Can an allusion be real or fictional?
Sure, an allusion can be real or fictional. A real allusion refers to something that actually happened or exists in history or reality. A fictional allusion, on the other hand, points to something made up within a fictional work or story.
An allusion can be either real or fictional. It all depends on how it's used and the context in which it appears.
Is a real city in a novel considered an allusion?
Yes, it can be. If the real city is used in a symbolic or representative way to add depth or meaning to the story, it could be seen as an allusion.
The Allusion of Sangzi
The allusion of mulberry and Zi originated from the Book of Songs, Xiaoya, Xiaobian: " Wei Sang and Zi must be respectful." This poem meant that people in ancient times often planted mulberry trees and cocoons beside their houses to express their respect for their parents. Later, people used the word "mulberry" to describe their hometown. This allusion expressed his respect and love for his hometown.
A Tricky Allusion
The tricky allusion was referring to the Ming Dynasty novelist Wu Jingzi's work, The Scholars. In this novel, there was a story about a man who made cat meat into a meat patty to deceive others. When he was discovered, he was called a cat fetter. This term was later used to describe something that seemed reasonable but was actually deceptive. For example, when you buy a cheap phone and find that the performance of the phone is not as good as promised by the merchant, it can be said that the merchant's behavior is fishy. In short, the story of the cat and the mouse originated from the Scholar's Unofficial History and was used to describe deceptive things.
Can an allusion be to something in the same story?
Sure. Consider a long epic poem. The poet may allude to a previous part of the same poem to build on a theme or to draw parallels. It's like referring back to something that has already been established in the story's own universe to enhance the overall narrative structure.
Can an allusion be to something in the same story?
Yes, it can. An allusion can refer to elements within the same story to add depth or make connections.
The Allusion of Blood Sacrifice
The earliest allusion to the blood oath came from the Biography of Yu Qing, Lord Pingyuan. In the story, Mao Sui said to the people around the King of Chu,"Bring the blood of chickens, dogs, and horses." Mao Sui knelt in front of the King of Chu with a copper plate and said," Your Majesty, you must swear with blood that you will obey. The second is my king, and the second is Sui." This allusion expressed the determination and loyalty of Mao Sui and the others. They used blood to form an alliance, indicating that they would faithfully fulfill the covenant.
The Allusion of Exterminating Evil
The earliest allusion to eliminating evil came from Zuo Zhuan, Ai AD Nian. The story took place during the Spring and Autumn Period. There were frequent wars between Wu and Yue. In 494 B.C., Fu Chai, the king of Wu, led his army to defeat the army of Gou Jian, the king of Yue, in Fujiao, and broke through the capital of Yue. Gou Jian, King of Yue, fled to Kuaiji Mountain and sent Wen Zhong, a doctor, to sue for peace with the State of Wu. Wu Zixu advised the King of Wu to "cultivate virtue and eliminate evil", which meant that the elimination of evil forces must be thorough and clean. However, the King of Wu did not listen to Wu Zixu's advice and accepted Gou Jian's surrender. Wu Zixu sighed and said,"In the future, the State of Wu will definitely fall into the hands of the State of Yue!" In the end, 20 years later, the King of Yue, Gou Jian, destroyed the State of Wu.
The Allusion of Holding the Sun
The story of holding the sun's heart originated from Cheng Yu of Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. It was rumored that Cheng Yu had dreamed of holding the sun in his hands when he was young. This dream was told to Cao Cao, who was very happy and regarded Cheng Yu as his confidant. He changed his original name to Cheng Li. Later, the image of the sun was used to describe the image of loyalty to the monarch. This allusion was also reflected in the poems of the Tang Dynasty. For example, in Qian Qi's "Presented to Pei Sheren under the Imperial Court", there was a sentence that said,"Yang harmony does not disperse the hatred of the poor road, and the sky holds the heart of the sun." In general, the Sun-supporting Allusion was a symbol of loyalty to the imperial court and the king.
The Allusion of Light Eyebrows
The allusion to Qingmei referred to the story of Ye Qingmei in " Celebrating Years." Ye Qingmei was a legendary woman. She was the mother of the male lead, Fan Xian. In the story, Ye Qingmei was a female engineering doctor who had transmigrated to a little girl in a temple. Through her wisdom and talent, she launched a series of amazing actions in this strange world. She imparted martial arts secret manuals, helped the Qing Emperor ascend to the throne, and pushed forward the implementation of the new policies. Ye Qingmei's actions aroused the Qing Emperor's suspicion and fear, which eventually led to her being killed. Ye Qingmei's story showed her courage, wisdom, and pursuit of power, and she became an important character in " Celebrating Years."
Xuankong Temple Allusion
There were several different versions of Xuankong Temple's story. One theory was that during the construction of Xuankong Temple, a young female craftsman accidentally slipped while working on a cliff. She was hanging on the edge of the cliff, and her life and death were unknown. At this time, a mountain called "Fei Lai Peak" flew from the sky and protected the female craftsman under it. Therefore, this temple was also called "Xuankong Temple." Another theory was that during the Northern Wei Dynasty, Daoist Priest Kou Qianzhi had left behind instructions to build a temple in the sky. However, the specific allusions may vary according to different legends.