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Argument: Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" has numerous connections to the works of Virgil and Aeneas as a commentary of ethical and moral decay. Claims:-Fitzgerald was a moralist -Fitzgerald is similar to Petronius -Fitzgerald uses Virgil as a moral guide Evidence:-"Like most moralists from Hesiod to C. B. De Mille, he set a moral type (like Nick Carraway) against a moral antitype (Gatsby)." -"Fitzgerald, like Petronius, is interested in the trappings of the wealthy of his day; both Gatsby and Trimalchio have amassed huge wealth by questionable means, and cannot entirely obscure their low origins and gross habits. When both men celebrate their material success by throwing lavish parties for hordes of dissolute neighbors, they are rewarded by being the subject of their guests' gossip." -"The farmers described in Virgil's Georgics are exemplars of Augustan morality, the same kind of values cherished by Nick Carraway." -"At the end of The Great Gatsby Nick concludes the novel by speaking of the effort to escape the past and achieve one's ambition in an image expressing the archetypal element in any struggle for a distantly receding ideal."

Argument: Jane Austen discreetly demonstrates her moral and religious perspective in her novels. Claim: The inferiority of the heroines allow them to assume the role of the moral observer; therefore, allowing the degrees of 'self-contempt' of the characters in Austen's novels to portray a moral reflection on their flaws. Evidence: ". . . heroines come within easy reach of one of the great archetypes--Cinderella . . . What we get more of is the pains of the heroine in her role of compelled observer." http://search.ebscohost.com.lib.chandleraz.gov/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=16242517&site=lrc-live.

Argument: Rubin Rabinovitz writes that Anthony Burgess reuses a motif of libertarian vs. authoritarian in many of his novels. Often times this conflict of the characters is a projection of Burgess' views on morals and ethics as well as a display of Burgess' internal struggle. Rabinovitz refers to his novels A Clockwork Orange and the Tremor of Intent, pegging characters to libertarian and authoritarian personas. Through these comparisons he observes Burgess' own inconsistencies in his writing. Evidence: "The apparent inconsistencies in Burgess's dualistic moral views are sometimes seen as the result of his utilization of the Eastern yin-yang principles" (Rabinovitz). "What the religious novelist often seems to be saying is that evil is a kind of good, since it is an aspect of Ultimate Reality; though what he is really saying is that evil is more interesting to write about than good" (Burgess). "Very often, Burgess's use of Manichean dualism does work to reconcile differences in Eastern and Western thought; but problems arise when a choice must be made between relativism and absolutism...Absolutism seems to demand absolute fidelity, and in this sense Burgess's moral point of view appears ambiguous or inconsistent" (Rabinovitz). Thoughts: Rabinovitz focuses on conflicting ideologies that are not often recognized when reading A Clockwork Orange. He also offers a background on Anthony Burgess' location and how that contributes to his characters. Rabinovitz recognizes many of Burgess' characters as projections of Burgess himself and proposes how the clash of eastern and western philosophy influenced the author.

Argument: 1984 is a bad book, but will survive because it will always have relevance to society. Claims: 1984 has moral force as an early political warning; it is the Uncle Tom's Cabin of our time. Overall though, the book is poorly written with only the parody of the political slogans being decent aspects. Evidence: -1984's biggest reason for success is because society is moving towards the society portrayed in the book. -"Uncle Tom is a more interesting martyr than Orwell's failed martyr, the drab Winston Smith" -"Wyndham Lewis sensibly compared Orwell as a writer to H.G. Wells, but Wells was consistently more inventive and entertaining" -"A great pamphleteer, like Jonathan Swift, is a master of irony and satire. Here again, Orwell plainly is deficient. His literalness defeats his wit" -"He was a moral and political essayist who had the instincts of a pamphleteer" http://search.ebscohost.com.lib.chandleraz.gov/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=16405585&site=lrc-live

Argument: The moral characters of a young couple disintegrate as they wait to inherit a vast fortune. Claims: It is ironic how Anthony and Gloria only had to expect to get money to be corrupted by it. They are selfish and self-indulgent, both of which contributed to their attachment to greed, excess, and alcohol. Fitzgerald's disapproval of their actions is clearly evident throughout the book. Evidence: "As they move through their pointless round of pleasures, they demand wilder and stronger stimulation, but this only contributes to their downward spiral." "Quite a few of the pleasure-seeking, carefree antics of Anthony and Gloria-at least in the earlier sections of the novel-are based on escapades of Fitzgerald and his wife." "The third-person narrator veers between bemused appreciation of Anthony and Gloria as unapologetic hedonists and hardly veiled disapproval of their waste of talent and lives." http://search.ebscohost.com.lib.chandleraz.gov/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=MOL9830000741&site=lrc-live

Argument: the society that does not encourage individualism invites a tyranny of bland mediocrity Claim: Rand exposes the sharpness of the familiar line drawn between self and other Evidence: "that man exists for his own sake, that the pursuit of his own happiness is his highest moral purpose, that he must not sacrifice himself to others, nor others to himself."

