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Literary Devices
Definition of Allegory
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The Tortoise and The Hare" is... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and... read full definition
Allegory
Explanation and Analysis—Allied vs. Axis Powers:
The 1936 Olympics serve as an allegory in the book for the mounting, pre-World War II tensions occurring throughout the 1930s. While The Boys in the Boat is primarily focused on Joe Rantz and his journey from childhood to Olympic gold, the secondary focus of the book is Germany's use of the 1936 Olympics in order to project a curated image of Hitler's Germany onto the international stage. The structure of The Boys in the Boat, which interweaves Germany's Olympic preparations with Rantz's story, makes this focus clear.
Even in real life, the Olympics became something of a symbolic battle between the United States and England against Germany and Italy (the Axis Powers). In fact, Germany engaged in practices during the Olympics that favored themselves and their ally, Italy, further uniting the two against the Americans and the British. For instance, the lane assignments for the final men's eight rowing event fly in the face of standard rowing procedure: "It was the almost perfect inverse of the order [Ulbrickson] had expected based on the qualifying times. It handicapped the most talented and fastest boats, and gave every advantage to the slower boats. It gave the protected lanes to the host country and her closest ally, the worst lanes to her prospective enemies." While the lane assignment was one more obstacle for the Americans to ultimately overcome, it also positioned the Americans to race for justice against the cheating Germans and Italians.
In light of the heightened geopolitical tensions detailed throughout the entire story, as well as the fact that the Germans were willing to subvert standard rowing convention for their own potential gain, the final race has more significance than normal. Instead, it becomes an allegorical fight between countries that would soon face off in armed conflict as the Allied Powers against the Axis Powers.
Related Themes:
