Historical+Allusions+(From+any+text)

The Historical Allusions Wiki page lists all the allusions included in the texts we have read this year. These allusions are be based off of political, social, economic, and historical figures, and more.

**Allusions in __The House of The Spirits__**
There is an allusion to Mahatma Gandhi on page 271 of __The House of The Spirits.__ At the time Nicolás was finding out who he really was in the book, he was traveling a lot and experimenting with many different lifestyles. "He [Nicolás] spent two months harassing Clara, following her around the house and whispering in her ear while she was asleep, until he finally convinced her to sell a diamond ring to pay his way to the land of Mahatma Gandhi" (271). The reference to Gandhi, brings in a real life person that enabled the reader to connect more with the author. Since many people know who Gandhi is and what he accomplished in his lifetime, the historical allusion to him in the book really makes a strong connection.



There is an allusion to Salvador Allende on page 339 when he is referred to as "the Candidate" and later, he is alluded to again under a different name. After he wins the election in Chile, he is referred to as "the President". This name change occurs on page 342. In 1970, Allende became the first Marxist candidate to ever win a presidency in a free election. He was popular among the lower class because he believed in redistributing Chile's wealth and because he fought for workers' rights. Despite setbacks from the political right, who were scheming to undermine his presidency, he managed to start orienting the country towards socialism until his death in 1973 during a coup d'etat.



An allusion is made to Augusto Pinochet on page 376 when he is referred to as "the dictator". On September 11, 1973, Pinochet and his military took over Chile in a coup d'etat. They bombed the Presidential Palace and swiftly took control over the whole country using force and terror. Supporters of Allende "disappeared" and some ended up being tortured and killed in concentration camps set up under Pinochet's watch. The rich drank their champagne and celebrated the coup while the poor ran for their lives. Pinochet died in 2006 without a single consequence for the genocide he committed.



Another allusion regarding the coup d'etat is on page 378 when Alba refers to the September 11, 1973 as "that terrible Tuesday". Armed forces led by Pinochet invaded the Presidential Palace and although there is still controversy surrounding his death, it is widely believed the Allende committed suicide in the palace as it was engulfed in flames. The coup was backed by the C.I.A. because the U.S. felt threatened by a non-democratic government in Chile.

Another allusion in __The House of The Spirits__ is to Leonardo da Vinci and the Incas. The reference occurs when uncle Marcos's story of adventure is being told. "He was also equipped with a compass, a telescope, and several strange maps that he had traced himself based on various theories of Leonardo da Vinci and on the polar knowledge of the Incas" (13). This allusion also draws connections that the readers have between knowledge outside of the book, and the events happening inside the book. It enhances the meaning of the text by giving the readers a way to more easily self identify with certain aspects of the story.

In __The House of the Spirits__, several references are made to "the Poet," who is Pablo Neruda, a real life poet from Chile who achieved fame and wrote very good poetry, including "Me gustas cuando callas." In the text, the Poet is a friend of the characters', and they are invited to his funeral when he dies.



On page 104, an allusion is made to Saint Anthony when Esteban is described as feeling "defeated for the first time in his life, especially when he discovered, in the midst of all the baggage, a life-size statue of Saint Anthony, cross-eyed and wearing embossed sandals." Saint Anthony was the founder of Christian Monasticism, which was a practice based upon scriptural examples and ideals found in the Old Testament. Monastic-living people are more commonly known as monks. A statue of Saint Anthony would greatly disturb Esteban because his son Nicolas, whom he did not like, lived a monk-like life.

Allusions in __**Song of Solomon**__
"Philadelphia, where Father Divine reigned, wasn't all that far away. Perhaps the you girls holding baskets of flowers were two of his virgins" (6). Father Divine was an African American spiritual leader from 1907-1965. He founded the International Peace Mission Movement, a strict religious order. Father Divine was also responsible for writing the International Peace Mission Movement's Doctrine, which outlined his teachings and the teachings of the movement as a whole. The International Peace Mission Movement forbids smoking, drinking,receiving gifts, presents or bribes,vulgarity, profanity,and obscenity. Members of the movement would also have to live a life of chastity where genders were separated. During the Great Depression, the members of the movement found work by doing odd jobs. Father Divine also claimed to be God. He is considered by modern critics to be the first modern cult leader. However, Father Divine helped his followers achieve racial equality and economic independence. Source: http://arcana.wikidot.com/international-peace-mission-movement, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Divine , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctrine_of_Father_Divine

Milkman was born with the amniotic sack wrapped around his head, also known as a "caul." In medieval times, the appearance of a caul was a sign of good luck. It was a sign that the child was destined for greatness, and it was also linked to the ability to defend against forces of evil. It was said to protect against death against drowning, which made sailors revere it. With regards to its Egyptian allusions, In the Book of the Dead it was said that a caul connected the person to the Egyptian god of death, which was a positive thing.

Pretty much all of the names in this book are allusions to the Bible:
 * Old Testament, //Song of Songs// (title)
 * Reba- One of the five chieftains who were slained by the Israelites
 * Pilate- Judge at Jesus' trial & authorized the crucifixion of Jesus
 * Hagar- Second wife of Abraham & mother of first son
 * First Corinthians- 7th book of the New Testament
 * Magdalene called Lena
 * Ruth
 * Solomon (title)- King of Israel, prophet and son of Dawood

On page 80 in __Song of Solomon__ the story of Emmitt Till is introduced. The presence of the story makes it an allusion. By weaving a real life event in to a fictional novel Morrison brings the reader back to real life. The story of Emmitt Till is that he was murdered during a visit to the south by white men because he whistled (cat called) at a white women. The inclusion of the story allows the reader to learn perspectives of characters in the book on a real life event. It could also be present to show how some colored people believed that it was the boy's own fault.
 * GREAT PLACE TO ADD IF ANYONE STILL NEEDS TO!!!

