Literary critics who use the school of Moral Criticism (known in contemporary critical circles as Christian Humanism) as their "lens" from which to view and examine the worthiness or quality of literature do the following:
1. Judge the value of the literature on its moral lesson or ethical teaching
A. Literature that that is ethically sound and encourages virtue is praised
B. Literature that misguides and/or corrupts is condemned
2. Works that are moral (or literature that attempts to teach and instruct as well as entertain) are often seen in contemporary criticism as didactic.
3. Plato argues that literature (and art) is capable of corrupting or influencing people to act or behave in various ways. Sometimes these themes, subject matter, or the actions of literary characters undermine religion or ethics, he warns. Aristotle and Horace both believed that literature can instruct as well as corrupt. So care must be taken when writing or reading. This idea is picked up later by Samuel Johnson and Matthew Arnold who see literature as a good way to teach morality and probe philosophical ideas. The underlying principle then is whether or not the text can be seen as A) moral, and B) practical or useful.
(courtesy of: http://aplitsota.blogspot.com/2010/11/moral-criticism.html)
The Story:
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| courtesy of: http://www.tcit.com.au/parkleabooks/2628.JPG |
Margaret Lewin loves her adoptive son, Isaiah, even more passionately than she does her natural daughter, Hannah, probably because of the unique, magical way Isaiah joined the family. A volunteer baby-holder in a Manhattan hospital, whose job was to lavish physical affection on abandoned, drug-addicted infants, Margaret fell in love with tiny Isaiah's determination to get what he needed--first through unceasing screaming, and now, at nearly three, through tantrums that could cause Attila the Hun to cower. Leaving Isaiah to the care of a children's center and an au pair while she pursues her career as a photographer's representative (and her husband, Charles, pursues a leggy female employee at his own graphic-arts company), Margaret alternately worries over possible lingering aftereffects from Isaiah's prenatal drug addiction and swoons in relief at having rescued the little boy from life with a crack-addicted, illiterate, utterly negligent mother. Little does Margaret know that over the past two years Isaiah's mother, Selma Richards, has found religion, weaned herself from drugs, and obtained a job as a nanny on the Upper East Side in the fierce hope of reclaiming her lost son. When Selma files suit for custody, the lives of all concerned begin to crumble in the cruel light of media coverage, while the best interests of Isaiah himself are nearly forgotten in the clash of emotions.
(courtesy of: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/seth-margolis/losing-isaiah/)
The Criticism:
"Losing Isaiah" centers on two women who are both fighting for the custody over a child named Isaiah. One mother can raise him up but is hesitant, while the other wants to raise him up but can't. The women have their personal issues but are both willing to raise Isaiah as their own son, but it is their fight over him that's causing damage.
The novel pays attention to a dilemma no parent wants to face: the fear of losing your child. The novel has a very strong resounding message of acceptance and change. It is not all time that things will go your way; sometimes, it is you yourself who has to get in the way of things.
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