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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
Allusions
Explanation and Analysis—Madame Butterfly:
When General Zaroff comes upon the site of Rainsford’s escape (and presumed death) just off he edge of the island, the story makes an allusion as Zaroff hums an excerpt from the opera Madame Butterfly:
For some minutes he stood regarding the blue-green expanse of water. He shrugged his shoulders. Then he sat down, took a drink of brandy from a silver flask, lit a cigarette, and hummed a bit from Madame Butterfly.
By making a direct allusion to Giacomo Puccini’s legendary opera—which is itself based on a short story of the same name by John Luther Long and, in turn, on the novel Madame Chrysanthème by Pierre Loti—the story invites the reader to further consider the tension between General Zaroff’s immaculately constructed façade and his brutal, violent intentions.
Madame Butterfly tells the story of an American naval officer who abandons his young Japanese wife in favor of an American one and, through his neglect, drives his original bride to suicide. In abstract, the plot of the opera is a warning against selfishness, and particularly any sort of self-serving behavior that causes harm to others. Although it is in keeping with General Zaroff’s highly educated demeanor that he would pause to hum an opera while on a hunt, the fact that he hums this opera—which suggests that selfishness can lead to death and destruction—ultimately undermines his posturing as a civilized and educated man.
Zaroff's choice to hum Madame Butterfly is also a good example of dramatic irony, since the allusion to the opera hints at a certain lack of self-awareness on Zaroff's part. After all, Zaroff’s mission on his island could be described as embracing utter self-indulgence to the point of killing people for his own gain. Even in his elite cultural allusions, then, Zaroff displays an inability to understand the reality of his own lifestyle—or a dogged willingness to ignore its consequences.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Marcus Aurelius:
Once Rainsford has flung himself into the sea and Zaroff is back in his mansion, he keeps his mind off the unsuccessful hunt by reading. In this passage, the story makes an allusion to Marcus Aurelius:
Two slight annoyances kept him from perfect enjoyment. One was the thought that it would be difficult to replace Ivan; the other was that his quarry had escaped him; of course, the American hadn’t played the game—so thought the general as he tasted his after-dinner liqueur. In his library he read, to soothe himself, from the works of Marcus Aurelius.
Aurelius, a Roman Emperor turned philosopher from the 2nd century BCE, produced a collection of writings—later known as his Meditations—that reflected on the school of Stoic philosophy. At first glance, Zaroff’s enjoyment of Aurelius’ writing further underscores the general’s elegance and emphasizes his appreciation of civilized society's refined comforts. Yet Aurelius’ writings—and Meditations in particular—strongly advocates for an ethical life and warns against indulging in material extravagance. That Zaroff should find solace in Aurelius signals his fundamental inability to confront his own moral transgressions and his vapid appreciation for the trappings of civilized life.
