The Pity Party

“Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world."

~Helen Keller

An allegorical narrative is defined as,

“A narrative found in verse and prose in which a character or event is used to speak about a broader theme.”
-Green, William. “Allegory”. Poem Analysis, https://poemanalysis.com/literary-device/allegory/. Accessed 10 November 2023.

A broader definition states,

“Sometimes with allegories, the message is obvious, but more often than not it is hidden and a reader has to dig deep into the poem to try to uncover it. The message might be contained within a double meaning in a character’s words or a narrator’s description. It might also be found in symbols or actions, even events occurring in the background can have powerful implications.”

Title: The Pity Party
Setting: Party venue
Characters: Pity, adversity, and depression
Plot: Pity wants to go to a party but becomes indecisive
Conflict: Pity wavered in the decision to attend the party

Allegorical Short Story

Adversity and depression invited pity to a cocktail party, and pity graciously accepted. Assuming the party would be a blast, pity resolved to crash the party.

However, during the hour-long commute to the party; pity grew intensely frustrated, and agonized about whether it should attend the party.

Pity experienced a sudden lightbulb moment of clarification that led to a change in mindset. It illuminated the path to recovery from wallowing in a dark place.

After some profound contemplation, pity forewent the party invite. Pity then resolved to courageously confront adversity and depression—commanding them to depart.

Pity’s newfound realization gave him the confidence to kick adversity and depression to the curb. Ultimately, pity reasoned that a party wasn’t necessary after all because life is already an absolute blast.

Resolution: After realizing that gratitude unlocks the door to happiness, pity is finally released from the chains of despair, and emerges as a valiant champion of hope.