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An allegory is a fictional story that directly symbolizes a real-life event. A narrative’s allegorical elements are typically implied rather than stated outright and often impart a moral message.
“The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” is frequently read as an allegory for the second Red Scare of the 1940s and 1950s. Like countersubversive anti-communists, Charlie leads his community in a witch-hunt to flush out a faceless interloper. If the metaphor is followed to its logical conclusion, the episode’s message is a liberal anti-communist critique of McCarthyism: The real aliens (the real communists) are outside of the community, and they are waiting for Maple Street’s residents (Americans) to tear each other apart before striking.
A flat character is a character that is defined by one or two very basic traits. They often reflect stereotypes. Flat characters are considered the opposite of “round” characters, which are complicated and nuanced.