This question is based on General literacy principles A literary work in which the characters and events are used as symbol is known as

Analyze the question: The question asks for the term for a whole literary work in which characters and events act as symbols, usually standing for deeper moral, political, or spiritual meanings.

Explain the concept: Let's look at each option.

• Characterization: This is how an author creates and develops characters, through description, speech, and actions. It has nothing to do with symbolism.
• Allegory: This is a story in which characters, events, and settings are symbols representing abstract ideas or real-life situations. It has a surface meaning and a deeper hidden meaning.
• Metaphor: This is a figure of speech that compares two things directly without "like" or "as" (e.g., "He is a lion"). It works at the level of a phrase, not a whole work.
• Parallelism: This is the repetition of similar grammatical structures for balance or emphasis. It is a stylistic device, not a type of work.

Solution: The question says a literary work in which characters and events are used as symbols. This is the definition of an allegory. A classic example is George Orwell's Animal Farm, where the animals and events stand for real figures and happenings in the Russian Revolution. Another is John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, where the characters represent virtues and vices.

Answer: The correct option is B. allegory.

Tip: Remember "Allegory = a story with a second meaning." If a question describes a whole work where characters and events stand for something else, think allegory. If it describes a single comparison in a phrase, think metaphor.