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Gloria Pond points out how there are various traits that are associated with alcoholism and in this article she relates these traits to a family who suffers from alcoholism. She does not specify weather these traits are acquired through heredity or environmentally determined. The argument between the behaviors of the characters and alcoholic anonymous are continuously back to back drawing more information for the reader. The author brought up some logical examples of alcoholics throughout the article. She would focus on details of background information of alcoholic anonymous and then go to information about the book. The evidence provided about alcoholism is typical in the aspect that it gives background and supportive information that coveys the authors perspective. Even though the author does not go into great detail about alcoholism she provides a sufficient amount of information to get the point across. Pond believes O'Neill accurately demonstrates families ups and downs while dealing with the disease of alcoholism. The author has a slightly negative bias about the recovery of alcoholism. Other than that she goes straight off of the information given. She states that alcoholism is a dangerous disease that creates bad habits. She also implies that most people do not recover from the disease. In the end it comes down to each alcoholic blaming one another for their problems

The author's purpose of the article is to show how Long Day's Journey into Night is more so of an tragedy than a melodrama. Some perceive the play as a melodrama of an addicts life which includes both good and evil outcomes, while Michael Manheim believes the play does not show both good and evil but is a mere tragedy. The author of the article demonstrates a logical organization of his argument. Both consistency and focus are evident, but due to his terminology the coherence can be a bit difficult at times. The author provides enough if not more typical evidence like how Mary had tendencies toward an addictive personality before she became hooked on morphine after childbirth. Even thought the author says the play us very repetitious of the many problems of the Tyrone family he finds that the ending is in his opinion very open ended and imaginative. If the author had biases and beliefs they were not very apparent to me which is not to say he didn't have any just I could not find them. Although he does state a little I believe the author thinks that most critics do not go into enough detail like himself. The author vividly states info gathered from his conclusions about the addict Mary. This is how he specifically states his mind about the article.

Argument: The references to western culture and the similarities as well as the differences between Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker and Gravity Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. During an interview Alice Walker made a comment that said, "Why would they want to?" in regards to "Why write a novel like the one Pynchon wrote? ". Walker refers to her book as "a romance of the last 500,000 years" when according to Adam (writer of the literary criticism) Walker's novel has the "ambition" of Pynchon text. Throughout the text, Adam uses quotes from Walker's novel to relate it to Pynchon's. His purpose for writing this literary criticism was to judge or prove to the public that Walker's novel is in fact similar the Pynchon's. Also, he writes about the difference they have in social views towards the government, and the culture of families. Evidence: "Walker has in common with Pynchon and Wallace a sweeping distrust of the current political, religious, and economic systems of domination prevalent in the world" (Adam). "The world view of The Temple of My Familiar also differs from that of Gravity's Rainbow and many other postmodern texts in its belief in the power of the spiritual to redeem and nourish, even in the midst of oppression and tragedy" (Adam). "Another difference between Walker's novel and Gravity's Rainbow is its concern with communal relationships. Families, tribes, and cultures are of primary importance to the novel, both in the ways that they support the various characters and in the ways in which the characters choose to perpetuate them" (Adam).

Joseph Heller is seen as a modernistic author, in the sense that he uses a chronological plot that is deliberately irrational. "It is only fitting that a novel which deals with an apparently absurd and confused world should be written in an apparently absurd and confused style." The characters in Catch 22 have a feeling that what is happening to them has happened in the past to others. Catch 22 according to the book follows the idea that "They have a right to anything we can't stop them from doing." There was only one catch: "[it] specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind." However, his second release "Something happened" is "described to [have] created a darkened, demonic, perhaps partly hallucinated fictive portrait of contemporary America." One of his most notable achievements is his ability to connect the reader to the protagonist, simultaneously heightening their own self awareness. Civil Disobedience by Thoreau may not directly connect to this ideology, but in general it touches bases with the idea that one should become aware of the right in society and when faced with "wrong" laws disobey in a civil manner.

