The Story Archive

The Cave

José Saramago · 2000 CE · Novel · Portuguese · Contemporary

An old potter, Cipriano Algor, loses his contract with the Centre, a vast commercial complex that supplies the pottery trade in his region. His daughter's husband works as a guard there, and the family is drawn toward moving inside. Saramago builds the book on the image of Plato's cave, turned against consumer society.

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Attributes

Genre
AllegoryPolitical
Theme
Class & InequalityWealth & GreedIdentity & SelfTraditionIndividual vs Society
Archetype (Jung / Campbell)
EverymanCreator
Plot type
Allegory
Symbol / motif
The CaveThe City
Conflict
vs Societyvs Technology
Mode / tone
AllegoricalRealist
Culture / tradition
Portuguese

Closest analogues