The Literary Device Called Allusion

According to the section I read in the text, An Introduction To Literature on pages 1032 and 1033, the images and legends which are projected on a screen on the stage between the areas in which the actors perform, are used to strengthen the effect of what is "merely allusion" in the writing and allows the primary point to be made more simply and lightly than if the entire responsibility were on the spoken lines.

What fascinates me in reading this, is the text states that the Broadway production did not use these projected images. To see a film version or live play done without these would be wonderful. Its very challenging to the creativity of the actors. In Scene I there is an allusion .... Guernica .... revolution in Spain. What follows, Tom the narrator tells us about his family .... The Father of the household revolted, ran away, fell in love with long distances, sent a postcard from somewhere in Mexico with a two word message, "Hello - Goodbye", and no address.

"Ou Sont les Neiges?" .... An allusion to Amanda, the Mothers theme. She is in the spotlight. Her viewpoint is presented. The next projected image, "Blue Roses" .... this is about Laura, Laura is spotlighted. Originally the author used this method to aid the audience, as his play is minimal in use of props, scenery, he's building a story, if the audience loses concentration they will have missed important details and form an incomplete picture of what is being presented. Therefore the original versionof the play contained these images on the screen, visual allusions.

Another screen legend, "You Think I'm in Love With Continental Shoemakers" .... We learn about Tom. The spotlight is now on him. In this scene in a sense, he is standing in his father's shoes, yet he is himself too. Perhaps his mother can't really see him as himself? She is controlling, far too controlling.

The visual allusion , whether pictorial or title, helps the audience make the transition from one scene to another. In some scenes the visual is explanatory. Scene IV on page 994, The Father's Grinning Photograph lights up. It refers to the line .... "But who in hell ever got himself out of one without removing one nail?" .... coffin.

In another image, "Sailing Vessel With Jolly Roger" .... Tom is feeling rebellious and expresses his desires and dreams.

In the legend ,"I Don't Suppose You Remember Me At All" .... The following scene, the possibilities for the actor, as its read .... there are several possible interpretations. None of these are misinterpretations, drama is for entertainment, when the audience enjoys the play, it's good.

Tom may be improvising, he may not remember her at all, he may be good at picking up cues from the other person and have a good imagination. Another possibility is that he was so caught up in school activitiesand wound up in himself that he wasn't aware of anyone else, yet there are memories around the edges, pictorial ones. As he and Laura speak to each other they gradually focus on their performance.

She was much more aware of him than he of her. Her picture of him is different than he really is. He is older, he's become humanized, yet he is also wrong for her. It would have been better if she had not seen him again. Better to be left with the picture of how she saw him, than to be with him as he stands now. He is not a terrible person, he's rather nice, means well, clumsy in a boyish way. She is delicate, shy, needs someone, somewhat like herself, she is not strong enough to be his leaning post.

The last legend on the screen, "And so Goodbye" .... ties the beginning of the story and the end of the story together.