Identifying Allusion as a Literary Device

• An allusion is a figure of speech which is a reference to someone or something outside of the text but whose symbolic meaning is necessary to understanding or enriching it.
• Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas, and they do so in order to layer associations and meanings from these sources onto their own work.
• This becomes an effective literary device only when the readers are familiar with the person, place or historical event being referred to.
• Allusions are very useful in developing characters, creating settings, and contextualizing a story. Most literary allusions are not directly explained to the reader, but instead rely on the reader’s inferential ability.
• The reader’s inferential ability may be affected by several factors such as cultural or historical familiarity, general knowledge, and subtlety of allusion employed by the writer.
• The name Esteban is Stephen when translated to English.
• Stephen is the first Christian Martyr