Group items tagged

The main argument of this passage is that coexistence is an idea that rarely crosses people's minds when religion is involved. Conflict is very rarely a simple thing. He argues this and goes on to say that insisting on associating religion and conflict oversimplifies the matter. -"The relentless association of religion and conflict compresses the complexity of human lives into one narrow band" Karabell also mentions that both the conflicts, and the solutions to those conflicts, tend to be viewed through the lenses of religion. -"Part of the problem may be the tendency to view both the current conflicts and their solutions in strictly religious terms"

Argument: By writing the story in Huck's own words, Twain uses Huck's point of view to reveal the conflict between innocence and goodness throughout the story. Claim: The author claims that the best in an individual, by helping Jim escape, reveals Huck's innocent side in knowing helping Jim is the right choice. By refusing to turn in Jim, Huck goes against his own society and what they have taught him all throughout his life. Slavery, to Huck, in a way doesn't exist because in his world, life is an adventure, regardless of race. Evidence: Twain uses the idea of slavery as a metaphor for all social bondage and injustice (Grant). Twain compellingly establishes the irony that Huck's "sin" against the social establishment affirms the best that is possible in the individual (Grant). Twain maintains an almost perfect fidelity to Huck's point of view in order to dramatize the conflict between Huck's innate innocence and natural goodness and the dictates of a corrupt society (Grant).

Claim: Argument: Evidence:

In the literature critique "Dissent, Assent, and the Body in Nineteen Eighty-Four", Naomi Jacobs analyzes how George Orwell groups the public in what is called the 'Body' in order to explain the totalitarian oppression in Oceania. Both utopian and dysutopian empires utilize the collective mind of the public in order to sway opinions, build ignorance and subjugate the masses. Utopian empires aim to build a country where "suffering is minimized and pleasure is maximized" (Jacobs 1) while on the contrary a dysutopian empire maximizes ignorance in order to keep the masses from questioning the totalitarian authority. Jacobs claims that the government in Oceania created by Orwell uses the degradation of the physical body as another way to homogenize the population in hopes of destroying any outliers that may question the government. While a utopia uses the "powers of eroticism to regenerate the [individual]" (Jacobs 4), Oceania undergoes a change towards uniformity where everyone is described as "small, dark and ill-favored" (1984, Orwell 52-53). A dysutopian government suppresses natural human instincts such as lust and desire as a way to break the all desires of humans such as rebellion and reform. Ultimately, Jacobs argues that Orwell builds a dysutopian government through the use of population homogenization and the suppression of human instincts.

Argument: Both Orwell's nonfiction and fiction works deserve further attention. His novels are able to fully grasp social and political struggles while captivating the audience. Saunder's book makes a convincing argument describing the captivating authors importance. Claim: Clerke acknowledges that many academics including, Orwell himself saw the author of 1984 as a nonfiction writer. Although many of his novels have not been studied, they deserve attention because they capture a character's conflict in a unique light. Character's are brought to life as they share real-world experiences with those living in Orwell's time. His powerful voice as analyzed by Saunder's bring economic, social, and political conflicts to for front of the reader's mind. Evidence: "Orwell was acutely aware of the political connotations of such words and the complex economic and cultural structures they attempted to describe. His use of them shifted as his ideas developed, and it was always shaped by a sensitivity to context" "Saunders's emphasis on artistry enables her to engage with the texture of Orwell's prose, even in this relatively short critical study, and she is at her best in her close readings of specific passages, which expose the varied, often sophisticated methods Orwell employs to achieve particular effects. She is especially illuminating in her analyses of his use of free indirect discourse, and the dangers of identifying the narrative voice with Orwell himself" "insisting that his own voice tended to intrude in his narratives and that he was continually tempted to incorporate accounts of experiences that interested him even when they did not fit the design of a novel"

Argument: Marion Dalvai argues that a Utopia--the perfect society--is a fantasy due to the lack of perfection in the world. The idea to satisfy everyone equally in a society seems impossible and is ridiculed by Orwell. Since Winston is not satisfied, the idea of Emanuel Goldstein seems very appealing to Winston as he wishes to dissent from the party as much as possible. Claim: Orwell explains how a Utopian government fails to appease everyone. The narrator, Winston, is tired of long years of working and the lack of adequate care by the government. Due to this dissatisfaction, Winston relates to Emanuel Goldstein and the Brotherhood and their beliefs and wants to join the resistance. In essence, dissatisfaction in the government will eventually lead to the fall of the government, as seen throughout history, and Utopianism accelerates the process. Evidence: "He finds Goldstein to be an intelligent man with insight and vision; capable of analyzing the historical and social factors that led to the creation of the totalitarian state of Oceania" (Dalvai, 391). "Utopias reflect this inherent ambiguity: they are vision of good and possibly attainable social systems as well as fantasies of desirable but inaccessible perfection" (Dalvai, 388)

Argument - Bradbury's work is a representative of dystopian fiction, a subgenre of utopian literature. Claims - Bradbury's protaganists begin their journey as well adapted perfect members of society. -Bradbury uses vivid and ambiguous imagery to display his point. -Bradbury uses his characters to demonstrate the differences in society and the expanding barriers between one side and the other. Evidence - Clarisse and Mildred display the differences between cold and mechanical and wild and free. -Books symbolize the ideal differences and interchange of ideas in society, in Fahrenheit 451 these are destroyed, represeting Bradbury's understanding of how society has a dark side but will always burn and be reborn.

