Childhood's End Allusions

[JaeKayLMNOP]

Hey! I've just read Childhood's End, and I'm supposed to write a paper on it, comparing the allusions in it to the allusions in a novel called "Snow In August." Don't worry about that book, though...I need to concentrate on Childhood's End. Hopefully some of you have read it, and I assume you have...I think it's somewhat of a science fiction classic. Anyhow, my problem is this: I cannot find more than one allusion in Childhood's End! Perhaps it's because of my lack of knowledge about what an allusion really is, but the only allusion I found parallels the Overlords to Satan and his demons, and the Overmind to god. It compares the end of Earth in Childhood's End to the Apocolypse. I'm still researching that one, but I think it's a start.

Can anyone put their brain to the test and think of some other allusions in Childhood's End? It's quite a challenge, but I'd be most grateful if someone could find something

Thanks a lot.

-Jason

 

[Tim Bond]

It looks like you will have fun putting your brain 'to the test'.

Some patterns seem to connect, but do not.

Some things appear disconnected yet are very much connected.

Sometimes someone has a pattern ingrained into their mind that makes a 'boundary' appear where it does not.

Occasionally someone may witness or experience a shift in patterns and miss this event from lack of preparation and thus cannot build further upon this.

Sometimes when a writer makes a work, his writing retains a pattern based on the implications of his assumptions and no allusion was intended and yet people with similar belief systems impose meaning and extend assumed projections not intended by a writer.

Sometimes allusions are worked into something and a person misses it due to lack of significant preparation. Or he requires time to let it all ‘set in’.

Figure out what you want.

Do you wish to develop your own mental capacity by putting work into your own process of assimilation of these allusions – and then retain it for future potential use? Or, are you writing about what other people think exist in the work and cannot be verified by you personally?

Look up the meaning of allegory, if you have time on this paper. Do not rush or push for results. Others with better knowledge on this work can answer such questions and I am sure with great interest.

A monkey changes into stripes and pulls the tail of a tiger he should not be concerned with the roar but with the teeth of what will follow.

Good thought on good allegory will produce good results.