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allegory

By David Emery, About.com

Definition: In art, literature, and folklore, the symbolic representation of truths or generalizations about human existence.
Examples:
  • Aesop's fable "The Fox and the Grapes" is an allegory of human greed and vanity.
  • Most critics read George Orwell's satirical novel Animal Farm as an allegorical depiction of life in a totalitarian state.

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