In Plato's Allegory, there is a hierarchy to three realms of understanding:

• Illusion/Shadow → Nature/Real World → Ideals

• There are also liminal spaces between.

PROMPT: Consider the characters (ALL of them) of [Our Current Novel] as prisoners in the allegory. Who would you expect to find in each of Plato’s three realms? Are any in or approaching the realm of Ideals? What shackles these characters to the realm of illusion? Have any attempted to leave the realm of shadow, and have any returned?



Keep in mind, more complex characters may occupy different realms in different periods of the novel.


FORMAT: However you wish. This can be written in paragraphs, it can be diagramed, it can be bullet-pointed. The important thing is that you identify who should be in which realms in a way that demonstrates an understanding of both this allegory and the novel's characters. You should include a rationale for your choices, but it is okay if some characters share the same rationale.