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Essay: Maximus in Catland by David Izzo First Part Question 1 Is Maximus in Catland written by David Garrett Izzo a fable of parable? Question 2 Can Maximus in Catland be called a mystical fiction? Question 3 What are the main themes of Maximus in Catland? Answer 1 David Garrett Izzo wrote Maximus in Catland in fairy-tale style.
It is quite difficult to answer whether it is a fable or a parable, as it has merely all components to be called a fable. As far as fable differs from a parable mostly in that it features plants, animals, inanimate objects that are given human qualities, and aim to illustrate a moral or moral lesson, and a parable excludes plants, animals, inanimate objects, as those actors that assume powers of human king, Maximus in Catland can be called a fable. Answer 2 In Maximus in Catland David Garrett Izzo incorporates his thoughts on mysticism as a literary theory. Maximus in Catland is a mystical story, as it involves supernatural and mystical beings. The giant housecoats are creatures of the imagination and they exist only in fiction.
Therefore, Maximus in Catland can be called a mystical fiction. Answer 3 David Garrett Izzo writes about the times when the giant cats ruled the world with honor, mysticism and courage. The main themes are unrequited love, friendship and devotion, good and evil, loving loyalty, ancient wisdom and heroism. Maximus in Catland is written not only for children, but also for adults, as the book teaches the basic truths such as do no harm, compassion for all, etc.
Second Part Question 1 Why do fairytales appeal to both children and adults? Answer: Fairy tale is usually defined as a story written for and to amuse children. It is a simple narrative that usually has a folk origin. Usually, fairy tale involves extraordinary adventures, legendary deeds and fanciful creatures, sometimes they can include obviously improbable personages or events.
Fairy tales often have an ethical undercurrent to the story, a moral or a certain moral lesson to be learned by the reader. Although fairy tales are mostly told to children, they appeal to both children and adults because they can include a moralistic stance and have a satirical or whimsical character. Fairy tales can also be an exciting historical literary study for adults. Question 2 What is meant by a Parable? Answer: The term parable is of Greek origin (comes from the Greek word payable, (comparison) that was given by Greek rhetoricians to any fictive story in the form of brief narrative). Further this word began to mean a fictitious story.
Parable is a short story aimed to illustrate the universal truth. It is also defined as a brief allegory used to teach a specific moral lesson. Parable describes a setting, an action and presents the outcomes. Quite often parable tells about a person who faces a moral dilemma or who has to make a questionable decision and then suffers from the consequences of his actions or decisions.
Similar to fable, parable involves a simple, single and consistent action without distracting circumstances or extraneous details. Most of fairy tales can be also considered parables. The main characteristic of a parable is that there is a prescriptive subtext that suggests how the protagonist should believe or behave. Parables provide suggestions and recommendations for appropriate, moral, good actions in life.
In most parables the narrator uses a metaphorical language that allows telling complex and difficult ideas in a simple language that is easy to understand. Although parable is a fictitious story, it never indulges in the fantastic or fanciful. Instead, parables usually remain true-to-life. Parable gains its persuasiveness because the narrator tells it in a vivid and simple way, engaging the listener.
Most of the parables are so-called once upon a time stories and are usually narrated in the past tense. Parables can be very useful, as it can make the reader to understand that specific behavioral patterns, high moral values, etc should be superior to traditional ways of behaving and thinking (Bottigheimer). Parables, therefore, can be a very effective method of teaching, especially to the audience with insufficient or limited educational background (e. g. , children or adults with limited access to education). For example, the parables used by Jesus were based on everyday experiences that the audience could relate to.
In addition to being an excellent tools for teaching moral and religious values, parables usually are very easy to remember and understand (for example, many people know Jesus sayings; e. g. , the term good Samaritan) Question 3 Identify other fictional parables Answer: There are few types of parables, such as prototypical parable, historical parable, similitude's (The kingdom of heaven is like... (in Matt 13), parabolic sayings (the one-liners found in Luke 4 - 7), exemplary stories, and full parables (Fairy Tale as Myth Myth as Fairy Tale) (the stories told to make point), to mention a few. Prototypical parable describes a realistic story that can be considered inherently probable to the reader. Prototypical parable usually occurs in a familiar place or setting of life. Parables are widely used in the Bible.
For example, the similitude is the most concise type of the parable that narrates in brief the recurrent or a typical event from real life. As far as the similitude involves something typical or recurrent, it is usually told in the present tense and tells about something that every listener would obviously recognize as a familiar experience (Bacchilega). This type of parable gains its persuasiveness as it recounts what is widely accepted as an obvious truth (e. g. , the Lost Coin and the Growing Seed in the Bible). Finally, similar to long parables and similitude, exemplary stories focus on comparison between the reality of the religious or moral order and an event (either imagined or real one).
