Allusions In Literature

In The Icarus Girl, author Hellen Oyeyemi includes many allusions: culture-based, literature-based, or simply food and fashion. Three main allusions of literature in this novel are Little Women, Hamlet, and The Lord of the Rings, all are books mentioned in the novel that the protagonist is reading. While Little Women, Hamlet, and The Lord of the Rings are very different works, they share a common significance. They are famous pieces in English literature and they each explore complex themes and universal human experiences. All deal with the struggle to find one's place in the world, the importance of family and friendship, and the challenges of growing up and facing difficult choices. Collectively, they also speak to the power of hope, perseverance,

In The Icarus Girl, Jessamy’s mother reads her Shakespeare before bed, more specifically, Hamlet. Hamlet is a play by William Shakespeare that tells the story of Prince Hamlet, who seeks revenge against his uncle Claudius for killing his father and marrying his mother. Hamlet struggles with his sanity as he tries to uncover the truth about his father's death and his uncle's role in it. The ghost in Hamlet is the spirit of Hamlet's father, who appears to Hamlet to reveal that his father was murdered by his uncle, Claudius. The ghost's appearance sets off a chain of events that leads to Hamlet seeking revenge against Claudius and ultimately leads to the tragic conclusion of the play. This ghost is much like TillyTilly who also sets off a chain of events after appearing in Jessamy’s life and encouraging her to fight against her enemies. These enemies are the bullies and adults in Jessamy’s life who make her feel unwanted and a freak. Hamlet was an outsider in his own home much like Jessamy. When a ghost came to visit him, Hamlet wondered what the ghost’s intentions were: “The spirit that I have seen / May be the devil, and the devil hath power / T' assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps, / Out of my weakness and my melancholy, / As he is very potent with such

The Lord of the Rings is a novel by J.R.R. Tolkien that tells the story of Frodo Baggins, a hobbit who is tasked with destroying the One Ring, a powerful artifact created by the evil Sauron. The characters in The Lord of the Rings are also experiencing internal conflicts in various ways. Frodo, the main character, is struggling with the burden of carrying the ring and the responsibility of saving Middle Earth. He is torn between his desire to fulfill his mission and his fear of the dangers that lie ahead. The novel explores themes of power, corruption, and the nature of good and evil, as well as the importance of friendship, loyalty, and sacrifice. Much like in The Icarus Girl where Jessamy is conflicted between the rights and wrongs of TillyTilly’s influence and the true meaning of friendship. In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo and his friends embark on this adventure and test the strength of friendship. Jessamy and TillyTilly’s friendship are divided when Jessamy’s other friend