Seeking Good
Virtue and vice have been
themes throughout history. The authors of Great Books are considered the foundational
to shaping civilization in various periods of time. Chapter XIX Dantes has a
turning point: “Farewell too all sentiments that gladden the heart. I have
substituted myself for Providence in rewarding the good; may the God of
vengeance now yield me His place to punish the wicked!” He turns his attention
from rewarding the good to punishing the wicked. Readers are aware of this
duality of good and evil. This theme continues in Chapter XX when Dantes
explains he never wants to duel to take vengeance. Similarly, in Chapter XXIV,
Villefort states, “What’s happening now is only natural; it’s the law of
reprisals.”
Write a midterm essay based
on one [only one] of the follow options.
In each option, the assignment is to not only respond to the prompt by finding
examples of these principles in the novel but also transitioning to your own
experiences, a current event, a scene of a film, or other novel you have read.
Remember that all works you refer to must be cited in MLA format:
Option 1 Seeking education benefits us, but there are different forms
of education. Look at examples in the novel of what Edmond Dantes learned from
the Priest Faria while they lived side by side in prison. You can categorize
the type of education by referring to “Learning to Read,” by Malcolm X posted
under Blog 4.
Or refer to the following link: http://www.passionineducation.com/types-of-education-formal-informal-non-formal/ or the reading provided. Bring in the novel and your
own personal experiences. Both sources should be on the Works Cited page.
Option 2 One theme in the novel emphasizes rewarding the good and
avenging or revenging the bad. Make connection between the novel and only
one of the following worldviews and personal experiences:
*Buddhist worldview: Based on the article “What is Karma” by Joseph Castro,
refer to the following link: https://www.livescience.com/41462-what-is-karma.html [otherwise
find your own article]. Find examples in the novel and based on your personal
experiences. Include both sources on the Works Cited page.
* Christian worldview: You can refer to the following article “What
does the Bible say about revenge?” at https://www.gotquestions.org/revenge-vengeance.html [otherwise find your own article]. Another angle on
this is how good can come from the evil actions of others: https://www.str.org/articles/a-good-reason-for-evil#.Xg37qc9KiRs Find examples in the novel and based on your personal
experiences. Both sources should be on the Works Cited page
* Muslim view of retaliation on the value of revenge in a
just society. Example: refer to “Revenge vs Forgiveness: An Uphill Battle
Against Ourselves?” at https://www.dar-alifta.org/foreign/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=1749