“In the simplest terms, allegory says one thing and means another” (Fletcher 2). Allegory is a literary tool that authors use to convey a certain message or idea through characters acting in a story. Angus Fletcher correctly assesses the nature of allegory, demonstrating that although an author may be writing the story of a man completing a literal journey, he may well be implying a much larger idea about the journey through life. Anne Page shares a similar understanding of allegory, writing that "allegory, whether practiced in the form of reading or writing, is about making meaning, meaning that is ideological, ethical, or theological" (page 82). Jesus himself used allegory in his parables to make great heavenly concepts accessible to everyone. This is a common use of allegory, bringing the grand scheme down to an understandable level. “Creative allegory uses a highly generalized form to cover a breadth of historical content that seems to exceed the limits of any more naturalistic method” (Lindsay 177). Two examples of allegory are The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan and The Inferno by Dante. Both tell the story of a man on a journey, Christian on his way to heaven and Dante through hell. The use of allegory in each of these works is extensive; one of the most obvious is names. Dante and Bunyan use naming as one of their most notable ways of communicating big concepts; however, the way they employ this type of allegory differs greatly. “The heroes of Dante… and Bunyan seem to create the worlds around them. They are like those people in real life who “project” by assigning fictitious personalities to those they meet and live with” (Fletcher 35). The characters of Dante and Bunyan, through their names, middle of paper...... represent certain aspects of their future character. The most prominent example of naming in the Bible is the name Jesus or Emmanuel, which means God with us. Authors also use naming to draw readers' attention to a certain aspect of that character. They often use this tactic in allegory, saying one thing and meaning another. When they name a character, they imply more than just a name to recognize them. They aim to expose the character's behavior or struggles. Both Dante and Bunyan use this tactic in their works, The Inferno and The Pilgrim's Progress. Dante names his characters after specific historical figures that readers of his time would recognize and attribute attributes to them. Bunyan names his characters after their very attributes. Each approach has advantages and weaknesses, but both are effective examples of the use of naming in allegorical writing..