A personification is usually expressed in just one sentence. However, some personifications extend through an entire story or poem. This is an example of an extended personification. The story of “The Naked Truth” is a good example of an extended personification.
Sadly, in today’s world, people prefer a beautifully clothed lie to the naked truth. Why? Because the naked truth is sometimes embarrassing.
Have you ever tried telling the truth of a story then realized that it was too shameful or embarrassing? Then perhaps you told a version of the story which was part truth and part lie. In other words, you told a beautifully clothed lie instead of the shameful, embarrassing, naked truth. This happens to a lot of people.
There is a beautiful fable that dates back as far as the 19th century which illustrates this idea.
The Naked Truth
According to a 19th-century legend, the Truth and the Lie met one day. The Lie says to the Truth: “It’s a marvelous day today!” The Truth looks up to the skies and sighs, for the day was really beautiful. They spend a lot of time together, ultimately arriving beside a well. The Lie tells the Truth: “The water is very nice, let’s take a bath together!”
The Truth, once again suspicious, tests the water and discovers that it indeed is very nice. They undress and start bathing. Suddenly, the Lie comes out of the water, puts on the clothes of the Truth, and runs away. The furious Truth comes out of the well and runs everywhere to find the Lie and to get her clothes back. The World, seeing the Truth naked, turns its gaze away, with contempt and rage.
The poor Truth returns to the well and disappears forever, hiding therein her shame. Since then, the Lie travels around the world, dressed as the Truth, satisfying the needs of society, because, the World, in any case, harbors no wish at all to meet the naked Truth.
In the story above, the concepts of “truth” and “lie” are given human qualities. This is an example of an extended personification.
