My Illusions of Allusions :)

Just like detectives love tracing clues in a crowded city to find a criminal, I love finding literary allusions in books! :) Over the years I have become sufficiently acquainted with Victorian literature to be able to detect and trace some of the many allusions the authors made to famous poetry, and other books.
So it thrilled me when my sister, Leah, showed me a sentence in "An Old-Fashioned Girl"by Louisa May Alcott that went something like this: "...and Polly sucked her orange in public with a composure that would have scandalized the good ladies of Cranford."
Now, unless you were familiar with the story of Cranford, the allusion would not be interesting at all. But to me, a literature-lover, it was super exciting! I feel at those times, that I have stepped into the author's word, on her footing! :)
During a unit-study I did with my sister, Sarah, on the Victorian era, we walked through "Anne of Green Gables" and were able to thoroughly trace all the allusions the author made in the book. From that study, I've come to be familiar with, and love so much Victorian-era literature from Sir Walter Scott to John Greenleaf Whittier, Charles Dickens, and many more!
Maybe it's an old-fashioned and outdated idea, but in my writing, I love to tuck allusions in the story! :) It will fly right over most people's heads, but I'd love to think that at some point, some girl like myself would take notice, and find amusement in tracing it all out. Not that I put so much thought into hiding little clues in the writing! :) Some quotations are easy to use, like Shakespeare's, while others might take a bit more thought. But try tucking something like that in your writing- it adds additional charm! :) ~Rachel