1) Definition (core CUET-ready)
Allegory is a narrative mode in which characters, events, settings, and actions systematically represent abstract ideas, moral qualities, political arguments, or philosophical concepts beyond the literal level.
A quick exam-safe formulation:
- Symbol can be local and intermittent,
- Allegory is structural: it organises the whole text as a sustained double meaning.
2) Types of allegory (what “kind” questions look like)
A) Moral/Religious allegory
- Focus: virtues, vices, salvation, sin, ethical instruction.
- Medieval traditions: personification figures (e.g., “Truth,” “Greed”).
B) Political allegory
- Focus: state power, ideology, revolution, propaganda, critique.
- Often used to speak indirectly under censorship or danger.
C) Philosophical allegory
- Focus: epistemology, justice, knowledge, reality (e.g., Plato’s Cave is a classic philosophical allegory).
D) Psychological allegory
- Focus: mind, desire, inner conflict mapped as characters/places.
CUET tip: when a question asks “allegory of what?” identify the abstract system the narrative maps.
3) Allegory vs related concepts (common MCQ traps)
Allegory vs Symbol
- Symbol: a sign that suggests additional meanings (often open-ended).
- Allegory: an organised system where meanings are more determinate.