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.
silent spring
rachel carson wrote about the destruction of our environment by the use of herbicides and pesticides, referring to a silent spring without birds and other creatures. now the words refer to any ecological calamity.
socratic method
platos teacher, socrates, used a question-and-answer method of teaching instead of lecturing. this method is now referred to as the socratic method.
svengali
Trilby, George DuMaurier’s beautiful character, fell under the hypnotic spell of Svengali, a musician who was turning her into a singer. Today anyone who has power over someone else through strength of personality is called Svengali.
tabula rasa
from latin, “blank slate,” popularized by british philosopher john locke. he meant by this that the student’s mind was fresh and unsullied, ready to be inscribed with knowledge.
Trojan horse
in virgil’s epic, the greeks conquered troy by filling a large, wooden horse with their soldiers and tricking the trojans into letting it into the city gates. today any seemingly innocent maneuver that is designed to harm an adversary is called a Trojan horse.
tweedledum and tweedledee
from Carroll’s through the looking glass, describes quarrelsome identical twins. it is now used to denote any two things that are hard to tell apart
ugly american
from a novel of its name, the protagonist, an american operative abroad, got his nickname because he was physically ugly. the phrase has come to describe the overbearing american policies or behavior in foreign countries
utopia
thomas more depicted an ideal society in this work. a utopia, literally meaning “nowhere” in greek, is any perfect place, state of being, or government
walter mitty
from James Thurber’s “the secret life of walter mitty,” who was a quiet, unassuming man who had daydreams of grandeur and heroic episodes. a person today who fantasizes about unrealistic, brave deeds is mittylike, mittyish, or a walter mitty
willy loman
from miller’s, “death of a salesman” arthur miller’s play had as its protagonist willy loman, a salesman whose life was crumbling about him and who eventually committed suicide. in present use, a willy loman is any person who is working hard trying to earn a living, but is not being very successful and is therefore a pathetic figure.
abraham and isaac
abraham, who was 100 years old, and his wife, sarah, had an only son named isaac. god asked abraham to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering and abraham promised he would. then at the last possible moment, god provided an animal for sacrifice instead. the story showed that if you have faith and are willing to give up anything God asks, he will bless you later
Adam and Eve
first two humans on earth, ate the forbidden apple, began the sins of man, became relegated to work and grow their own food
the twelve apostles
an apostle is a person who is sent by god with a message for the people, they included: matthew, peter, james, john, judas iscariot, marchias, phillip, bartholomew, thomas, james, simon and thaddeus
armageddon
the scene of a battle between the forces of good and evil, ending the world. armageddon is now used to describe any fier confrontation resulting in mutual destruction
cain and abel
sons of Adam and Eve, cain murdered able, the mark of cain (originally put onto him by god as a sign that he was a murderer) now refers to the stigma of anyone who has committed a crime or is an outcast by societal standards
city on a hill
“light to the world,” this refers to a place that would be a shining example and a model to others, and the phrase is still used in that sense.
daniel in the lion’s den
a person confronted with difficulties is compared to daniel in the lions den and is encouraged to hold up in the face of adversity or persecution, as he did
david and goliath
david the young israelite accepted goliath’s challenge and fell goliath with a single stone from his sling. now anyone who confronts great odds is considered a david going against a goliath
ham
the youngest son of noah. because noahs descendents bear the curse of servitude, ham can be used as an allusion in this condition
elijah and jezebel
a wicked phoenician princess who became the wife of ahab, king of israel, queen jezebel was opposed to elijahs monotheistic views and forced him to leave phoenicia. She was thrown out of a window and eaten by dogs as Elijah predicted. A jezebel now is any wicked or shameless woman.
esther and the king of persia
esther and her foster father, mordecai, helped deliver the jews from persecution by the king of persia
feet of clay
Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of a person with lavish metals for armor but then a feet of clay which foretold the fall of Nebuchadnezzar’s empire, the expression “feet of clay” now refers to the flaw of an otherwise strong and admirable person
four horsemen of the apocalypse
St. John ssaw four horses representing the horrors of war: conquest, slaughter, famine, and death. today the “four horsemen” phrase is used to represent any four men of ill repute or those who will bring catastrophe or destruction.
Good Samaritan
from jesus’ parable of a samaritan who did what he thought was right even under pressure from others. now a Good Samaritan is anyone who does the right and courageous thing
jacob and esau
twin boys born to isaac and rebekah in answer to prayer. they fought over the promise of spiritual privileges and birthright. sometimes people refer to any arguing or greedy family members as being like jacob and esau
job
kept his faith after the death of his family, his own illness, and being deprived of his worldly goods. the story showed that god did not punish people because they sin, and that no one was immune from suffering, even the pious and guiltless. today people talk of the “patience of job” alluding to this story
jonah and the wale
tried to escape gods command to go to assyria and preach, but god brought a storm upon his ship, and he was swallowed by a whale after being thrown overboard. he later was vomited out by jonah and then went to assyria and preached repentance as he had been commanded earlier. the story showed god’s love for both jews and gentiles.
