spring allusions

Frankenstein/Frankenstein’s Monster

Something created with good intentions but becomes monstrous or uncontrollable; OR something put together from multiple parts

Green Light

Something unattainable but desirable; something people hope for and strive toward but are unlikely to get

Et tu Brute?

The ultimate betrayal by someone unexpected; when a friend or ally shockingly betrays one’s trust, especially leading to their downfall

Big Brother

Pervasive government or institutional surveillance; extended to modern technology like CCTV, social media, and facial recognition

Utopia

Any imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect; “dystopia” is its antonym for places of great suffering or injustice

Jezebel

A person (usually a woman) perceived as wicked, manipulative, promiscuous, or deceptive

Pollyanna

Someone who is unusually optimistic and always looking at the bright side; often connotes being excessively cheerful and naïve

Icarus/Flying Too Close to the Sun

To fail or be destroyed because of lack of caution or excessive ambition

Loaves and Fishes

A miracle of abundance; used ironically in The Handmaid’s Tale to highlight scarcity and misuse of religious imagery

Casanova

A charming, flirtatious man; a “ladies’ man” or womanizer with many romantic relationships

Lilies of the Field

Freedom from toil and divine provision; used ironically in The Handmaid’s Tale where women are forced to toil despite the allusion

Good Samaritan

Someone who helps another person, especially someone from a different background or group

Cassandra

Someone who predicts disaster or negative outcomes, especially when their warnings are ignored

Oedipus Rex

Inescapable fate, tragic irony, or hubris; a character’s blind pursuit of truth leading to their own destruction

Scarlet Letter/Scarlet A

A symbol of public shame; being marked or ostracized by society for breaking social or moral codes​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​