When authors refer to other great works, people, and events, it’s usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.
Literary and Philosophical References
- Accidence (2.16)
- John Dryden (2.57)
- William Shakespeare (2.57, 12.41)
- Thomas Otway (2.57)
- The Bible (4.83, 6.23, 7.2, 9.13-9.16, 19.113, 19.15)
- Proverbs 24:21 (6.25)
- Pilgrim’s Progress (9.13)
- Anne Bradstreet (11.72)
- The Tempest (12.39)
Historical References
- King Charles I of England (1.68, 6.5)
- Reverend Gersholm Bulkeley (introduced as a character at 2.18 and appears throughout the novel)
- King James II of England (6.5, 6.15)
- Governor Andros (introduced as a character at 6.15 and is mentioned repeatedly throughout the novel; he appears in Chapter 15)
- Eleazer Kimberly (appears as a character in a Chapter 9)
- Captain Samuel Talcott (appears as a character in Chapter 19)