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Purpose: The primary literary critiques that the authors target is: the setting of the novel, the characteristics of Lennie and George, followed by multiple themes of the book. The story Of Mice and Men takes place in a town called "Soledad" which translated into English means solitude or loneliness. The setting is quite clever considering that all but two characters in the novel face a lifestyle of solitude; ironically, the two that don't suffer loneliness are the main subjects of the story. Lennie and George represent a committed companionship, which in many ways, complete and compliment one another. According to Howard Levant, "The good life is impossible because humanity is flawed" however throughout the entire novel the strong duo, Lennie and George, express a high level of dedication to reach their ultimate goal, which leads to the theme of the story, commitment. Evidence: "One of the themes of Of Mice and Men is that men fear loneliness, that they need someone to be with and to talk to who will offer understanding and companionship."(Pizer) "The dream of the farm merely symbolizes their deep mutual commitment, a commitment that is immediately sensed by the other characters in the novel."(Owens) "Lennie has been seen as representing "the frail nature of primeval innocence" and as the id to George's ego or the body to George's brain."(Owens) ""Ain't many guys travel around together.... I don't know why. Maybe everybody in the whole damn world is scared of each other." (Steinbeck) Reflection: The evidence is nicely organized along with carefully placed throughout the article. Louis Owens and Harold Bloom used several affective quotes from the novel itself to help support their ideas in response to past criticisms of the book. The authors did not simply claim past criticisms as incorrect however used sufficient evidence to reinforce their own thoughts as true. I did not notice any bias present in the article but only a well-organized analys

C. L. Chua analyzes A Thousand Splendid Suns in an attempt to find out if it was as much of a success as The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini's first novel. The different literary devices that Hosseini used are mentioned to perhaps give validity to the various arguments Chua makes. A shortfall of the critique is that perhaps not enough emphasis was actually placed on an argument; a majority of the essay was a very well written summary of the novel with only a light touch at the very beginning and end of the essay on the actual argument. "He [Hosseini] felt impelled to tell an Afghan story different from The Kite Runner's. That book had been about men-fathers and sons, male friendship, male treachery. Hosseini now felt drawn to tell a contemporaneous story about Afghanistan's women." Chua uses a clear and logical argument to assert his opinion that Hosseini really delved into the life of an Afghanistan woman in the current times. The critique remains coherent but I wish it was more focused and consistent in the argument. It would have been overall better if Chua has also given more of their insight of this novel. I'm not sure if the author of this article is male or female but depending on their gender, it could create a bias. Another bias that may exist is that the author of this critique really enjoy Hosseini's first novel The Kite Runner so they may be more inclined to say that his second novel was just as good since they are already a fan. "Hosseini's two women are strategic contrasts physically, socially, and psychologically. Socially, Mariam is from the rural lower class; Laila, the urban middle class. Psychologically, Mariam is accustomed to humiliation; Laila, to consideration. Physically, Mariam's features are "unshapely," "flat," "unmemorable," "coarse," while Laila is a green-eyed blond beauty." The stark differences that Chua notes about Hosseini's protagonists help to understand a main theme of the novel which could

The Secrets and Lies of the Glass Menagerie By: Tyler Thomas In his criticism, Mr. Debusscher tries to prove the personal struggles with alcoholism and how those struggles affected the writing of The Glass Menagerie. The way that he formats his essay makes it very effective. He begins by stating his thesis and providing page upon page of supportive content. I think he does an excellent job of proving his theories. He also pontificates on the lack of truth shared between the family members. The family seems to be built on a foundation of lies. Debusscher feels strongly about his opinion on Tennessee William's playwright that most people consider to be his autobiography. When researching Tennessee Williams and his background, I found that he was an alcoholic. He spent many years dealing with the disease. In the Glass menagerie Williams also takes aim at the way the heterosexual society functions. After further research I found that Tennessee was a "closet-gay." He didn't admit it until later in life that he was in fact a homosexual. I found this article incredibly helpful in understanding the meaning of Williams play. It was an article that wasn't that hard to read either. The article was full of quotes that really supplemented the reading.