Tokugawa Ieyasu purpose of the article was to explain the historical aspects of the actual "Taiko" himself and not the character of the Taiko in Eiji Yoshikawa's novel. The article is effective since it only relies on facts and history rather than a personal opinion or argument. The main focus for the audience who have already read Taiko is the realism and accuracy Yoshikawa portrayed in his novel. Such instances as, "the emperor being unable to grant such a title to someone of Hideyoshi's lowly lineage" and "being unable to become an adopted son for not being a shogun" are familiar events that were included in Taiko. There is no evidence that particularly helps or hinders Ieyasu's case since there is no argument, it is purely informational. That being said, there are some key points about the Taiko that are interesting to readers that were not included in the novel, such as, "Hideyoshi unwisely attempted to invade Korea again in the Battle of Keicho. This time the Japanese encountered a well-prepared joint defence of Korea and China. The result was a stalemate". Similarly to Yoshikawa's Musashi, Yoshikawa conveniently leaves out points which has certain effects that he feels unnecessary for the sake o storytelling. The article also goes on to explain certain details of the aftermath of the war and how Hideyoshi died and his son, Hideyori, became his successor. Ieyasu goes on to say the overall effect Hideyoshi had on Japan after his death , "during the Sengoku period, it became common for peasants to become warriors, or even for samurai to farm due to the constant uncertainty of no centralized government".

Argument: Authors A Rama Krishna Rao and R V Jayanth Kasyap argue Lahiri's chacters' search for their identities, and the overall immigrant psyche. The author's descibe the various chacters from Lahiri's different novels and how each of them struggle to adjust and find thier own individuality. Evidence: "A union with the outside world would bring happiness and isolation sometimes leads to depression". "Another important factor that affects the psyche is displacement. People who get displaced-geographically, culturally and spiritually-are always ill at ease and display the symptoms of psychological ailment". "Lahiri's novel The Namesake illustrates the optimism required in an immigrant. It shows that it is the willingness of the mind of an immigrant that helps him to assimilate and adapt himself to the alien ethos. Like Bharati Mukherjee, Lahiri focuses on the aspect of the characters shuttling between dual identities" Thoughts: I really like the authors' way of focusing on the psyche of the immigrants and not just thier actions. They include everything from thoughts and interactions with others, especially with family, as well as other personal choices the specific characters make in the stories. Also I find it very interesting how Rao and Kasyup focus on immigrants as a whole, such as when they descibe how immigrants crave affection, and that an immigrant of any generation cannot live in isolation. This helps to put immigration of all types in perspective, not just that of Lahiri's characters.

In the critique by richard Boyd on Dred: A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp there is little to be said due to his wealth of analsysis of this story. Not only does he put the story in some historical contexts happening at the time, he analyzes the demenors of a range of characters, most frequently, the character Frank Russel. The ingnorant biggot of a character contends time and time again that the factor of freedom is a small one indeed. He is proslavery and believes that slavery will only end in violence.

Literary Criticism about the play, An Enemy of the People. This helps support my arguement on societal issues in which Ibsen presents in his work.

Argument: Marple argues that there is a similarity between the novels Franny and Zooey and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger. She states that since Salinger already incorporated the theme of innocence in The Catcher in the Rye, then it is inevitable for him to input it in his other novels. Also, Salinger is able to portray innocence and growing up in characters such as Holden and Zooey through their actions and decisions. Evidence: "Franny's quest for purity ties Franny and Zooey to a subterranean theme that underlies most of the work Salinger has published during the last twenty-one years" "There is evident, throughout Salinger's writing, a consistent preoccupation with innocence, a preference for the chaste, complemented by the inability of his adult characters to reconcile physical and spiritual love. It is obvious on a re-examination of Salinger's work that his characters are extremely limited in their choice of sexual expression" "There is certain logic in Salinger's choice of an adolescent protagonist. The chastity of adolescence needs little explanation--idealism will suffice" "What is suggested or hinted at in Salinger's earlier work is full grown in his novel the idealization of the celibate, the chaste, and the innocent" "…it is difficult to see how the avoidance of so obvious a part of human life cannot impede the free flow of Salinger's creative life" Thoughts: Even though the criticism states that "Marple offers a generally positive assessment of Franny and Zooey" she is able to support her ideas through examples and direct quotes. I think she makes some valid points on the theme of innocence found in the two stories and I'll be able to use this criticism as support for my paper. The structure of Marple's argument was organized and coherent with the examples. Overall the criticism is useful and reliable.

