Group items tagged

Argument: In the literary critique Confession and Desire in L'Etranger, written by Gilbert d. Chaitin, the author argues that Meursault should not, first and foremost, be seen as a Christ figure. He argues against the belief that the main character's ability to live outside the temporal flow allows him to reach a deeper level of enlightenment at the end of the novel, suggesting that there is only a reaffirming of his previous beliefs. Chaitin dismisses claims that the bipartite structure of the novel aids in the characterization of Meursault as an absurd hero. Claims: The author claims that Meursault development as a character stems from his firm belief in the absurdity of life. While other critics notice a change in the character's persona in the second half of the novel, Chaitin claims that Meursault actually reaffirms his beliefs while waiting for execution, only becoming more vocal about his convictions. He states that Meursault only takes pleasure in remembering past events due to his desire to replace the situation he finds himself in the present. Evidence: "The only plausible conclusion to be drawn from this evidence is, therefore, that Meursault's famous 'prise de conscience' does not indicate a change of attitude, but a reconfirmation of his earlier posture" (Chaitin). "Instead of looking back on his past with the eyes of a romantic wishing to resuscitate and preserve it for posterity, Meursault takes an interest in the past only insofar as it informs or replaces his present" (Chaitin). "The actual mode of narration used in the novel corresponds to the Meursault who has become cognizant of his discourse. What matters, therefore, is not the specific nature of the events of his life, but their degree of presence for him; hence the often apparently trivial nature of many of the events that he records, especially in Part I" (Chaitin)

Argument: A comparison of Jane Austen's writing and Charlotte Bronte's. Claims: Charlotte Bronte creates educated characters to play her female roles so that they can excercise reason. Her uneducated women are foolish. Her female leads are all reasonable and rational -two characteristics she probably appreciated in herself. Evidence: "Jane Eyre dramaticizes its manifesto that women must be educated to excercise their reason, with Adele Varens and Blanche Ingram proving that uneducated women become coquettes," (Harris 102).

Argument: To Kill A Mockingbird is a novel about maturation. Claims: The character goes through a series of adventures from innocence to experience and mature through their adolescence.  Evidence: Over the three years that the book covers in the lives of Scout and Jem, they come to forget about the wild accusations of Boo Radley and start to become more involved in the events in their community. In the end, Scout finally comprehends the meaning of killing a mockingbird when she alludes to it after Boo Radley kills Bob Ewell.

Privateness Sex and murder are really the same - things done in private. Linked together pain and pleasure not for entertainment, but to show how isolation brought on by keeping to oneself. Privateness=self-isolation.

Jonah, clearly label the argument, claims, and evidence you will use for your paper to avoid losing points on future posts.

Argument: Bill Delaney argues the weaknesses of Dumas's work, The Three Musketeers, and how these weaknesses contribute to the effectiveness of the novel itself. Claims: Along with a synopsis of the novel itself, Delaney establishes the importance of the main characters in the story and what it is about these characters that makes their role so effective. Delaney also establishes the idea that Dumas knew how to "please an audience", which explains why Dumas was able to create characters that had a large impact on his readers. Evidence: "He had a genius for plotting and understood that the most important element in a plot is a strongly motivated protagonist who will not stop until he or she has either achieved the goal or gone down in defeat."

Argument: Literary dystopia reveals human weakness, social problems and often criticizes or exaggerates social trends. Claims: Leisure in dystopian novels are called anti-leisure in the fact that it "perverts to achieve the perpetuation of tyranny". Instead of abolishing tyranny in this sense, dystopia does the opposite. Not only that but it also demolishes human individuality and self reliance through various compulsive activities, "such novels encourage the re-examination of theories of leisure from a humanistic standpoint". Evidence: "Such leisure regulates identity, prevents individual thought, impedes self-sufficiency, encourages immoderation, and distracts citizens from social injustice through varioius compulsory activities" "This recent term was coined for its overtones of disease and malfunction, making it an accurate label for the genre's depictions of human foibles, weaknesses and messiness that defeats attempts to create a perfect society" "Dystopias usually exaggerate contemporary social trends and in doing so, offer serious social criticism"

http://search.ebscohost.com.lib.chandleraz.gov/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=33277763&site=ehost-live Setoodeh, Ramin. "It's Still Not Easy Being Green." Newsweek 152.4 (2008): 48-50. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Jan. 2012.

Argument:  Ferguson writes to partially attack the diction and characteristics used in Spark's novel "At First Site" Evidence: Ferguson uses negative connotations to describe Spark's writing such as "corny" and "knuckle-bitingly bad" which are very negative. Justifies her criticisms by allowing some slack about the ending to surprise, but does not elaborate leaving an impression that she is not a fan of the story. Claim:   "Sparks's prose has the amiable, folksy rhythm of a rocking chair on a wraparound porch" Can be used to demonstrate Spark's use of slang and jargon when writing to give a southern characteristic among his characters in all his  literature.   "incurable weakness for corny characters" Can be backed up by actions or dialogue of characters from either book. This statement more personally attacks Sparks then his characters.

Argument - Ray Bradbury's main goal is to employ the ideas of the goal and joy of living. Claims- Bradbury holds a hopefullness for humanity. -Bradbury's interest with the stars and other worlds is the depiction of his interest in the unknown and new fronteirs. -Bradbury is only acutely aware of the evil nature of humans and their potential to cause destruction. -Bradbury seeks to depict a rebirth in society representing his trust in mankind to destroy the bad and create new. Evidence - Fahrenheit 451 - The destruction of the city as symbolized by the phoenix, depicts rebirth of a new phoenix from the ashes. - "Charles points out, however, that humanity is not free of temptation, for the desire for empty impossibilities is in them all, and there will be many other attempts to exploit this desire in their long lives" - By the pricking of my thumbs,! something wicked this way comes." In William Shakespeare's Macbeth (c. 1605), the witches speak these lines as Macbeth approaches for his second meeting with them"

The criticism starts on pg. 332 about half way through starting with "Julie Anne Peters.." Argument- "A decade after M. E. Kerr's straight-up look at lesbian gender roles in Deliver Us from Evie...Peters's book may score lower on social realism than Kerr's... but it packs more heat." Claim-Peters sets another strong-willed butch lesbian in a small town in the Midwest, while maintaining constant dramatic appeal, "The parade of human drama is a bit excessive here..." Evidence-  "Peters translates this [Mike's acceptance] nicely by allowing Mike to introduce herself in the first chapter without mentioning gender at all."  " Her [Mike's] hunger for Xanadu is achingly apparent, and Peters plays this well; Xanadu knows what Mike wants and her responses are unpredictable, to both Mike and the reader."

Argument: Karen Springen in her article "Apocalypse Now" asserts that the dystopian themes in recent books have made a postive impact on the views of society and compel people to continue reading dystopian-type novels. Claim: Springen claims that the negativity in society today is what attracts readers to dystopian novels. News talk about terrorism, wars and global warming that inspires authors to write books. Dystopia also helps people cope with issues they have today but reading books that are absurd in nature and help them appreciate the good in their lives. Also authors are using the genre to come to terms with issues in society today. Evidence: "YA authors "are trying to grapple with the issues of today," says David Levithan" (Springen). "Newspaper headlines about swine flu, terrorism, global warming, and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are inspiring authors" (Springen). "I think we like to be scared of things that are not real. The idea that we're watching or reading things that are completely outlandish or impossible or really dire helps us cope with what is" (Feiwel).

Argument- Peters adequately portrays a teenager dealing with all the problems that come along with high school and family...Claim- holland is a teenager that struggles with identity. Evidence- "A lesbian? Is that what I was? I hadn't thought about a new self-identity. A label. All I knew was, I loved her." "telling the truth about yourself, to yourself and to others."

Argument: Orwell's 1984 is a work of fiction reflecting real-life experiences. Orwell's personal life, from his upbringing to his political experiences, played an important role in the novel. Claim: Inspiration for "Big Brother" came from brutality Orwell experienced at an early age. Beginning in preparatory he was viciously tormented. Later he witnessed oppressive cruelty while stationed in Burma. After Burma Orwell chose to live among the poor to experience poverty. His decision would later give birth to "the proles". Through Orwell's experiences he was able to create fiction based on his real events and people. The novel was intended to warn against corruption in any society after witnessing such corruption in the Spanish Civil War that forced him to flee the country. Although it was wrongly mistaken as a prophecy or attack on socialism it was a warning to all countries the results of corruption. Evidence: "Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four toward the end of his career, at a point in his life when many of his experiences and political complexities had aged with him through a decades-long internal contemplation" "he intended to warn society of the potential perversions of bureaucracy and the state, the perversions of power that he had witnessed over the previous decade, in a variety of forms, in England and Spain" "His work for the POUM had shown him the contradictions of official appearance, doctored news, class conflict, and the basic human desire for power. Lines can easily be drawn to the thematic structure of Nineteen Eighty-Four"

Argument: This article provides an interview with Jodi Picoult and her reasoning behind the consroversial themes of her novels. The interview also asks particular questions reguarding nineteen minutes and Picoult's resoning behind writing such a dark novel. Claims: Most of Picoult's novels pertain to controversies and that Nineteen Minutes required a lot of research. The Picoult also claimed that Nineteen Minutes and My Sister's Keeper are similar books in the interview. Evidence: "Nineteen Minutes to My Sister's Keeper I see them as very similar books - they are both very emotional, very gut-wrenching, and they're situations that every parent dreads" "I think that sometimes when we don't want to talk about issues that are hard to discuss or difficult to face, it's easier to digest it in fiction instead of nonfiction" "Fiction allows for moral questioning, but through the back door. Personally, I like books that make you think - books you're still wondering about three days after you finish them"

Argument: The theme of the story is derived from the characters' setting and other factors, not the characters themselves. Claim: "Christmas's response to Freedman Town is not the only time heresponds to African Americans in this way. It actually echoes several otheroccasions on which he responds to African Americans, not as a mass, butas individuals whose individuality and language he fails to understand." Evidence: "Focusing on the unstable margins of Jefferson,and presenting the role of African Americans as an unbridgeable gap atthe heart of the text." "Faulkner provides in Light in August an even moreeloquent expression of the southern need for social change."

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Arguement: Dragging out religious beliefs, Stephanie Meyers subtly implies own morals into her novels to avoid typical media that encourages sensuality. Claim: "'It doesn't matter where you're stuck in life or what you think you have to do; you can always choose something else. There's always a different path.'" Meyers choices the theme of choosing a different path through abstinence to portray the protagonists' relationship, and abstinence is a similar belief in Meyer's religion Mormonism. Evidence: "'Just because I'm resisting the wine doesn't mean I can't appreciate the bouquet'".