Argument: In writing Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte was divinely inspired by her surroundings, enabling her to create eerily realistic characters and a dreary, yet true setting. Claim: The moors in Wuthering Heights are based on the moors that stretch around her home. She knew her surroundings well. Joseph is based on hill-farmers that lived in the moors around her home. Emily Bronte was a very down-to-earth person. Evidence: "She was a very private person, rejecting such contacts with the world as were offered her through her sister Charlotte and her London publishers." "The author's close familiarity with the local rustic types, the fiercely independent hill-farmers living about the moors, enabled her to create the old curmudgeon Joseph." "In creating such a character as Joseph, Emily Brontë showed that, undoubted visionary as she was, she also had her feet firmly planted on earth." "All the source of her health and happiness, and the inspiration of her writing, were the moors that stretch 20 miles round about her home, Haworth, where she spent her whole life. Her intimate knowledge of the moors at all seasons of the year, and of the wildlife inhabiting them, gave her all the stimulus she needed to enrich her imagination and inspire her writing." http://go.galegroup.com.lib.chandleraz.gov/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CH1420001074&v=2.1&u=chandler_main&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w

In the introduction to her novel Dissecting Stephen King: From the Gothic to Literary Naturalism, author Heidi Strengell discusses the various influences on Stephen King's writing style and how these influences manifest themselves in his novels. According to Strengell, Puritanism, Gothicism, naturalism, and personal experiences are the primary recurring influences present in King's writing. Each manifests itself in a different manner, yet they are often inextricably linked to one another in one form or another. Strengell's first focus is on the religious undertones of King's writing, which she attributes to both King's personal religious views as well as the Puritanical religious frenzy that resonates in early American history, particularly during the era of the Salem witch trials. Characters such as Sylvia Pittson from The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger serve as physical manifestations of King's views on religion in his writing, for it is a recurring trend in King's novels to include a character overcome with some form of religious frenzy. King's past experiences growing up as a member of a lower middle class family also play a key role in his writing; indeed, another character stereotypical of a King novel is the "common man," a seemingly ordinary character plunged into a situation beyond the bounds of his daily existence. This stereotype ties in with one of King's prominent world views, the notion of free will versus fate. Along with the notion that there are inherently good and evil forces in the world, this is perhaps the most recurring element in King's writing, appearing in both his individual novels, such as The Dark Half, as well as his book series, such as The Dark Tower. Over the course of her introduction, Strengell references various historical and philosophical ideas in order to provide background to the influences which she attributes to King. This background information is provided at the beginning of each section, thus placi

Jenny Turner, the author of the article entitled, "Top Of The World," discusses the variety of novels that Douglas Coupland has written and analyzes their purposes. Miss Wyoming, being one of Coupland's novels, is focused on the majority of the article and is summarized as well as criticized. Jenny Turner's main purpose of the article is to argue that Miss Wyoming is a novel that is "structured around fantasies of escape" due to the fact that the two main characters in Miss Wyoming are constantly searching for an escape route to life. Although, the organization of the article itself does not make the argument as effective as it could be. Statements related to Miss Wyoming are scattered around the article and therefore the reader has to search for the sections that Miss Wyoming is talked about. This makes the article confusing to navigate as well as unorganized. Fortunately, Jenny Turner places valid statements within the article in which forces the reader to make conclusions about Douglas's novel and utilizes the text as evidence. Throughout the piece, Turner takes quotes from Miss Wyoming in order to support the claims being noted and the quotes that are chosen do effectively support the arguments. Although it is not directly stated, one can infer that an argument in which Jenny Turner is defending is that due to the events that take place in Miss Wyoming, in order to discover the true meaning of life, one must witness a tragedy. Jenny Turner attempts to prove that Coupland writes novels that consist of a series of tragedies in which the characters go through in order to find meaning in their lives. The two novels that Turner utilizes to support this argument are Girlfriend In A Coma and Miss Wyoming. By connecting the two novels in her article, one is able to see the common situations and themes in the majority of Coupland's novels.

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.

The author of the Bergsonian Critique criticizes and explains the novel, Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte. It says how it could be an example of feminist text because of a women's quest. They critique that it is a mythic and gothic text because they believe the author was "unappealing and unremarkable". The strength of will of the main character allows the novel to develop through the quest. The purpose of this analysis and critique is to show how some of Bronte's life or personality is portrayed through the novel and characters. The author of the analysis gives Bronte credit because of the way she writes due to the autobiographical structure of the novel. The character Jane says in the novel that she will not "announce to the world that she is trying to begin any type of feminist movement". The author of this analysis believes that it is all about feminism and either an example of being "unfeminine" or feminine. The thinking of the main character could have had a movement for women in the 19th century when the novel was written. Most of the time, throughout, the author talks mostly about Jane and her "defiance of authority". They feel like Charlotte Bronte proves that Jane is a part of her and her beliefs. The purpose of this from the article was to show how the main character thinks and questions that may arise from the reader of the novel.

Hilda Kirkwood's purpose is to review and talk about the short story called Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger. She explains how Salinger's writing style and techniques add to the overall effect of the short story he wrote. She also touches upon the themes of the story, which I found interesting because it was similar to the themes of the Catcher in the Rye. Kirkwood sets up her criticism in a somewhat organized manner. Her ideas and thoughts are not logically in order, however, they all relate to each other and connect very nicely. The author provides direct quotes from the story to further enhance and help her explanation of the plot and characters. She is able to focus on Salinger's writing style while still be consistent with the specific details from the book. In my opinion I think there is enough evidence to support the author's case. She includes many examples from the story to help support her case on Salinger's techniques as an author. Kirkwood concludes that Salinger is an amazing writer and his writing is unique. Also, the message of Franny and Zooey was to "connect" and somehow the characters weren't able to. Assumptions on the short story may contribute to the author's purpose because the book appeared in the New Yorker, so the author knows the story is worthy writing about. The fact that the author praises Salinger as a writer numerous times throughout the criticism contributes makes the author a little bias. The author is passionate about Salinger's writing style and I can tell simply by her explicit statements on him. I can tell that Kirkwood knows that Salinger is known for writing about being connected because that was his main focus in the Catcher in the Rye.

Argument: Khaled Hosseini gives a face to the Afghan people in The Kite Runner. It humanizes the culture and gives outsiders to the culture a little insight to the fact that we may not be that different from each other after all. The novel offers the theme of personal redemption that many have dealt. Literary critics have seen this book as being an allegory but Jefferess takes this a step farther by pointing out how this novel is really a political allegory that uses a humans shot at redemption in comparison to that of the country Afghanistan's chance to fix itself. Evidence: "Hence the novel "humanizes" Afghan culture, providing depth and meaning to the sign "Afghanistan" for the non-Afghan reader, otherwise a mere signifier of post-9/11 conflict" (Jefferess). "While Amir's quest for personal redemption may be read as an allegory of Afghanistan's national project of healing, I read the novel as a political allegory that reflects the way in which the "third world", marked by its difference from the "West", becomes a site to be transformed through the project of nation-building" (Jefferess). "This project is presented in the West as an ethical demand that is paradoxically conceived of as both a humanitarian project and a disciplinary one; to be recognized as human, Afghanistan must conform to particular western expectations of democracy, liberalism, and multiculturalism. While the novel's reception reflects an openness to, and a desire for, understanding the Other, it also reflects the limits of acceptable difference"(Jefferess) Thoughts: The view that Jefferess took on The Kite Runner is extremely interesting. Not many have seen the novel as merely an ethical allegory, but he argues this point well. The fact that since the US has entered the war in Afghanistan, many people view that the end of the war will be when Afghanistan becomes a democracy and adopts western ideals, but what isn't always understood is that with change, comes

James Urguhart, the author of a Girlfriend In A Coma criticism, expresses that Douglas Coupland establishes novels in order to show examples of the way individuals should live. But for instance, in Girlfriend In A Coma, it takes a tragic event to occur in order for the other characters to realize their significance in this life as well as on earth. Urguhart's purpose of the critique is to prove that Coupland is an author who writes about the edge of the world as well as uses characters to portray that there is more to life than just living. The article by James Urguhart is effective in explaining the in depth concepts presented in Girlfriend In A Coma. Urguhart utilizes specific quotes from the novel in which symbolize his opinions, but he chooses quotes serve as evidence. The argument is focus and does not stray off topic which is significant because it helps the reader understand the argument fully and not become lost in it. The evidence that is provided assists the argument and does not hurt it, especially when Urguhart places quotes from the novel into the argument. For example, "their dreams are forgotten, or were never formulated to begin with...they seem at best insular and without a central core, which might give purpose to their lives." The quote taken from Girlfriend In A Coma represents that book as a whole within a quote and Urguhart realizes this and therefore places it within his argument. Urguhart also notices that the purpose of the novel, Girlfriend In A Coma, is to ensure that one has to discover their purpose in life and that it is not always on the surface. Also, a common word and symbol found within the novel was dreams and this quote represents dreams and how they effect lives. The author does not state his opinions using "I" or "my" which implicates that Urguhart states a view and supports it with quotes or examples from the text in a professional manner. The Girlfriend In A Coma criticism consisted of significant evid

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: Thomas Hardy is a gifted writer who was able to craft a masterful novel, Jude the Obscure. The novel is plagued with only a few drawbacks, including the drab setting and the overcompensated characters that often render the novel unrealistic. Claim: Thomas Hardy is a gifted writer. Thomas Hardy could have chosen a more interesting setting (Dorsetshire) but instead chose a setting with a limited history and scenery (Wessex). Hardy's novel is overall well-done. Evidence: "Jude the Obscure is an irresistible book; it is one of those novels into which we descend and are carried on by a steady impetus to the close, when we return, dazzled, to the light of common day. The two women, in particular, are surely created by a master. Every impulse, every speech, which reveals to us the coarse and animal, but not hateful Arabella, adds to the solidity of her portrait. We may dislike her, we may hold her intrusion into our consciousness a disagreeable one, but of her reality there can be no question: Arabella lives." http://go.galegroup.com.lib.chandleraz.gov/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CH1420014281&v=2.1&u=chandler_main&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w

Analytical Criticism- Heroic Duty Noted as a timeless classic, The Iliad by Homer portrays a vast array of emotions through detailed imagery and character concentration. However, it has become evident that much of the emotions portrayed by each character are of similar origin to that of other Greek Mythology, this emotion being of helpless humans at the mercy of powerful, vengeful gods. Set in a time of war and destruction between both the Trojans and the Achaeans, writers from CMLC argue that it is not only the men that fight one another but also the gods that persuade the humans to do so. "Although Homer presents an extremely harsh world in which human beings appear destined to suffer as the mere playthings of the gods and fate…" (CMLC). CMLC claim that Homer is quite stereotypical in his use of Greek Gods and their relations with humans. They also claim that the contrast between the harshness of Gods and the susceptibility of humans demonstrates mans gentle nature even in a time of war. Overall writers of CMLC critique Homer's use of Greek Mythology and the common portrayal of man. The structure of this critique is weak at best and demonstrates a choppy analysis of The Iliad. This is so due to the tendency of this article to jump from one topic to another with a lack of transition. The ill-prepared structure of the article inadvertently has a negative impact on the focus as well leaving it poorly adjusted and inconsistent. However, the topic of the article is well thought out and continues to make intelligent and unobvious observations about both Homer and The Iliad throughout the piece. It is of my conclusion that the writers of this critique have the belief that Homer although renowned for his unique stories is more unique in his writing technique than he was of his stereotypical stories. There is unfortunately some bias that these writers face, being of the twentieth century much of Greek Mythology is easily accessible unlike in the age of Homer

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: In her article, "Anthony Burgess: An Overview," Mary Lowe-Evans asserts that in A Clockwork Orange Burgess displayed his deep concern for the epidemic of violence and freedom to choose between write and wrong. She forms her argument by mentioning unethical studies that influenced Burgess' writing in A Clockwork Orange. She also refers to the Nadsat language in the novel, stating that Burgess revealed his feelings towards free-will, good and evil through the main character, Alex.Evidence: "More troubling for Burgess was the failure of Skinner's behavior modification strategies to recognize the importance of free will (a primary tenet of Catholic theology) in a properly functioning human being." "Our pockets were full of deng, so there was no real need from the point of view of crasting any more pretty polly to tolchock some old veck in an alley and viddy him swim in his blood while we counted the takings and divided by four, nor to do the ultra violent on some shivering starry grey-haired ptitsa in a shop and go smecking off with the till's guts," (Burgess).Thoughts: The citations Mary Lowe-Evans uses further support her assertions; by demonstrating concerns the time period she adds another dimension towards Burgess' motive in writing. Her argument is coherent and organized, maintaining a logical explanation of Anthony Burgess' beliefs shown throughout his work. 

Robert McKay, author of the criticism on human-animal relationships that are described in The Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker, believes in two arguments. One begin that Robert believes that the ability in which humans use language sets the difference between humans and animals. Secondly, he critiques about how Walker has "anti-oppressive" political views towards race and gender. In the story Walker "re- writes" the book of Genesis and she makes many references that are mythological and biblical. Robert McKay believes that humans and animals are very distinct and even though many people believe that there is communication between an animal and a human…well they are wrong according to McKay. In the novel Walker wrote about past lives and how humans came from animals, well according to McKay that's impossible and that's is why he critiques Walker on her comparisons between a human and an animal. The second argument he brought up was how political references were made to gender and race. These references were made when the young boy and the young girl were together and they realized that they were different due to the color of their skin. It is like an allusion to the bible says McKay because the boy lost his sexual innocence due to the temptation. Also, Walker makes an animal intertwine in a way between humans. For example, she puts the woman, followed by the familiar and then the man when in reality the animal is external in this human relationship. In the story when the boy and girl were together as it was stated above the boy kills the girl's familiar which was a serpent and it represents the serpent from the bible according to McKay, but that event (the boy killing the serpent) represents how men (white men) had the power over women and animals.