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Argument: Paul Marchbanks, in his three part literary criticism of Dickens novels, From Caricature to Character: The Intellectually Disabled in Dickens Novels, make the assertion that Dickens usage of intellectually and physically disabled protagonists (as well as smaller secondary and even background characters) brought these otherwise hidden character types to the forefront of the Victorian literary scene. Main Idea of Argument: -Victorian authors spun disability into a spectacle, like a freak show in a circus, but Dickens used the disabilities of the characters as a conflict that tried to hold them back, that they had to either over come, or grow to accept. Evidence: -"The physically disabled character's very distinctiveness can lead, not only to isolation from those other fictional persons who react with distancing pity or disgust, but to a kind of representational disconnect from those real-world individuals with disabilities whose numbers-recognized within the boundary of the novel or short story-would strip the character's exceptional disability of its rhetorical power" (Marchbanks 1). -"Dickens's first three novels bespeak a ready advocate for victims of many kinds of social injustice. The Pickwick Papers (1836-7), Oliver Twist (1837-9), and Nicholas Nickleby (1838-9) together establish what will become life-long, very loud sympathies for the destitute, the orphaned, the poorly educated, and the imprisoned debtor" (Marchbanks 1-2). -"Dickens appears unable, or unwilling, to present a coherent portrait of Smike's mental faculties. Here, the narrator prevents unequivocal praise of Smike's heroic intentions by mixing proof of his valor with doubt about whether the boy's scattered "thoughts" are even worth the name. Other inconsistencies emerge if one considers the former evidence of Smike's faulty memory in conjunction with his surprising ability to navigate London's winding streets, not only those walked multiple times with

Argument: The author in his review, "Teen Angel" conceives the idea of tragic romances and how they make for the best love stories, specifically concentrating on "A Walk to Remembers" emphasis on religion coming between a forbidden love. Claims: Religion makes for an interesting love conflict Setting change to modern times makes a difference to the style of writing and overall effect Spark's writing is predictable and follows similar themes in multiple texts Evidence: "Normally, the insurmountable problems in teen love stories are differences in money, class or race. Religion rarely enters the picture as a reason for a couple to stay apart or to try and get together. What is intriguing about A Walk to Remember, which is loosely based on the 1999 novel by Nicholas Sparks, is that one member of the couple is initially considered undesirable and unattractive because of her devout Christian beliefs. The question is: Is her faith an insurmountable obstacle to romance?" "Whereas the novel takes place in the 1950s, screenwriter Karen Janszen (Digging to China) sets the romance amid the permissive and sexually overt teen culture of today." "Those familiar with the other books by Nicholas Sparks (including Message in a Bottle) may guess what the couple's real insurmountable problem turns out to be."

Argument: An essay by Zaleski, summarizing the plot of "The Wedding" by Nicholas Sparks, and providing opinion on the likability of the text. Evidence: For the most part this paragraph summarizes the plot of "The Wedding", however the last few sentences express the authors opinion on how Sparks writes in a romantic, yet not too mushy type of way through use of his diction and plot twists. Claims:  "Sparks tells his sweet story competently, without sinking too deeply into the mire of sentiment; a gasp-inducing twist comes at the very end. Satisfied female readers will close the covers with a sigh and a wish that a little of the earnest, too-good-to-be-true Wilson might rub off on their own bedmates"      Though I would not include the whole quote, there is valuable substance within this quote that speaks of how SParks writes and develops a story, and audience reactions to his writing, plus this article is specifically relevant to "The Wedding" which is a text I read for the project.