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5 votes
5 votes
Read the following story summary:

An astronaut saves the Earth from an approaching
asteroid by attaching rocket boosters to it. After the
astronaut returns to Earth, everyone ignores her and
praises the rocket boosters instead. The press interviews
the rocket boosters for hours and the President hangs a
picture of the rocket boosters in the Oval Office.
Which statement about this story best shows it to be an allegory?

User Pavel Ryvintsev
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1 Answer

11 votes
11 votes

Final answer:

The allegorical aspect of the story is identified by the symbolic representation of society's preference for technology over individual contributions, paralleling real-world situations where the roles of technology and human effort are contrasted.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that best shows the story of the astronaut saving Earth from an asteroid to be an allegory is one that identifies the deeper symbolic meaning behind the narrative. An allegory typically uses characters and events to represent abstract ideas or themes. In the context of this story, the praise of the rocket boosters over the astronaut could be a critique of how society values technology and innovation over individual human efforts and heroism. This mirrors real-world scenarios where attention is often focused on technology itself rather than the people who create, operate or interact with it. For instance, the media might praise the capabilities of a new smartphone while overlooking the engineers who designed it.

User Rowe
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