Allusions
Or: Do You Really Understand That Reference?
If there is a problem opening the game, please fall down this rabbit hole or that rabbit hole instead!
That game is just a taste of the rabbit holes you can fall down when analyzing an allusion. However, there's so much more to explore in this Wonderland. If you follow the "This Way" sign, you can explore some modern examples of allusions and how they operate on a meta-cultural level. If you follow the "That Way" sign, you can play around with your own writing! Creating an allusion can be just as rewarding as tracking its meaning through the meandering path of time. At any time, you can click on the yonder tabs at the top of every page to move between the paths as you explore this website at your own pace. Enjoy the madness!
What's in a name?
What do Zootopia, Danny Phantom, "We Didn't Start the Fire," and more have in common? They all utilize allusions to engage their audiences and readers. It is through their allusions that these texts are able to create communities, cross boundaries of time and space, and instigate investigations into the nature of the allusions themselves and the communities they're intended for.
Click the box below to begin exploring the ways allusions can be more than just an inside-joke.
Rome wasn't built in a day.
As fun as critical analysis is, some of us just want to get down and dirty with our hands in the mud. Click on the box below to explore the ways you do more than just write your own interpretations of the allusions in the media you love.
Let's help Cap catch up on all that's changed since he turned into a capsicle!