Part I: Questions
1. What evidence is there that Frank is a little crazy?
2. What is Frances’ burden? See 176 top and 177 bottom.
3. Characterize Frank Senior’s cruelty. See page 176 and 177.
4. How are Frank Senior and Frances opposing forces in Frank’s life? 177
5. How is Frances’ dilemma similar to Mike’s? See page 179.
6. Does the sermon suffer from over simplicity in its appraisal of the human race on page 180? Is the notion of good and bad people a chimera? Are moral absolutes a chimera? Explain.
7. What suggests that Frances would be resistant to Dr. Violet’s sermons on page 182?
8. Whose position on the matter of choosing between the strangers on the train and the son is superior? Explain. (abstractions vs. people we know and love)
9. What suggests that the sermon’s appeal to Frank lurks in his unconscious and the punishment he suffered at the hands of his father?
10. How is the story a refutation of moral absolutes? (essay question)
Part II: Moral absolutism and its deficiencies and fallacies
1. Too abstract as it favors generalities and principles over real-life specifics. In other words the MA is incapable of compassion toward individuals as MA focuses on general principles. (Giving food to the poor but “not solving the problem,” according to a socialist relative)
2. One rule fits all is a Procrustean nightmare. Look at case studies such as marriage and divorce or having children. Or look at the fact that not all abortions are equal.
3. MA fails to provide context but imposes MA on everything. See the film Les Miserables and the poor man who stole a loaf of bread to feed his starving family.
4. Often people embrace MA in order to unleash their hatred and hostility toward others. Or they wish to dominate and bully others.
5. MA fails to see the gray as everything is erroneously reduced to black and white. Again look at divorce.
6. MA cannot keep up with science as genetic re-engineering is an example of a morally gray area we are entering.
Part III: Thesis Fill-In
“The Night in Question” successfully refutes moral absolutism by showing ______________________, _______________________, __________________________, and _________________________.
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