joseph
husband of mary, the mother of jesus; a carpenter by trade, joseph was a kind of husband and father
joshua and the battle of jericho
joshua succeeded moses and led israel in conquering canaan. the fall of the city of jericho was a major battle ending in victory for the israelites
judas iscariot
one of the twelve apostles, judas betrayed jesus to the authorities for money. today judas is now as a traitor
lazarus
lazarus was brought back to life by jesus. now someone who survives a disaster or rises again from apparent defeat is often called a lazarus
lot and his wife
lot was abraham’s nephew and lived in sodom until god destroyed the city because of its wickedness. lot escaped, but his wifed was turned into a pillar of salt because she looked back at the burning city.
mary
wife of joseph, mother of jesus, who was conceived without intercourse. she was at the crucifixion and the burial tomb, and saw jesus after his resurrection
moses
led the hebrews out of egypt and guided them through the desert to the edge of canaan, referred to as the exodus, god gave moses the Ten Commandments and moses established israel’s laws
noah and the flood
noah was a good man who lived in an age of sin, god wanted to save him and his family from a great flood that wiped out nearly everything and so commanded noah to build an ark and to take two of every creature with him into the ark. Noah did so but was accused of drunkenness so his sons became the legendary ancestors of the tribes of the ancient Middle East
peter
simon, son of jonah, was a disciple of jesus, called “the rock,” saint of the Catholic Church, denied knowing jesus three times
prodigal son
any man who is wayward and then forgiven by his family after he changes his ways and returns home is now called a prodigal son
samson and delilah
any hard-hearted, disloyal woman is called a Dlilah and a well-build, physically strong man is called a Samson
sodom and gomorrah
two cities god destroyed because their people were so sinful, any place deemed unwholesome is referred to as a sodom and gomorrah
king solomon
the third king of israel, son of king david, people refer to a the wisdom of solomon when referring to someone who is fair and astute
thomas (doubting thomas)
one of the twelve apostles, wouldn’t believe jesus was resurrected until he saw the wounds on jesus after he reappeared. now anyone who doubts things which others believe is called a doubting thomas
three wise men
the first gentiles to acknowledge jesus’ divinity, they were magi who came from the east, guided by a star, to pay homage to the baby jesus and give him gifts of frankincense, gold, and myrrh.
aristotle
Great greek philosopher who may rely upon the heart as well as common sense for direction, less mathematically inclined that Plato.
queen bess
elizabeth of england, 1533–1603, representative of the grandest of all time periods in the modern era in western civilization, the arts and literature flourished during the elizabethan era.
hannibal
247-183 BC, general of carthage, represents a daring plot to wage war against a most formidable enemy. despite the failure to conquer rome, hannibal is remembered for the success in using elephants against rome.
belial
satan, satanic, devil–evil connoted
perquod
North American Indian tribe, name usually implies a foreshadowing of doom-extermination, destruction, some kind of complete disaster is suggested
jove
king of all gods, equivalent to zeus, brother of poseidon, jove represents the all-powerful, the controller of the universe
narcissus
the name narcissus denotes excessive self-love and interest in one’s appearance or importance leads to disaster. vanity corrupts
ahab
swayed by things negative and sinful, ahab suggest a dark, evil inclination
pan
from pan come the word “panic” he like to surprise people in the forest and cause them to “panic”
achillies
greek warrior hero of the trojan war, despite all attempts to make him invincible, he feel victim to one solitary vulnerability
sisyphus
everlasting repetition of a task becomes never ending as punishment for wrong-doing and deceptions.
john locked
english philosopher–origin of all knowledge comes from the senses
immanuel kant
german philosopher–knowledge is not derived from the senses–man should avoid the extremes
gabriel
angel of mercy
fates
the fates control life–the notion does not allow reference to free will
euroclydon
a disastrous wind that stirs the waters
andromeda
a princess or person rescued from a “monster”
Benedict Arnold
american representative of all that a traitor stands for
cerberus
the most monstrous of fears and conflicts may be overcome through ingenuity and cunning
morgan le fay
king arthurs sister, a deceitful temptress
perceval
child-like knight, encounters the fisher king, kind, naive, and uncouth hero
King Arthur
king of camelot, husband of guinevere, a christ-like character who embodies justice
lancelot
the finest and most handsome of the knights whose one mistake was falling in love with guinevere, a near perfect hero who has a fatal flaw
merin
greatest of magicians, trained and advised arthur, a powerful magician
galahad
son of lancelot, achieves the grail, purity and perfection
guinevere
famous affair with lancelot, wife of arthur, a passionate and independent woman
gawain
a model of bravery and courtesy, tempted by women, a likeable hero made human by his flaws
the holy grail
the chalice used by christ and his disciples at the last supper, achieving the grail is the ultimate goal of every knight’s quest, a penultimate achievement
camelot
a place of justice, friendship, and chivalry
excalibur
sword giving to arthur by the lady of the lake, the most powerful of weapons, symbolic of strength and justice
round table
seated the fellowship of knights who served King Arthur, had an open seat, the perilous seat left open to represent judas betrayal of christ, friendship, loyalty, and chivalry
