The Oxford Handbook of Allegory

Abstract

This Handbook explores the topic of allegory, which can be defined as a mode of communicating that says one thing and means another. It explores both classic texts known as allegories (e.g. John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress and George Orwell’s Animal Farm), and allegorical aspects of a wide range of literary texts, visual art and films from Plato to the 2015 Disney-Pixar animation Inside Out. It also explores the history of allegorical reading and interpretation of texts including the Bible and Greek myths. The Handbook has a global and interdisciplinary scope, contributing to fields including literary studies, film studies, art history, mathematics, classics, theology, and cognitive science.