Analogy #FAIL
When Analogies Go Wrong — Robin Hood style
I am huge enthusiast for the use of analogy.
Half or more of my blog posts utilize analogy and metaphor. They are writing tools that help provide prospective, color, and connection without the need for pages of additional explanation and writing.
I am not a fan of people who attempt to take analogies too literally.
There are the people who won’t let it go. Hell bent on mapping every minute detail from one side onto the other, they seem oblivious to the lengths they go or the loss of value that follows.
I love a deep analogy with plenty of layers like an ogre or an onion, but you can peel too far.
A second group focuses immediately upon the disparities in the comparison. Even a very loose metaphor can be helpful if you focus on the value of the connections and the context.
Analogy haters are like a plumber with a wrench who is fixated on how poor a tool it is at hammering nails…
But to me, the most frustrating group fails to grasp their initial point of comparison.
Take for example Robin Hood. The legend is a classic with deep history. He lives an adventurous life, is charismatic, and relies on wit as much as bow or sword. Robin Hood inspired swashbuckling (predating the Three Musketeers and Zorro).
Robin Hood first arrived in 1377, making him at least 700 years old. He is mentioned in numerous ballads and writings, though as little more than a highwayman. But as his legend grew, he became a hero for the working class (not the poor). He stood against tyranny and oppression. He opposed the king’s laws, the sheriff’s taxes, and the corruption of the church (not exactly the rich).
Robin Hood analogies are rampant
One of my favorite is the Robin Hood Tax. Yes that’s right, history’s most famous (sorry Boston) and certainly most long standing opponent of taxation has his own tax… google it.
Then there is the Robinhood Project. Not the one from the University of Rochester, the one from Boston University among others. This is an interesting twist for a hero whose most consistent tales include killing the King’s deer and hunting for sport. Yes, he lived in the forest and often wore Lincoln green… but seriously!?
Finally, any time anyone wants to take from the rich, here comes a Robin Hood analogy. The only problem, the history is all wrong. Robin’s tales evolve across the centuries, but he is persistently portrayed defending knights, nobles, merchants, and traders who have fallen victim to laws, courts, the church, the King’s oppression, and even just plain old bad luck.
Robin Hood is a heroic figure with rich character and color. But sadly, most Robin Hood analogies, like Mel Brook’s adaptation, roundly miss the mark.
