Module 7: Creating your own allegory

So, just how hard is it to write an allegory? Care to find out?

Animal Farm is a masterpiece of political allegory. It breaks down complex political ideas into a simple narrative that engages the audience and gets readers thinking about the important issues such as the meaning of leadership, the importance of political activism and education, and the dangers of totalitarian regimes. Of course, the book can be enjoyed literally as just a "fairy story" about some nasty pigs. However, as you can see, it is an even richer text when read allegorically.

Could you write an allegory? Just how hard of a task is it? In this module you will plan and begin drafting your own short allegory for current political or social issue that is important to you or relevant to your daily life. An example of this could be the current relationship between China and Taiwan. The relationships or power structure at your school could be a topic as well. Complete the tasks below and enjoy creating your very own allegory. Hwo knows, it may be the next Animal Farm.

Read

• • Reread and review the information about allegory from Module Two found here and here.

  • Read this short article about how to write your own allegory.

Brainstorm your topic

• • Use this brainstorming sheet to choose a topic to write an allegory about.

Prewrite your allegory

• • Use these story organizers to plan your story before you begin writing.

  • Story Map

  • Story Mountain Map

Draft your story

• • Use your prewrite to write a first draft of your allegory. Review the instructions and requirements for this assignment on the assignment page.

  • When you are finished, post your draft in Module 7 Discussion thread for your peers to review and give you guidance on how to revise your allegory for final submission.

I'm done!

When you finish all of the tasks above, review your work to make sure it is the best you can do, make sure all work has been submitted to the correct place, and then click the button below to advance to Module 8.