Argument: I might be mistaken, as I have not read all 80 pages of this magazine, but the argument for pages 79-80 is certainly that people enjoy literature they perceive to be real. Good writers give their plots 'Authority'.
Claim 1: Crichton demands 'moral attention' by using scientific facts.
Evidence: The Velociraptor of "Jurassic Park" is considered an accurate representation of a predator, and after the publication of the novel, the dinosaur entered popular culture.

Argument: Shakespeare's characters struggle with the conflict in human nature between reason and emotions. Claim: - Shakespeare's characters used overindulgence in pleasre and self indulgence to attack the Puritans.- He influences the moral value of freedom vs. restraint. Evidence: "Of the two extremes, the course of life that would banish all indulgence is emphasized as more objectionable." "Shakespeare composed in praise of the much - needed, well balanced nature, to extoll that happy union of judgement and of feeling which is the basis of higher sanity."

Argument: Fitzgerald used characterization to uphold his view on the American culture during the Jazz Age. Claim: Fitzgerald is able to establish a clear reflection of a large society through one or two characters. His approach to writing a culturally reflective novel is shown through brightest by character interactions. Evidence: "Echoes of the American Dream pervade the novel, which contrasts the supposed innocence and moral sense of the "Western" characters with the sophistication and materialism of the "Eastern" characters" (Palvovski).

Claim:"where his Zen interests coalesced with his emerging themes, where he gave new life to the American short story." Argument: J.D.Salinger reveals what the new American life with the characters and families who chooses to make in his novels. Evidence: "Thornton Wilder published a magazine piece on the declining moral standards of America's youth, and John Cheever, as if to chronicle these uncertain times, published The Enormous Radio and Other Stories--featuring such emblematic titles as "The Season of Divorce," "O City of Broken Dreams," and "Christmas is a Sad Season for the Poor." Nine Stories tapped into this ambivalent milieu [(being in a area where there is a positive and negitive feeling towards one person)]: the stories dealt with genius, spiritual integrity, moral corruption, and the occasional ability of innocence to transform our lives."

Argument: Despite raging criticisms that Fitzgerald work as a American writer had failed miserably, but analyzing his success after his death, the importance and significance of his novels are proven prevalent when observing American Culture during the Jazz Age. Claim: There was much critical neglect during Fitzgerald life, much ridicule and shame brought upon Fitzgerald. His life ended with misery, yet does not lessen the writers contribution to literary representation of American culture. Evidence: "...the days and months of his private world began to descend into tragedy. He could not bring the order into his life that would allow him to write his next novel. By the end of the twenties he was living too high and drinking too much" (Shain). "...he did the final complexity of our society and to recognize that we create a large part of our moral selves as we become engaged in that society. This is the theme that runs through his fiction · and through his life" (Shain). http://go.galegroup.com.lib.chandleraz.gov/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=LitRC&userGroupName=chandler_main&tabID=T001&searchId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=6&contentSet=GALE|H1479001146&&docId=GALE|H1479001146&docType=GALE&role=Scribner

George Bernard Shaw was not like other writers of his time. He chose to go against the norm and push to expose immoral behaviors. In his work he attends to individual responsibility and for people to go against the conformist of society. He wanted his readers to break away from what was expected of them and find themselves in the process. The author's purpose in writing this was to recognize Shaw. Not only for the things he did but the way he did them. The author wanted to show how Bernard used his writing to connect with his audience in ways that were not typically seen. The article was much focused; it expressed the main points efficiently and organized so the reader knew what to look for and to see the main ideas. In order for this author to emphasize his points he adds quotes said by Shaw. This helps with the effectiveness of the piece as a whole. The reader is able to see the first hand evidence to back up the authors views. The author comes to the conclusion that Shaw was able to do things others could not. He points out the contemporary moral problems Shaw chose to address along with his use of ironic tone and paradoxes. The author may be in fact a huge fan of Shaw, making his criticism bias. He states all of Shaw's accomplishments throughout the piece along with all of his life work. He does not in fact state his admiration for Shaw, but it can be inferred by the elevated complimentary diction

Purpose: The author shows how Lady Bertram's pet Pug is a symbol of society and the role of Women at the time. She argues that Austen demonstrates the indolence and growing modernization of society and its roles by means of the lapdog ever so present throughout the novel (although a subtle presence). Evidence: "she [Austen] also subtly highlights most of the revolutionary issues of the day: women's nature and place, social class, nationalism and the Empire, Darwinian physiognomy, religion and morality, urbanization, and slavery." "She shows Lady Bertram treating her pug like a baby, always in her lap or in her arms…much as a young mother spends her afternoons watching a toddler." "All this, added to the failures of Lady Bertram's children, serves to illustrate the moral that a woman's duty is to mother her children not to waste her time with pets." "Katherine McDonogh's argument that pet dogs in the French Revolution were shown to be superior to kennel dogs, in being pedigreed and therefore elite, and to symbolize the idle and dissolute aristocracy." "Yet the pug also symbolizes the decadence and laziness of the idle rich." "Beth Dixon points out that women being connected to animals in literature shows that women are bodily, natural, and emotional, therefore closer to being animals themselves than men are." "the pug, while an understandable presence, still evokes and symbolizes the evils of modernity which it has been adopted to alleviate" "it also reprimands traditional culture for keeping women like her daughters Maria and Julia repressed to the point where they erupt in rebellion against strictures of all kinds, especially those prescribing lives as human lapdogs for themselves." Thoughts: I agree with the arguments presented in this criticism and I also find it interesting that such a subtle thing as a lapdog can have so much to say about Austen's purpose or at least one of her purposes to Mansfield Park.

