I think it depends on the reader. I mean, many readers wouldn't be able to pick up a literary allusion even if it hit them square in the face so I wouldn't be surprised if references to the saints might slide past people. But, at the same time, many of the saints are quite well known. I'd be shocked if most people didn't know about St Francis or Joan of Arc and so on, especially if they're the type to catch literary allusions since so much of European and English literature interacts with and is influenced by christian theology and iconography.
So it's difficult to say! But I think more people would catch a reference to St Francis than would catch a Shakespearean allusion or even a Dickensian allusion.
I took a friend who is a Protestant to an art exhibit that included a lot of paintings of saints which I had to explain and then I realized everyone does not have saints in their allusion back pack.
She makes me think of A.S. Byatt, but that may just be me.
Ah, interesting! I've been meaning to read her but haven't yet. Any place you'd recommend?
Liked the reference to saints, but do you think readers today do not know about saints? Every day is a saint's day.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/01/22.html
I think it depends on the reader. I mean, many readers wouldn't be able to pick up a literary allusion even if it hit them square in the face so I wouldn't be surprised if references to the saints might slide past people. But, at the same time, many of the saints are quite well known. I'd be shocked if most people didn't know about St Francis or Joan of Arc and so on, especially if they're the type to catch literary allusions since so much of European and English literature interacts with and is influenced by christian theology and iconography.
So it's difficult to say! But I think more people would catch a reference to St Francis than would catch a Shakespearean allusion or even a Dickensian allusion.
I took a friend who is a Protestant to an art exhibit that included a lot of paintings of saints which I had to explain and then I realized everyone does not have saints in their allusion back pack.
Dickens was a big influence on Dostoevsky. And Orwell on Dickens is a well-developed assessment.
George Orwell: ‘Charles Dickens’ in : Inside the Whale and Other Essays. — GB, London. — March 11, 1940.
Kyle is actually a big fan of Orwell so he may be familiar with that essay!