What literary technique often disguises the truth to protect the author from potential repercussions?

Allegory is a literary technique where characters, events, and details within a narrative represent broader concepts and ideas, often conveying moral, political, or social messages. This technique allows authors to express complex truths indirectly, enabling them to explore controversial subjects while minimizing personal risk. By using allegory, writers can present their viewpoints or critique societal norms in a way that may be more palatable or less recognizable to those in power, thus protecting themselves from potential backlash.

For instance, allegorical works like George Orwell's "Animal Farm" use animals and their interactions to comment on human behavior and political systems, effectively hiding the direct critique within a seemingly simple narrative. This layered storytelling helps authors navigate sensitive topics without facing immediate repercussions. In contrast, techniques like symbolism and realism serve different purposes, with the former focusing more on representation of deeper meanings and the latter aiming for accuracy in depiction of everyday life, lacking the same obfuscation of truth that allegory provides. Irony may highlight contradictions in a situation but does not encapsulate the same protective layering of truths inherent in allegories.