of common characteristics:both have rural,agrarian origins;both are young and strong,yet insecure and self-conscious because untested and inexperienced in the ways of the world;both are pious and proud(even arrogant)and given to aggressive behavior;and both have a reputation,deserved or not,for native "shrewdness".Just as Robin learns that he can"rise in the world without the help of(his)...kinsman,Major Molineux",so colonial America realizes that it can achieve its destiny as a mature and independent nation without the paternalistic control of Great Britain.In this example, an allegorical interpretation does seem to "work",in the sense that it allows us to organize the elements of the story around a central illuminating idea.Nevertheless,it would be a mistake to press such a reading too far.To read the work exclusively as allegory is to oversimplify the internal dynamics of the story and to distort the author's vision.of common characteristics: both have rural, agrarian origins; both are young and strong, yet insecure and self-conscious because untested and inexperienced in the ways of the world; both are pious and proud (even arrogant) and given to aggressive behavior; and both have a reputation, deserved or not, for native “shrewdness”. Just as Robin learns that he can “rise in the world without the help of〔his〕…kinsman, Major Molineux”, so colonial America realizes that it can achieve its destiny as a mature and independent nation without the paternalistic control of Great Britain. In this example, an allegorical interpretation does seem to “work”, in the sense that it allows us to organize the elements of the story around a central illuminating idea. Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to press such a reading too far. To read the work exclusively as allegory is to oversimplify the internal dynamics of the story and to distort the author’s vision