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
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—The Mark of Cain:
In the very first sentence of Chapter 1—appropriately titled "Genesis of the Tenement"—Riis alludes to the Bible as a means of describing the tenements:
The first tenement New York knew bore the mark of Cain from its birth, though a generation passed before the writing was deciphered.
In the biblical story to which Riis refers, Adam and Eve have two sons, Cain and Abel. In a fit of rage, Cain murders his brother, bringing a curse from God down upon himself and his familial line. Riis states in the above passage that the first tenement "bore the mark of Cain from its birth," implying that the very first tenements were cursed, predestined to produce immorality and evil.
The mark of Cain is not simply a mark of evil: it represents generational heritage, a curse passed from parent to child. As the creation of the first tenement made manifest the conditions whereby later tenements could evolve, so did Cain's decision to kill his brother wreak havoc on his family for generations. This first sentence of Riis's first chapter primes the reader to anticipate themes of generational inheritance. While Riis uses such language with helpful intentions, this manner of framing is undeniably dangerous, implying that immorality or poverty can be passed down from parent to child.
Related Themes:
Chapter 14
Explanation and Analysis—Innocent Girls:
In Chapter 14, Riis details the plight of those in the slums he considers innocent victims of their environment: namely, women and young girls. In doing so, he utilizes a simile that doubles as a biblical allusion:
And yet it is not an uncommon thing to find sweet and innocent girls, singularly untouched by the evil around them, true wives and faithful mothers, literally "like jewels in a swine's snout," in the worst of the infamous barracks.
Riis uses this simile to compare young, innocent girls to jewels that must suffer the "swine's snout" of the tenement. The simile, which Riis includes as a quote, comes from Proverbs 11:22: "As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion." This simile, taken from a biblical context and employed by Riis to further his argument, implies that the primary evil these women and girls face is the corruption of their innocence: specifically, their sexual discretion. Riis himself notes later in this very same segment that "inherent purity revolts from the naked brutality of vice as seen in slums." This passage utilizes a common—and rather misogynistic—tactic for generating moral outrage: implying the incipient corruption of female virtue and innocence.
Related Themes:
