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Argument: Cultural customs influence the characterization of the women in Bram Stoker's Dracula and The Mystery of the Sea; there are two types of women he writes about - the New Woman and 'classical' woman - and makes clear distinctions between the two. Claim: Stoker bases his characters off of two different types of women to emphasize the differences between characters, and to introduce suspense into the plot. Because Stoker writes about 'classical' women like Mina Harker and Gormala (to a certian extent), these women clash with the New Woman characters because of the different lifestyles. Evidence: The New woman wanted to "acheieve self-determination through life, growth, and experience." The New woman developed through an uprising feminist movement, a rebellion that involved woman's "refusal to heed the abstraction of womanhood." "Feminism sought to change human consciousness about male dominance". Because the qualities in the 'classical woman' and New Woman were opposites, it creates suspense and conflict between characters that helps to set the mood and move the plot forward.

Argument: As time continues to evolve, woman are becoming more and more independent in every aspect of their lives. Breaking away from their husbands and manly figures in their lives, they have become people of strong independence. Claim: In both novels by Mary Higgins Clark, the main character is a woman and has her own sort of independence, and that independence seems to get her out of dire situations. The Cradle Will Fall and A Cry in the Night are both mystery novels, and the way the woman are not killed at the end of the book is because they sought out their own independence and did not have to lean on their husband or boyfriend for support in any situation. In Ne-yo's song, Miss Independent, he talks about how an independent woman is a lady who takes control of herself and of her life. She does not need the support of others to aid her in any way, but can figure things out on her own. She is a bright, intelligent, hard working woman and can get through any situation by herself. Evidence: "Kinda woman that can do for herself" "Car and Crib, she['s] about to pay [th]em both off and her bills are pad on time" "Anything less she['s] telling them to get lost" "Her favorite thing to say 'don't worry I got it,' and everything she got best believe she bought it" 

Argument: Bram Stoker's relgious and cultural customs influence the characterization of the women in his novel Dracula; there are two types of women he writes about - the New Woman and 'classical' woman - and makes clear distinctions between the two. Claim: Stoker choses to salvage the only woman pure at heart - Mina - and condems the other women because of the characteristics associated with the New Woman, reflected in the Vampire character. Evidence: "The living woman is full of 'sweetness and purity,' while the un-dead vampire is associated with voluptuousness, carnality, and wicked desire." http://search.ebscohost.com.lib.chandleraz.gov/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=48218147&site=lrc-live.

Argument: Bram Stoker's relgious and cultural customs influence the characterization of the women in his novel Dracula; there are two types of women he writes about - the New Woman and 'classical' woman - and makes clear distinctions between the two. Claim: Bram Stoker condems the New Woman in Dracula by making the four of five women in the novel Vampires, however, he saves the 'classical' nature of Mina harker and uses her as a key factor that leads to the death of dracula. Evidence: Bram Stoker makes the vampire women out to be savage in order to exaggerate the difference between the New Woman and more traditional female. "Accustomed to seeing themselves portrayed in literature as either angels or monsters, women may wonder why Dracula is the single male vampire in the novel while four of the five women characters are portrayed as vampires - aggressive, inhuman, wildly erotic, and motivated by only an insatiable thirst for blood." http://search.ebscohost.com.lib.chandleraz.gov/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=6888397&site=lrc-live.

Argument: In publishing a novel as dark and brutal as Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte broke through the restraints that constricted female authors at the time. Claim: The book was written during the Romantic era. Emily Bronte was heavily influenced by Romanticism, as evident in her novel. Wuthering Heights is clearly a novel written by a woman. Before Romanticism, Wuthering Heights would have been a daring novel to write. Evidence: "'While the book is offensive, even repulsive, it has the repulsiveness of power. Charlotte Brontë's books are unmistakably those of a woman--a woman fretting at and scorning the limitations of her sex and her day, yet in a measure yielding to them. But Emily . . . overleaps the barriers" and ignores her own and her readers' sensibilities. Her purpose was to write the truth about her characters, and as a result she "handles brutality and coarseness as another woman would handle a painted fan.'" "In Wuthering Heights 'there is evident no quiver of feminine nerves in the mind or hand.'"

Argument: Mary Higgins Clark's novels contain similar traits that are seen within each of her mystery books.  Claim:Lisa A. Wroble claims that throughout the four books mentioned in her critical analysis, all four of them contain almost the same literary elements. Women as heroines, dramatic irony throughout the plot line, the motif of "bad guy" vs. "good guy", and  a theme of woman determination are some examples that Wroble mentions in her analysis. In addition to identical characteristics of Clark's novels, Wroble claims the effectiveness of Clark's writing in the mystery genre. Wroble goes into a little bit of depth on how Clark utilizes the specific literary elements to draw in the reader in every single piece of literature that she creates. Clark also backs up her stories with factual information, which, in Wroble's viewpoint, allows the plot to be more believable and captivating to the audience.     Evidence: "A masterful and popular storyteller, Mary Higgins Clark intricately laces suspense through tightly woven story lines to pull readers into her stories." "Clark's victims often have a friend or relative dedicated to seeing their adversary punished. This character is usually a very strong woman who puts a great deal of pressure on herself to help her loved one." "The reader never feels cheated by Clark's economical but informative and entertaining prose."

I'm having some issues with the website, but I do have the analysis saved if you end up needing a hard copy :)

Argument:As Clark started developing more mystery novels in the 1970's, she became more successful and found her strength in writing.  Claim:Edward D. Hoch states that Clark's form of mystery is not simple murder or crime cases, but rather suspenseful plot lines that keep the tone of the book like something that cannot be put down. Hoch also claims that Clark's use of characters and victims that are somewhat related to real life people bring a different atmosphere to the novel. Clark's use of a heroine throughout her characters brings in an audience of women, and allows her books to be more successful with this specific audience.  Evidence: "But it is the suspense rather than the mystery that makes the book so compulsively readable."  "The idea of children in jeopardy strikes a responsive chord with women readers.." "The plot and its motivation are somewhat reminiscent of the sort of hospital thrillers Robin Cook excels at, but clark produces a few new twists of her own." "The story of a young woman who marries a man without really knowing him, and then goes off to live in an isolated house, is one of the classic themes of fiction." 

Arthur Cleveland Coxe wrote "The Writings if Hawthrone" to criticize Nathaniel Hawthorne for his work The Scarlet Letter. He criticizes Hawthorne for the inspiring "social licentiousness" and making fun of all religion. He believes that the subject matter is inappropriate a romance novel and that woman everywhere would be offended that they were painted in a negative light. Coxe's argument while coherent and consistent lacks logic because he provides next to no proof of his argument. His argument is a shallow criticism that doesn't attempt to understand the work on a deeper level. The only evidence Coxe provides is the subject matter of the novel and the Nathaniel Hawthorne's participation in a six-month stay in a Transcendentalist commune. He argues that because Hawthrone associates himself with enlightened ideals he must be trying to destroy the Gospel. He deduces "this sort of sentiment must be charged to the doctrines enforced at 'Brook-Farm.'" His assumptions hold no basis because he doesn't provide any proof from the text other than dialogue that he finds disgusting. The author concludes that Hawthorne is trying to obliterate morality with The Scarlet Letter and suggest adulterous relationships are acceptable. The author's belief is not without bias to say the least. His criticism was published in The Church Review and further research reveals the author was the second Episcopal bishop of New York. Of course he would overlook the satirical purpose of The Scarlet Letter because he did not see anything wrong with the way they Puritans treated Hester Prynne.

