What is a parable?

Perhaps you’ve heard of the story of the blind men who attempt to describe an elephant by feeling it. Or you’ve taught your children about “the boy who cried wolf,” to teach a lesson about lies and belief. Congratulations: you’ve interacted with a parable!

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In your own writing, you can bring up parables in order to prove a point or make an argument. See how you can use these simple forms of storytelling to communicate deeper meanings.

Definition of a parable

The word “parable” comes from the Greek word parabolē, which means “to throw alongside.” It’s a short narrative that uses everyday events or situations to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. The original definition is like a parallel idea.

While you’ve likely heard of Aesop’s fables, parables are different: parables only feature people, while fables can use animals, objects, or forces of nature to illustrate their points. And while parables are often used in religious texts—such as the Parable of the Prodigal Son—they’re also found in secular literature.

The simplicity of parables makes them a powerful rhetorical tool for conveying deeper meanings. They often feature relatable characters and situations, making it easier for readers to understand and remember the lesson being taught. Parables aim to provoke thought, encouraging readers to examine their beliefs and values.

Example of a parable

One of the most well-known parables is “The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Hans Christian Anderson. Here, two swindlers approach a vain emperor with the offer of creating an outfit that cannot be seen by foolish people. The emperor accepts, and the swindlers pretend that they’re weaving clothes on a loom, even though it’s empty—yet anyone who checks on their progress agrees that they see the clothes as they don’t want to be thought of as a fool. When the emperor debuts this new “outfit” before his people, nobody speaks up, until a child points out that the emperor is not wearing any clothes.

This parable is about the illusions of vanity and how illogical thinking can affect entire groups of people. Even the supposedly obvious was lost on the emperor’s subjects; yet it’s important to consider one’s own opinions instead of an overall group’s. It’s a simple story, but its lesson is meaningful and easily conveyed.

How you can use parables in your storytelling

At their core, parables are metaphors for life lessons or ways to behave morally—rather than telling someone “Always be honest,” a parable such as “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” can illustrate the same point.

Parables can inspire and motivate readers. For example, an employee might use the parable of “The Elephant and the Hummingbird” to remind a coworker of why they do what they do, while a parent might use the parable of “The Good Samaritan” to instill values of morality to their children at an early age.

And in the parable of “The Blind Men and the Elephant” reflects a valuable lesson about humility, respect, and the experiences of others. Each blind man touches a different part of the elephant’s body: one man touches its trunk and claims that it is a snake, one man touches its legs and claims that it is a tree, and another man touches its tail and claims that it is a rope. The men argue, each believing that their own perspective is the correct one. But since they fail to consider the elephant, each of their perspectives are limited by their own experiences. The lesson here: everyone has diverse opinions formed from their lives, and we can gain a more complete understanding of the world around us if we can consider them equally.

Parables are thought-provoking, encouraging readers to examine their own beliefs and values. The simplicity of parables makes them easy to remember, rendering them an effective tool for spreading a message. By understanding what a parable is, readers can gain a greater appreciation for the power of storytelling, while writers can use them as a new tool for conveying an argument.