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: 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: Asimov uses character motivation to progress the story by having the purpose behind the characters shift in reaction to events in the plot. Claims: He changes his characters from rational to reactionary and impulsive to indicate the climax and the rising anxiety of action. Evidence: Highlighted

Argument: Respectability can be found in all men, regardless of social status and the stigmas of the Victorian era. Philip Pirrip, also known as Pip, is the protagonist in Dickens novel Great Expectations. As the protagonist, he grows from a young orphan raised by his sister and her Blacksmith husband to a 'good christian man' showing the positive transition that is possible for all men. Main Idea of Argument: Where one comes from does not limit where they can go- a major theme in most Dickens novels. All levels of Victorian society were respectable, regardless of money- or lack therefore of- religion, and disabilities. Evidence: 1)"Charles Dickens believed that his society wrongly valued economic transactions over natural human interactions, which resulted in a minous transference of commercial interests from the public sphere into the private" (Tobin 1). 2)"Dickens himself was conflicted about his right to respectability, and many of his characters suffer the strain of not knowing where or how they flt in. Dickens's father, John, was perpetually in debt, which led to Dickens's brief employment in Warren's Blacking Factory at the age of twelve. Dickens was so ashamed of having been forced to leave school and do manual labor that he never told anyone in his own family about the incident. After his father's debts were cleared and Dickens grew to manhood, he worked his way up the social ladder, initially applying his skills as a shorthand writer at the various courts of law in London and as a journalist" (Tolbin 3). 3) "Pip's transferring onto Joe his own feelings of inferiority as well as his desires to eradicate their outward appearances signal the young man's first step toward adopting an immoral and inhumane ideal of respectability" (Tobin 5). 4)"Over time, Pip comes to recognize Magwitch as a human being with emotions and the right to be treated in a decent, humane manner. However, Pip does not completely transfer the compassion he leamed during his own

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."

Claim:the simple things

Argument: Needful Things is a satirical horror story. Claims: Society is too dependent upon the ideas of religion, we are not only ignorant of each other, but we trust each other too much. Evidence: "In every case, possessions bring out the worst in people. They think that acquiring things will make them happy, but they are paying for un-needful things with their precious humanity: They only feel more unhappy and more isolated in their misery. Needful Things is an indictment of the American consumer culture." (delaney)

Argument: King satirizes society and their dependence upon material things. Claims: The use of cell phones in the novel is effective because it is relateable to nearly all modern societies. Evidence:"King's use of cell phones as the mechanism to reduce the vast majority of Americans (the characters assume a worst-case worldwide scenario) to mindless zombies offers the opportunity for observation and commentary about the near-ubiquity of cell phones and society's infatuation with and dependence on them. Rather than develop this richly fertile ground for satire, though, King opts for a serious horror novel" (Avinger)