ABSTRACT
The argument from similarity is also beset with difficulties. The basic idea is that similarity may indicate imitation. But some similarities are trivial and some the result of chance. In addition there are several curious features of the methodology of similarity-reasoning. It is well known that authors usually do not like to be caught thieving, and most of them, if they borrow, try to hide it. Hiding means making the borrowed element dissimilar , and suddenly, hocus-pocus, we have a situation where everything could be imitation, because if it is similar, then it is imitation , and if it is dissimilar, then the author is furiously trying to hide his imitation . Contributing further to the dangers are the mechanisms of literary allusion. An allusion to another literary work should preferably be veiled; it is aesthetically most pleasing for the reader if the elements signalling the allusion are minimized . In the same way as irony signals should be minimized, so should those of allusion, since it gives the audience a pleasurable feeling of belonging to an 'in-group' if they can catch a veiled and casual allusion, rather than an allusion that vulgarly insists on drawing attention to itself by irritating verbal nudges and obnoxiously pointed stylistic fingers, in a self-conscious poke which insults the reader by underestimating him . Allusions are kin to cryptography .
