Class Project: Book of Allusions
An allusion is a reference to a well-known person, place, event literary work, or work of art. Ray
Bradbury is a master of allusions. To illustrate the themes in Fahrenheit 451 and make his case not only
for knowledge but also against censorship and ignorance, he relies on allusions. For students of literature,
recognizing the allusion is not sufficient. To uncover indirect meanings and appreciate the craft of writing,
you need to be able to recognize the allusion’s original source and context and explain why the author
chose to use it. Since your work will become part of a larger project, the class’ Book of Allusions, only one
student can pick an allusion (sign up on handout). The Book of Allusions will be divided into four
categories: Biblical, Historical, Literary, and Mythological.
Directions: Research one of the allusions located on the following handout. Then, organize your findings
using the following format. (Remember to include all five requirements.) See example/explanation below:
MLA Heading
Selected Allusion
Category
Quote from Fahrenheit 451:
 Quote the original passage containing the allusion and cite its page number.
Picture Representation of the Allusion:
 Place a picture centered below the quote that helps people better understand the allusion.
Be sure to record where you found the picture because you will cite it in your works cited
page.
Original Source or Context of the Allusion:
 Research the allusion. Explain or summarize the information in your own words. You
may paraphrase, quote, or summarize information, but you MUST give credit for the
information using in-text citations. Make note of the sources, authors, and time period.
Find TWO reliable sources. Include any contextual information necessary to the
understanding of the allusion. Be an expert on this allusion, so you can effortlessly
explain it to your classmates. This should be a minimum of TWO paragraphs.
Effect/Insight of the Allusion:
 Explain the effect of the allusion on the passage/novel and the insight the reader gains in
understanding the original context of the allusion. Consider Bradbury’s purpose in
choosing the allusion. Why is it mentioned at this moment in the novel? How does the
allusion emphasize a theme? Is it effective and why or why not? This should be a
minimum of TWO paragraphs.
Works Cited Page:
 Provide a proper MLA formatted Works Cited page that lists all three sources in
alphabetical order. Use your MLA handout or go to https://owl.english.purdue.edu for a
quick guide for web and picture citations.
Fahrenheit 451 Allusion Rubric:
Heading:
Standard MLA heading
Allusion/category clearly identified and followed format
_____ (2)
_____ (2)
Quotation:
Quote from Fahrenheit contained allusion and correct citation
_____ (4)
Original Source and Content & Citation of Source:
Explanation of the allusion is clear, concisely stated
Correct MLA in-text citations of researched material
Two paragraphs containing two different sources
Picture accompanied explanation
_____
_____
_____
_____
Effect/Insight:
Purpose of allusion is clearly stated
Explanation of the effect of the allusion shows insight and knowledge
Connection to Fahrenheit 451 is clearly explained
_____ (2)
_____ (5)
_____ (3)
Works Cited:
Proper MLA format (hanging indent, spacing)
Sources are alphabetized
Sources are correctly cited
_____ (2)
_____ (2)
_____ (5)
Conventions:
 Clear pronoun reference, no “I” or “you”
 No sentence fragments or run-ons, evidence of careful editing
 Capitalization, punctuation, spelling
(5)
(4)
(3)
(2)
_____ (4)
Total ______ (45)