For centuries they have formed part of the ethical education of readers, old and young, the world over. ![]() Aesop’s Fables If we think of foxes as sly, asses as foolish, and tortoises as slow and steady, it’s in large part because of Aesop’s fables. In the end, I was struck by the space it offers the writer and reader, and the fun that can be had with it.īelow are 10 of my favourite allegories, from classics that defined the form (and our view of the world), to surreal and unsettling parables and contemporary masterpieces.ġ. When I started writing Beasts of England – my sequel to Animal Farm – I was worried I might find the conventions imposed by the allegorical setting restrictive. This slim work of genius doesn’t so much impart a moral, as embody the attempt to live, and write, in line with a set of principles – no matter the opposition. And an allegory can be understood as a moral act in itself. They can be used to crystallise the reader’s understanding of a situation, but also to blow smoke in her eyes. ![]() They can be used to give a lesson, to draw equivalences, and to highlight hypocrisies. Allegories, I’ve learned, can be used to persuade or to parody.
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