Argument: The argument is The Pearl is a realistic book that does not have happy endings or sugar coats the realistic part, its just a fictional story with true meaning to it. In each book he writes he shows a different interpretation on life and how it really was at the time period. Evidence: "Perhaps such a basically fantastic, sentimental story does not warrant such strong condemnation; but The Pearl has been widely used as an introduction to fiction, and it provides the kind of introduction that is a disservice both to its author--who wrote much better, controlled works--and to fiction itself by failing to suggest the tough-minded complexity of the greatest examples of the art." (French). "The story that Steinbeck reports hearing is a perfect, self-contained parable that can be read in a variety of ways--it provides consolation for the unsuccessful, a pat on the back for those who choose freedom over wealth, and a scourging of the guilt of those who have suffered for choosing to serve Mammon." (French) "To stress the symbolic importance of these events, Steinbeck heavy-handedly relates each to one of three songs--of the Family, the Enemy, and the Pearl (capitals Steinbeck's)--that Kino keeps hearing in his head." (French) Thoughts: Like most of Steinbeck's books he shows the true meaning of what life was. I think the best authors are the ones who speak there minds and share there opinions in there books. It beings out the character of them. I believe that French (the author of the article) really described and illustrated the way the book effected people and how john Steinbeck is a realist. Steinbeck explains that each and every problem we face every day comes with its pros and cons. Kino had to make a decision with is daily life. I believe wrong he wasn't able to fulfill his dream bring his family on the right track but he made a run at it and most people at that time it was hard to live the dream you always wanted and Steinbeck made a good poi

Maryam Shakir Ms.Jensen AP Lit 12 Janurary 20 Uncle Tom's Cabin Literary Criticism Not surprisingly, the story Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe was based on a story of a real ex- slave. This is exactly what the article by Ilona Kromenzsky attempts to unearth. Along with the usual props given to Beecher for being the first international bestseller in the United states, topping the sales of even the Bible with the controversial story, there is also an unusual aspect to Kromenzsky's analysis of the writer and her tale. She relates that a the man who inspired the book had actually given his story in an autobiography prior to the actually Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet. Josiah Hensen was a real man who escaped slavery by running to Canada and establishing his place in society partially by his love of religion, nearly verbatim to the story line of Stowe's story. There is now a historical site on the grounds of where the true Uncle Tom's cabin was, a tribute to both the book an the man who inspired the phenomenon.

Argument: The writer argues that Sinclair is fighting for social justice and what is right for the masses. His whole cause for humanity was social justice and his type of writing gave off that feeling. The genre that best describe his writing is social protest. Evidence: "Upton Sinclair dedicated himself to a cause-he once wrote that if his heart were cut in half after his death, the words inscribed there would be "Social Justice." falls generally into two genres: the novel of social protest and the "historical" novel. Sinclair muckracked and used a lot of satire and "Fame came early for Sinclair because of one of his social protest novels whose "cause" has largely vanished today but which is still assigned reading in many classrooms because of its realistic portrayal of the life and mistreatment of poor immigrants." Thoughts: I think this is a very accurate portrayal of Sinclair. He wanted social justice and he worked towards getting it all of his life. Through the novel, The Jungle, justice was achieved by exposing the meat industries.

Wells uses science once again to reflect some of his social concerns, however it is not a critical as The Time Machine is. Wells doesn't write a science fiction, but more of a science romance. Science is used as a literary device to create a setting for his novel. The destruction of the Martians by microbes has seemed like an anticlimactic ending to his novel, but the martians portrayed Wells' view, that when a creature evolves, it has gained something, but also something else has to be lost in the process. The novel contradicts the idea that technology makes life better, by showing the defeat of the martians, who are more technologically advanced than the humans, were ignorant and were defeated by a bacteria. The technological advances by humans could lead to the defeat of humans by forces of nature. Wells uses science to mock the human race, in this case the technological advances of mankind.