What is an allegory?

• A. An allegory is a story where characters and events represent deeper meanings.
• B. An allegory is a historical chronicle.
• C. An allegory is a legal code.
• D. An allegory is a collection of psalms.

Answer: (A)

An allegory is a story in which characters and events stand for deeper meanings beyond the surface plot, conveying moral, spiritual, or political truths. The whole narrative is shaped to reveal a hidden message, not just to entertain. This distinguishes it from a straightforward historical chronicle, a legal code, or a collection of psalms, which present information or poetry without that layered symbolic purpose. In Christian literature, allegory can illuminate faith and salvation by presenting virtues, vices, and a spiritual journey through symbolic people and events, such as Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. The emphasis is on how the surface story operates on two levels—the visible tale and the underlying message.