Previous
Literary Devices
Definition of Allusion
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to... read full definition
Section 1
Explanation and Analysis—Angel of Death:
In the following excerpt from Section 1, Silko illustrates Tayo's post-VA hospital experience through the use of vivid figurative language. Both allusion and simile combine in this harrowing scene:
He lay on the concrete listening to the voices that surrounded him, voices that were either soft or distant. They spoke to him in English, and when he did not answer, there was a discussion and he heard the Japanese words vividly. He wasn’t sure where he was any more, maybe back in the jungles again; he felt a sick sweat shiver over him like the shadow of the angel Auntie talked about.
On account of his traumatic experiences during WWII, Tayo responds with fear and anxiety to the presence of Japanese people at the train station (despite the fact that these are completely normal civilians). Silko likens the "sick sweat shiver" Tayo feels to the shadow of "that angel Auntie talked about"—likely the angel of death, an allusion to the final plague against the Egyptians in the biblical book of Exodus. This allusion tracks, given that Auntie is a Christian.
It is telling that, in the midst of his traumatic flashback, Tayo's mind wanders to Christian imagery rather than that of the Laguna Pueblo mythology and pantheon. Silko uses an allusion prevalent in Western culture, rather than Laguna Pueblo culture, to illustrate just how deeply colonial influence has penetrated Tayo's mind and community.
Related Themes:
