Other Literary Techniques

To be considered a critical reader of a text, one must be knowledgeable about the uses and
purposes of these literary techniques since the author of a novel, for example, cannot explain
in person what the message of his or her piece was.

These techniques also have the power to give knowledge to those readers who seek to
understand deeper and more abstract concepts such as freedom, equality, and justice.

1) An allusion is a passing reference, without explicit identification, to a literary or historical

person, place, or event, or to another literary work or passage.

Example:

I scored line of nine in all my exams, except for math. Math is my waterloo.

Waterloo is an allusion to the Battle of Waterloo (a city in Belgium) where Napoleon faced his
defeat in 1815.

2) An allegory is a narrative in which the characters and their actions, and sometimes the
setting are contrived by the author to represent something happening in the current situation.
It may be historical, political or ideological in form.

Example:

Jose Rizal’s El Filibusterismo is an allegorical novel. “Bapor Tabo,” for example, was a symbol of the
state of the Philippines wherein Rizal compares the slow movement of our country to that of the boat
because there is no clear direction as to where it is going.

3) A dichotomy divides a concept, idea, story, or plot into two equal and contradictory parts; or
between two opposing groups. This is often used for creating conflicts in stories and plays.

Example:

In Modesto de Castro’s Urbana at Felisa, the dichotomy between the life of a woman in the city
(Urbana) and the life of a woman in the province (Felisa) was portrayed.

4) Juxtaposition is a technique wherein two or more ideas, places, characters, and their actions
are placed side by side to develop comparisons and contrasts.

Example:

In popular culture, the use of “Reality vs. Expectation Memes” is an example of juxtaposition wherein
what a person expects and what really happens are compared and contrasted.