What is the source of the allusion in the sentence below?
David dropped out of college to travel the world, but a year later, the prodigal son returned home and re-enrolled.
the Bible British history
An allusion is a brief mention of something or someone well known, often from mythology, history, or literature. An allusion lets you reference ideas from an entire story in just a few words.
The protean nature of the disease makes it difficult to diagnose.
The word protean is an allusion to the sea god Proteus in Greek mythology. Because the sea is constantly changing, to describe something as protean suggests that it is variable or in flux.
The source of the allusion prodigal son is the Bible.
In a Biblical parable, the prodigal son irresponsibly spends the inheritance given to him by his father. When he returns home, he expects to be shamed, but his father forgives him.
The allusion prodigal son means a person who behaves recklessly but later makes a repentant return.