Argument: The government of Oceania uses the minds of citizens are their biggest tool for ultimate control. In order to do so, the Party establishes two "sides" or truths of events and facts so that the citizens are unsure of the real issue/truth. The Party also meddles with the history of Oceania in order to blind the public. Claims: The Party uses doublethink to corrupt the minds of the public by making everyone second guess themselves at all times. This paranoia results in people refusing to question the tyranny of the Party. The Party used conflicting truths to support doublethink and oppress freedom of speech. For some Winston the real truth behind events and the past and his doubts of the Party are based on instincts and not facts. This is the goal of the Party as this supports doublethink. Support: "[The Party] attempts to impose two different and conflicting attitude to truth. They insist both that truth is absolute and vital, but at the same time that people must dispense with traditional concerns with the distinction between what is 'true' and what is 'false', and with the role of objective empirical evidence in distinguishing between the two" (Chapman 1-2). "For Winston, truth exists as something ontologically distinct from 'lies', but in the absense of objective evidence the restricted society of Oceania it can be known only by 'instinctive feeling'" (Chapman 2).

Argument: The theme of "Tender is the Night" is quite similar to other themes Fitzegerald writes about, and many of the events of this story correlate to those of his other literary works such as "The Great Gatsby." Claims: Fitzgerald devolps his themes through the dialogue of the book. Even though Fitzgerald attempts to develop a unique theme in "Tender is the Night," the similarities between this literary work and his others are vast. The emphasis of the story lies on how adult relationships originate and the understanding of the different aspects of each character. Evidence: "The novel has its weaknesses, but these result, at least partly, from Fitzgerald's attempt to express a new theme. He is here concerned, as not before, with the hidden roots of adult relationships." "The Divers have a party to which Dick invites Rosemary and her mother."

Argument: Structure choices, such as narration and flashbacks, are the main components in Ninteen Minutes, and withour those components, the character deveopment and plot line would have suffered. Claims: Picoult uses her mulit-perspective narration in order to show how a tragedy can effect many different people. Also, Picoult uses flashback in order to develop the characters before and after the tragedy. In eliminating a protaganist, Picoult allows the reader to form their own opinion on the plot like and characters. Evidence: "Significant details from the past enhance the experience of learning about the present, and this also illustrates Picoult's use of selection of detail. " "Picoult uses these flashbacks to develop many of the characters from way before the event in question to show how they became who they were and point out what past events may have led to the disaster. " "Without the unconventional narration, flashbacks, and writing excerpts, many of the characters would be poorly developed and the story would be much less powerful"

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 media represents culture with complex stereotypes that cause a decrease in diversity along with a misconception about other cultures. Claims: There are multiple meanings of "culture", some might use behaviors/habits or personal products to describe a certain culture, however stereotypes are falsely being used to describe what these cultures obtain. Evidence: "It is largely accepted that cultural representations in the media are often based on stereotypes. These stereotypes are generalized and simplistic representations of by far more complex social groups and behavioral patterns. The continued use of these representations is largely perceived as being problematic as they can be misrepresentative of the culture in question" ( Hyde-Clarke). "Growing concerns about the continued use of cultural stereotypes in media production, and the subsequent decrease in diversity"( Hyde-Clarke). "Culture is about 'shared meanings' … Primarily, culture is concerned with the production and exchange of meanings between members of a society or a group … In part, we give things meaning by how we represent them - the words we use about them, the stories we tell about them, the images of them we produce" (Hyde-Clarke).

Argument: Carter Kaplan's "The Advent of Literary Dystopia" argues the similarities and differences of Dystopia and satire in the form of literature. Relates to the dystopian society of The Hunger Games. Claim: The idea of dystopia Kaplan discusses come from menippean satire although they differ when it comes to humor. Menippean satire and dystopia are forms of mythology in which both ideas are not likely to occur in reality but emphasizes orthodoxies in society. Kaplan argues that dystopia creates prophacies based on fictional circumstances that relate to society. In other terms, predictions of the future that are usually in a negative manner; the idea of dystopia portray negative mood in literature. Evidence: "Both forms are converned with intellectual mythology, which they critique by exploring the interrelationships that exist between ignorance, intolerance, conflict, brutality, euphemisn, passivity, scientism, and various modern orthodixies" (Kaplan). "The mood of dystopia is usually dark, pessimistic, and often reflects paranoia, alarm or hysteria" (Kaplan). "Dystopia uses fiction to portray institutions based on intellect mythology and essays prophecy and prognostication" (Kaplan). "The literature of dystopia examines the possible effects intellectual mythology can have on individuals and society" (Kaplan).