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: The character's process of maturing creates the motivating force of the novel. Evidence: Each story has one narrator whom all have an idealized view of the world. All three stories mentioned play on the imagery of darkness. Own Thoughts: Galloway has indeed made an interesting observation from reading Conrad's works. She does a great job staying on topic along with tying the three novels together. Quotes: "These contrasting doubles all "pull" on the narrators; the narrators are either attracted by certain positive qualities or repelled by their double's lack of "moral restraint" or both." "All three stories deal with a process of maturing that involves the loss of youthful illusions, a process usually precipitated by an actual "trial" that challenges the protagonist's professional skills as well as his assumptions about his identity and sanity."

Argument: Canadenis' argument is that Marlow goes through a metamorphosis by focusing his mind on Kurtz and carelessly allowing himself to enter into the state of "darkness." Evidence: 1. When the manager first mentions Kurtz to him, Marlow seems unequivocally grateful for the new distraction, immediately fixating his attention on the trader and inquiring about him endlessly. 2. Kurtz is like Marlow's doppelganger, his corrupted "other self"-which explains why Marlow experiences such revulsion upon learning of Kurtz's unforgivable transgressions in the name of profit. Marlow sees too much of himself in Kurtz already-and he doesn't like what he sees. 3. The "effect" that Kurtz has on Marlow varies throughout the journey, from self-illumination to one of absolute horror and disgust. Kurtz's gruesome story reveals to Marlow that each person simultaneously possesses the capacity for both great good and for unadulterated evil-and his ultimate decay serves as firsthand evidence of the consequences of embracing one's dark side and forsaking morality. Quotes: "Marlow begins his quest into the "heart of darkness" with nothing but noble intentions and a genuine thirst for adventure." "Consequently, he greets the images of agonizing chain-gangs, malnourished "unhappy savages," the gory murder of his helmsman by javelin, the echoing cries of "infinite desolation,..." Own Thoughts: 1.Canadenis gives a more understanding insight/explanation on how Kurtz is Marlow's "double" just like how Leggatt is the narrator's "double" in The Secret Sharer. 2. This source also has a good way of explaining how Marlow does not necessarily mature, he just allows something/someone to take control of him.

Argument: Wealth is dangerous to society because it leads to moral deterioration in the form of drugs and alcohol. Claims:-Wealth skews personal identity leading to feelings of superiority and entitlement -Wealth provokes an unattainable desire for happiness through the forms of luxury and indulgence Evidence: -"Alcohol or drugs are used to escape the pain brought on by a warped perspective, and the rich have no trouble getting more, whenever desired." -"For example, in cases of inheritance, where wealthy individuals didn't really earn their money at all, there are high rates of abuse and addiction." -"However, happiness soon becomes an unattainable ideal when it gets tied up with an insatiable desire for personal possessions and luxurious living. When you always want more, you're never satisfied, and the dissatisfied are more likely to turn to drugs or alcohol."

Sean J. Kelly argues that Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter to satirize the Puritan church and how they fail to meet the standards of an ideal Christian community. Kelly's argument, while not very strong, is coherent, consistent and focused. While he does not offer solid evidence for his claim, his argument is very logical and insightful. The author describes The Scarlet Letter in contrast to other seduction novels before the novel's time. He states, "Earlier American seduction novels such as Charlotte Temple (1791) and The Coquette: Or, The History of Eliza Wharton; A Novel Founded on Fact (1797) invited the reader not only to witness the female protagonist's moral struggle and downfall, but also to forgive her transgressions as they were repented, typically in death." The background information provides for his argument and shows how his conclusion might be plausible. He concludes that Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter to criticize the lack of compassion and sympathy in the Puritan society which made them flawed. Irony exists because the Puritan society is supposed to be a Utopia but according to Kelly, the ideal Christian society is one that includes empathy. Kelly's criticism was published in a Christian literature journal which might conclude in some biased interpretations of Hawthorne's novel. The essay was also published in 2008 which explains the enlightened thinking in contrast to the thinking of the previous criticism by Coxe.

Argument: Marxism in both reality and fiction typically represent African Americans as a lower class, ignorant, disrespected race. Claim: Ellison develops his characters, of dark ethnicity, as a person reaching outside of an animalistic portrayal, and exposes an intellect, developing a bridge between race. Evidence: Perhaps, Ellison's maritime experience, led him to..."took a moral responsibility for democracy" and who represented African Americans in a way that few had--"as a symbol of Man."