Some people get confused over the use of the words allusion and illusion. Here are a few pointers to bear in mind so that you can see the difference clearly.
Not what it seems
An illusion is the appearance of something which does not relate to the reality of that thing. It is often used to refer to what you think something is when that thing is in fact something else.
We can relate to illusions by thinking of a magician. A magician performs tricks which we know are not what they seem. We know that they are not real. When a magician tells his assistant to lie in a box and then he thrusts a sword into the box, we expect the assistant to be hurt. Later the magician presents his assistant whole and safe. The whole act was an illusion – an appearance of causing hurt but it was not reality.
You can observe an illusion even in your community. A village may seem peaceful, safe and quiet with no noisy bars and no loud music but several violent crimes had occurred there recently.
We can say that the quiet, safe appearance of the village is an illusion. That village is not what it seems.
The power of reference
An allusion is a reference to something well known. It could be to a story, a famous person or event. Often it is a reference to characters in literary works. The allusion to the character is meant to remind you of the qualities or characteristics of a person or the particulars of a situation without giving an explanation. Here is an example. The island of St Lucia is sometimes called the Helen of the West. The use of the word Helen is an allusion to Helen of Troy most known for her beauty. The allusion then is meant for us to realise that St Lucia is beautiful. The allusion to Helen is enough to convey the message. There is no explanation or retelling of the story of Helen of Troy.
Claude McKay in his poem Harlem Shadows describes the girls walking the streets at nights as having “feet of clay”. This is an allusion to the Biblical story of the king who dreamt of a statue magnificent in every regard except that its feet were made of partly iron and clay. These feet denoted the weakness in the statue and in the kingdom. With this allusion we can tell that the girls have faults or weaknesses.
Another frequently used allusion is given in this example below.
“Frank was a talented golfer but his love of gambling was his Achilles heel.”
The allusion to Achilles heel reminds the reader that the heel of the superior warrior Achilles was the only vulnerable spot in his body. An allusion to Achilles heel then reminds one instantly of vulnerability.
The reader would then realize that Frank’s love of gambling was the weakness in his character. Frank was vulnerable in that regard.
When you use allusions or when you encounter allusions as you read you will find that just a name or phrase will give the reader enough information to understand the writer’s message. The writer for instance does not have to relate the whole story of Achilles just the reference to him or the allusion to him is sufficient. The success of the allusion will depend on the reader’s general knowledge. Many allusions used by writers are to well-known characters or events in literature, history and in the Bible.
You can see now that the two words –illusion and allusion may sound similar but have very different meanings and usage.
photo credit: diffendale Terracotta feet of a votive statue from the area of Forcona via photopin (license)