were gamblers and scoundrels. we now refer to any underworld person or even a personable or likable rogue as runyonesque.
shangrila
james hilton portrayed a land of eternal youth and peace in his novel. Now shangri-la has come to mean any idyllic place.
shot heard around theworld
ralph waldo emerson poem told of the first shot fired against the british in the revolutionary war. Now a shot heard around the world refers to any dramatic statement or action that begins something important or greatly influences later events.