Argument: Lists and explains in detail the characters that play a role in Ernest Hemingway's novel, A Farewell to Arms. Justifies that the protagonist of the novel is Lieutenant Frederic Henry, and that the woman he loves is named Catherine Barkley. Argues that the protagonist, Frederic Henry, feels pity and sorrow at the end of the novel (similar to the sorrow that Hemingway feels in his life). Evidence: "Henry is a protagonist who is sensitive to the horrors and beauties of life and war" ("A Farewell to Arms"). "Henry feels sorrow and pity…" ("A Farewell to Arms"). "When she falls in love with Henry, she gives herself freely to him" ("A Farewell to Arms"). Thoughts: The two main characters, Frederic Henry and Catherine Barkley in A Farewell to Arms are reflections of Ernest Hemingway in real life and of the love affair he once had with an Italian nurse, Agnus Von Kurowsky. Both characters in the novel are mirror images of what once existed in Hemingway's life. He nearly tells his life story over again A Farewell to Arms. However, he uses other characters to present his story. For example, he plays the protagonist character (Frederic Henry), and his one-time lover, Agnus, plays Catherine Barkley. Because of this, Hemingway has the opportunity to recount his life, let his feelings out, and put a little twist on the story if he pleases. However, the story of his life is tremendously similar to his books. He changes little of his real life and puts it into novels, and merely changes the characters' names. Quotes: "American who has volunteered to serve with an Italian ambulance unit during World War I. Like his Italian companions, he enjoys drinking, trying to treat the war as a joke…" ("A Farewell to Arms"). "…he is wounded, has an operation on his knee, and is sent to recuperate in Milan, where he again meets Miss Barkley, falls in love with her…" ("A Farewell to Arms").

Argument: Author Sarah Hackenberg presents the opinion that women are only hiding behind their servant attitudes in order to get where they would like. She presents the sequence of events that led up to the initial true image of Jean Muir, not that of a nineteen year old but in fact of a haggard old woman. Hackenberg also gives certatin prominence to the idea of womens' highest achievement would be their marital status. The entire story epitomizes a servant of a governess that exhibits the standard female behaviors up until the very end where the maanipulative and devious women unmasks her self, hypothetically and literally. Evidence: "Most critics of "Behind a Mask" attend closely to the tale's radical gender and class dynamics: the way Alcott overtly aligns operating behind a mask with female power" (Hackenberg) "the fact that the governess's ultimate ambition, despite all her formidable powers of artistry and perception, is to "trick" a man into marriage..."(Hackenberg) Thoughts: Hackenberg raises many interesting points. Jean Muir was the ultimate woman. She only lacked in one area and that area was her status. Her only hope of climbing up in the world would to be marrying someone of a higher class. She said multiple times in the story that if this did happen to her that she would be completly content and only honor and follow her husband's rules. However, with the history that she has and what we know of her from reading this story we can be almost certain that Jean will not be content and will have to stir up some troulbe somehow. The story leaves off at a crucial point that leaves the readers contemplating all the different outcomes it could have.

The Survival of the Fittest Throughout The Handmaid's Tale, a major ideal is a strong feminist stance. The author is trying to convince other critics that Offred, a character in the novel, portrays a strong woman fighting for survival against politics. While others believe that Offred is "no hero," "a wimp," this author is convinced that she continuously "proves her consistent efforts not only to survive, but also to maintain her individuality." With the evidence the author has given to support his ideas about this ideal to survive, the evidence he provides proves to be logical. When the author states, "an examination of her more subtle rebellion against the oppressive totalitarian regime," he is persuasively showing that Offred portrays the strong nature of the human spirit. The focus the author commits on the argument is obvious. The author repeatedly compares Offred to other strong characters in other Margaret Atwood novels and in The Handmaid's Tale itself. This proves the author's consistency with the evidence he provides to prove his purpose. These also help show the pros of his persuasive side of the argument about how strong a feminine hero can be through human spirit. The evidence this author provides significantly supports his perspective. He starts out by attacking other arguments that have been stated, using it as a tactic to show that his perspective is more "correct." There is plenty of evidence provided in this article to help support his argument. With statements like "the Republic of Gilead is a typical totalitarian society in that it promotes terror tactics while enforcing its rigid dogmas," the author is setting up for his next piece of evidence. He uses the typical case where he sets you up for the next argument, uses evidence from text, and then attacks the opposite side of the argument, but all with a twist. Most authors would have used quotes from the novel itself or a source to attack the opposite s

In Laszlo K. Géfin's criticism of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Géfin explores the satirical elements which lie beneath the characters in Kesey's novel. Géfin focuses his ideas on the Big Nurse, who captures the archetypal monstrous, castrating woman. Some saw the novel as an "Oedipal family romance", named for the mythological king Oedipus, who killed his father and married his mother, which captures several dark elements. The Big Nurse represents the bad mother, McMurphy is the good father, and the mental patients are the children. Others suggest that Kesey's ideas are a reflection of the male fear turned aggression of the Eisenhower era. Either way, family dynamics can be found within One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. This article makes it evident that the Big Nurse's character has been and will continue to be interpreted differently from person to person. The clearest idea that Géfin communicated was that the character of the Big Nurse should not be interpreted literally. It is vital to understand that these characters were created from a man's viewpoint because Kesey's ideas were translated through the Big Nurse. This is why feminist critics often try to downplay the menacing aspects of her character. This article was written quite awhile ago, so many of the media references are a bit outdated, although still applicable. Géfin most likely possesses similar views as Kesey as he was defending the nature of Kesey's characters. According to Géfin, Kesey's Big Nurse is another classic archetypal woman in literature, which will continue to influence further works.

What character development there is in the novel comes from its hero. Dantes is first seen as an uncomplicated youth to whom life's mundane pleasures and basic values are adequate. He wants only to perform his job well, respect his father, and grow old with the woman whom he loves. He has no desire to play any great role in life. He is content to cultivate his own garden until forces he cannot control change him into a man with a mission. Dantes is so consumed with a passion for revenge that he does not realize that he is in danger of losing his soul. This awareness comes to him only after the humiliation of Villefort. "Tell the angel who is going to watch over you, Morrel," he writes to the son of his old patron, "to pray for a man who believed like Satan that for a moment he was the equal of God, but who in all Christian humility now acknowledges that supreme power and infinite wisdom are present in God alone." ( Kleine-Ahlbrandt 1). Argument:One who is so entranced upon the thought or idea of revenge is unaware of the physically and mental transformation that occurs within ones self. Claim: Within the Counte of Monte Cristo, Dante looses sight of himself in the midst of vengeful and a revengeful state of thought. Evidence: "Dantes is so consumed with a passion for revenge that he does not realize that he is in danger of losing his soul. This awareness comes to him only after the humiliation of Villefort." I can use this within

purpose: Bahareh Bahmanpour wrote her article to identify the struggles of female characters that are caught between Indian culture and the transition into Western culture in Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies. Bahmanpour uses various critical terms such as Self/Other Confrontation, Hybridity, Liminality, Female Subaltern, and Diasporic Identity to classify the roles and transitions of three women's identities, Mrs. Sen, Bibi Heldar, and Miranda, in three separate stories. These terms help solidify Bahmanpour's argument that when confronting a new culture, one undergoes feelings of Diaspora, in which must choose between their culture, called Self, or their new environment's culture, called Other. Evidence: 1."Stories that deal with the suffering, pressure, and possible failure or success in the adaptation-process of these female characters in (re-)constructing their subjectivity, (re-)asserting their agency or negotiating their identities through either silence, resistance, negotiation, acculturation, or assimilation." 2. "Hence, subjects of Diasporas are snared in a process of transformation, and repositioning of new identities-identities which are always in the process of becoming and transition but never complete." 3. "There is no single way of representing the diasporic trauma involved in negotiating female identities either as female immigrant or female natives. Each individual from Mrs.Sen to Miranda has their own means of survival; one resists while the other accepts; one acculturates whereas the other escapes. Female characters of Lahiri's fiction negotiate their new unstable identities through their own different means and their own individual voice." Thoughts: Bahmanpour is logical, focused, coherent, and consistent in her argument; although she uses terms that are at first unknown, she clearly defines them and provides examples of them which recognize how the characters are redefining their identity. While the evidence is understa