Argument: Rand's creation of her characters and plot elements in such away that she illustrates her ideal world, make the Fountainhead a good novel. Claims: Roark and Dominique are ideal characters. Roark foils Toohey in the sense that his[Roark's] motives are completely selfish, in hopes of him living his life its fullest capacity, while Toohey acts in an altruistic manner to control other. Dominique helps other characters "grow" by destroying them. This is how Roark, Keating, and Wynand grow stronger. Evidence: Analyzations of character's based on their actions and behaviors in the book.

Argument: While flashbacks are helpful, often times incorporating important background information in present time storyline plays off better and keeps the reader engaged. Claim: There is no such thing as too much back story but only with certain ways of revealing the information. Flashbacks tend to slow down the story and drag out. "Less is more," find ways to cut down words to paragraphs instead of pages when explaining. Evidence: "keep background information on a need-to-know basis. Figure out what readers really, truly need to know to understand a character and her motivations--and let the rest stay underwater."

-Main Idea: Describing what Albom's purpose of writing the book; how divorce affects the children. Themes: man vs society, and man vs himself. Learn to forgive yourself. -Claims: Makes readers relate to the story, his themes in other books including this one always seem to be universal. Everyone goes through disappointment, sadness, or loss one point or another in their life. "Many people are hanging on the past, so it would be nice to read something that would go back to it and learn the things that you never learned in your past life." -Evidence:  "This book let me explore how children, when their parents split, chase after the love thateludes them. That chase often haunts you right into adulthood" "He always gives inspiration to thereaders and this time an eye opener to the children who always took their parents for granted. " "You can find lessons that arealready seen by your own eyes but not yet felt by your hearts"

Argument: While often describes as an angry, and early feministic character, Jane Eyre is actually quite shameful in her narration. Claims: Jane Eyre's character is introduced into the story with the exclamation "For shame! For shame!" directed at her. Later, throughout the story, she narrates with the angry and feminist attitude that many critics quote her for, but also with a sense of shame that Charlotte Bronte could probably relate to. Evidence: "This cry 'for shame' suggests that shame constitutes both an introduction of 'Miss Eyre' to the reader and an interpellation of Jane into the contours of gendered interiority and social relations," (Bennett 1).

Argument: The Jazz Age can be depicted by Fitzgerald's literary works as well as by his type of lifestyle. The influences of the Jazz Age are present in the development of the characters in Fitzgerald's books. Claims: Fitzgerald's writing blatantly portrays how the time period affects his lifestyle and the topics he chooses to write about. The somber mood of his writing is caused by the life experiences of Fitzgerald as well as the harsh life that others lived in that time period. Evidence: "His books, including The Beautiful and the Damned (1922), The Great Gatsby (1925), and Tender Is the Night (1934), depict characters who seem to be thoroughly enjoying life, but who, under the surface, are sad, aimless, and lonely." "His clear literary voice instantly appealed to other people of his generation, who felt lost in a world that had been devastated by World War I (1914-1918), in which it seemed that many men had died needlessly."

Argument: Helena Silva, in her literary criticism of "My Sisters Keeper" argues that the advancements in biotechnology and genetic research are raising ethical questions of scope and the limits of genetic intervention. Claim: Silva argues that the advances in biotechnology and genetic research presented in Picoult's "My Sisters Keeper" are allowing doctors to intervene in the human genome preventing diseases. This intervention is raising concerns in the scientific community that might soon be able to take biological evolution into its own hands. Almost "playing God" in a sense. Evidence: "Playing God" is an expression commonly used to refer to this self-transformation of the species which, from the evidence, might soon be a reality" (Silva). "Jodi Picoult, an American novelist has been devoting her writings to several present-day events and controversial issues such as genetic engineering and the prospect of "savior siblings" with all its ethical implications" (Silva). "Anna wasconceived for a specific purpose and can't be forgotten because she is expected always to be ready for the welfare of her sister" (Silva).

Argument: This essay examines how three centuries' worth of scientific and literary speculation led up to the creation of the book that set a new standard for fiction about other worlds. Evidence: Much of what the author does to point out ways in which H.G. Wells constructed the book has to do with his scientific background and the ways in which he juxtaposed certain literary approaches with every following chapter. Furthermore, he war of the Worlds achieves its special status by an effective combination of intimacy and generality, archetypal storytelling and open-ended allegorical possibility, a richly specific sense of time, place, and occasion, and an interrogative mode that transcends circumstantial detail. Claim: "It was a shrewd move on Wells's part, therefore, to build the famous first paragraph of The War of the Worlds on the global preoccupation with telescopic surveillance." "Those observatories and the dispatches emanating from them throughout the 1890s are mentioned repeatedly in the first chapter, but the dominant theme, at the outset, is of our world under scrutiny. " "The human role is displaced from the surveyor to the surveyed as Earth's inhabitants fall under the envious gaze of Martian observers"