allegorical novel
Story with meaning
An allegorical novel is a work of fiction in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract ideas or moral concepts beyond the literal narrative.
The surface story operates as an extended metaphor—often political, religious, or philosophical.
Orwell's *Animal Farm* uses barnyard animals to critique totalitarianism; Bunyan's *Pilgrim's Progress* dramatizes the Christian journey to salvation.
The novel reads as an allegory for colonialism.
- bookBound written work
- fictionImagined narrative work
- cultural critiqueExamination of societal values
- cautionary taleStory illustrating consequences
- extended metaphorFigurative comparison throughout text
hidden meaning · metaphor · literary device · morality · good versus evil · Pilgrim's Progress · satire · philosophical fiction · archetype · fantasy · key · dystopian fiction · redemption · emblem · utopian fiction · labyrinth · human nature · irony
allegorical novelrealist fiction
Stories portraying plausible events
kitchen sink realism · social realism · autobiographical novel · historical novel · historical fiction
allegorical novelescapist fiction
Entertainment through imaginary worlds
escapist literature · beach read · genre fiction · pulp fiction · page-turner
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