An allusion is a brief reference to something outside the text (a myth, religious text, historical event, or cultural work) that carries meaning without explicit explanation. It compresses layers of association into a few words, relying on the reader's existing knowledge to unpack them.
Allusion is one of the most efficient devices for deepening emotion or theme. Rather than explaining a character's emotional state at length, a writer can compress it into a single reference that carries the weight of an entire narrative. The meaning registers instantly because the reader supplies the context.
Consider two versions of the same scene. Two characters go rock climbing, and one accidentally injures the other. To convey guilt, a writer might use straightforward imagery:
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Paywall
(on a website) an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site.
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