Hagar in the story is the daughter of Reba, the grand daughter of Pilate. The name itself is an allusion to the bible, but I believe that it could morph in to a deeper allusion. In the bible Hagar has a child with Abraham. The son is named Ishmael. There son goes on to do big things, to be the ancestor of a great nation. As it turns out, this nation is Islam. I believe that because in the bible Hagar's son goes on to do great things, I believe that if the Hagar in the book has a child, he or she will also do great things. This may be a stretch, but as of now (pg 89) it is still a possibility. Source: http://www.womeninthebible.net/1.2.Hagar.htm

First Corinthians is the name of a part of the bible and it is also the name of one of Milkman's sisters. The name in itself is an allusion to the bible, but in my opinion only brings more of the bible in to the story. I only say this because it brings the value of love to the text, Hagar has already brought leadership (through Ishmael) so to me it makes sense that more values of the bible are in the novel. In the novel Corinthians is also the one that shows interest in things, at least more than Milkman and Lena. The example of this is her curiosity/ inquisitiveness when taking to Macon about the summer home properties he is thinking of buying when the whole family went out in the Packard.

Additionally, there is a reference to Tom Sawyer, the protagonist in Mark Twain's novel __The Adventures of //Tom Sawyer.//__ This happened while they were discussing the death of Emmet Till (another allusions). Freddie criticized Till by saying, "What he think that was? Tom Sawyer Land?" (Morrison 81). Tom Sawyer was a immature and creative character that was obsessed with stories. (He is Huck's FOIL character in Huck Finn).

^ This allusion is also relevant to //The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn//. Unlike in the South in the 1950s, Huckleberry Finn lived in the late 19th century. In the book, Huck runs away with Jim, an escaped slave, and they venture along the Mississippi River. Tom Sawyer was also a character in the book, cementing the allusion into both //The Adventures of Tom Sawyer// and //The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn//. The bond formed between them is seemingly impossible in the 1950s due to the avid racism. Freddie is referencing the characters of the books and their open-mindedness. He is also criticizing Emmett Till for believing that the South during the 1950s would be nearly as accepting as the North. It was proved he believed this when Emmett was murdered in 1955 in Mississippi when he was 14 after flirting with a white woman.



There is an allusion to basically all the major names of the civil war. It says that Macon's father called the animals names like Abraham Lincoln or General Lee as a joke, but Macon connected the personalities of these animals, like the "strong, steady, gentle, and obedient horse" to a historical figure (52). For the description of the horse, the connection to Abraham Lincoln kind of made sense as he was seen as a strong leader, yet steady and I guess gentle. For General Lee though, the connection wasn't really that relevant. Nevertheless I think these allusions are important because they come when Macon is telling Milkman of his childhood for the first time, he's telling Milkman things that he'd forgotten about because he hadn't visited the memories in so long. It says "His father...had etched in Macon's mind certain historical figures" which would mean these were things Macon's father had taught him, but then Macon goes on to talk about how he'd forgotten about it (52). This shows Macon's neglect of his past, and also his happy/positive reaction to the memories which was the first time the reader saw Macon show a positive emotion.

Pilate is a "bootlegger" in this book. She makes and sells alcohol, illegally. This is due to the Prohibition Act in 1919. This banned the sell of alcohol, which was the cause of many illegal underground/backyard places to purchase alcohol, called "speakeasies". "Don't nobody want no cheap home brew. The Depression's over." (48)



In the beginning of __Song of Solomon__, there is a reference to Lindbergh. This is alluding to Charles Lidnbergh, an American pilot, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist. He flew from New York to Paris non-stop, which earned him an Orteigh Prize. He was highly respected and accomplished up until his death in 1974. The event that the book is alluding to was the aforementioned finished flight in 1927. The book says that Mr. Smith's "flight" didn't draw as big of a crowd as Lindbergh had, which is interesting because it is putting his suicide on the same level as Lindbergh's accomplishments.



There is an allusion to Franklin Delano Roosevelt (63). FDR was the 32nd President of U.S.A (1933-1945). Milkman feels very close to FDR. One of Milkman's legs is shorter than the other and FDR suffered from polio (he was permanently paralyzed from the waist down). And so, Milkman feels connected to FDR because of his deformity.



**Color Allusions**
Two of the major colors discussed thus far in the novel are red and blue. Mr. Smith's blue wings represent sky, ocean, sleep and twilight. The ancient Egyptians used it to represent heaven. It is the color of spirituality and inspiration, as well as a calming color. It is often chosen by conservative people. Blue gives a feeling of distance and allows us to expand our perspectives outwards. This is somewhat ironic, because in the book it is associated with Mr. Smith's suicide. Red is mentioned with the red velvet rose petals that the daughters made and sold. Red is the warmest of the colors. It is a top pick from males, and represents sensuality. Extroverts are typically drawn towards it, however it can often represent a bad temper or anger. In China, it represents prosperity and joy. It is associated with blood, which has positive and negative connotations.



**Allusions in __Macbeth__**
In Act IV the witches & M acbeth see/are shown the parade of the eight kings, which is thought to be an allusion to King James. King James was King of Scots, Ireland, and England from 1603-1625. However, others believe this is alluding to the Gunpowder Plot and it's trials. The Gunpowder Plot was a failed assasination attempt against King James, who could be Macbeth in this case. Also, in Act 2 Scene 3 the Porters Speech contains allusions to the trial of Jesuit Henry Garnet. Garnet was executed due to his involvement in the Gunpowder Plot