While the parable or similitude are analogies between two different things or concepts (e. g. , a sinner and a lost coin), as the name implies, the exemplary story is not the analogy but an example illustrating specific general principle (for example, the good Samaritan stands for love of neighbor). While in an exemplary story the two things compared are similar, in a long parable and similitude these two things are dissimilar. The exemplary story resembles parable as it is also fictitious story told in the past tense. Research Proposal Maximus in Catland by David Garrett Izzo repeatedly demonstrates the call for moral literacy, as the book obviously supports childrens growing understanding of wrong and right, their expression of values such as respect for others, caring, responsibility, honesty, justice, and their ability to think critically about how the way they behave may affect the lives of the others. According to the researchers, literature for children plays an important role in moral education, as it focuses on concepts of human welfare and fairness.
Through such literary works like Maximus in Catland children can observe various types of moral conflicts, other peoples life and experiences and learn to recognize ethical and moral dilemmas by observing the behavioral patterns of story characters. Literature has great influence on childrens thoughts concerning moral issues, and has great potential in promotion of moral reasoning abilities. The research paper will examine how moral values are taught in Maximus in Catland. I will analyze how basic moral values relate to David Garrett Izzo's explanation of what he considers right and wrong. Finally, the research paper will examine the book to prove the assumption that children can build moral literacy by reading moral stories like Maximus in Catland.
Literature review concerning will be used to gain more understanding of the problem. This will involve existing literature examining the effects of moral judgment development on reading, as well as the studies examining whether children can extract the correct theme from a moral story. The study conducted by Narvaez et al (1998) will be used to get insight into possibility to measure moral theme comprehension in 8 - 9 year olds, 10 - 11 year olds and college students (Narvaez). The participants of this study were asked to read and listen to the moral story and then were presented with several tasks. They were offered to extract a moral from the story, and then asked to select the message of the story from a list of possible morals. The second part of the research will consist of practical experiment with 8 - 9 year olds, 10 - 11 year olds and college students.
The basic moral values from Maximus in Catland will be taken to measure moral theme comprehension in children. The information gained from literary review and from practical experiment will be then used to detect whether children can be taught to behave morally from reading the moral stories. A fundamental goal of this research is prove that children can build moral literacy by reading moral stories like Maximus in Catland. Third Part While reading Maximus in Catland one can easily notice that this book is not just for children but has philosophical messages for their parents as well. Using Maximus in Catland as a primary source, the essay examines philosophical messages, including but not limited to the following themes: truly weak and truly strong, time, first nature and second nature, reconciliation of opposites, love for the one and the many, the unity of the one and the many, do no harm and compassion for all, etc.
The author of the book undertakes an attempt in a fairy-tale-like way to help readers to draw instructive insights from fictional live narratives about what is wrong and what is right. This is a philosophical attempt to provide a set of questions and help readers to behave morally, to awaken the moral imagination and to learn basic truths through literature. Maximus in Catland introduces the idea of the truly strong man who is able to give his own life for the sake of the common good (Great mystery as it called in Catland). The book teaches compassion and basic truths about life The book written by David Garrett Izzo carries a deep philosophical message. From the very beginning it seems that it is a childrens book written for children alone, as it is rich in giant housecoats who live in the world similar to Tolkien's, where funny and intelligent animals share the world with wizards, magicians, supernatural creatures, and inhabit a world of myth and metaphorical meaning. The subtitle for Maximus in Catland tells: Before recorded time, the big cats ruled the world with mysticism, honor, and courage. (Izzo) David Garrett Izzo tells the story of Maximus the First, the head of the Council of Cats.
Maximum the First is a black cat with burning yellow eyes and a white chest, whose mother died at his birth. He was stolen when he was a small kitten and was kept as a slave by a magical eagle Wystan the Wise, the ruler of Eagle land, an eagle with a read feathered head and a red plume, and wizard Gerald. In few months, Trevenen, the leader of the Freedom Riders and the leader of Catland finds Maximus and adopts him. Trevenen doesnt know that Maximus is his second son. When Maximus arrives to Catland, he meets Huxley, the first son of Trevenen and become good friends with each other. When the Freedom Riders comes back from one of his excursions in the easy, he brings back a small kitten, the last of her tribe.
This kitten is Princess Blue, who soon becomes good friends with Huxley and Maximus. As the boys become older, Huxley is expected to become a leader of Catland one day, and Maximus becomes the leader of the Freedom Riders. Reltih (cipher for Hitler) holds Wystan captive and, similar to Hitler, wants to conquer all surrounding countries and nations. So, Maximus should gain a victory over Reltih in order to save the world. The book consists of two parts.
The first part tells of Maximus adventures and his rescue by Huxley, the red-and-tan tabby, and Maximus uniting with Princess Blue, his bride. In the second part of the book the author tells about the conflict between Maximus and evil men, resembling Nazis as their names are ciphers for Mengele and Hitler, those who decided to choose Second Nature or the dark side, power and ego over common good and happiness and collective identity. In his book, Izzo wants to educate the readers morally (both children and adults) by enabling them to gain better understanding, and to acquire the moral idioms of the society, community, family, etc. To a certain extent the story can serve as a reminder of the moral idioms the readers have been learning in real life. David Garrett Izzo gives these truths and idioms added depth and breadth.
It should be also mentioned that this book has obviously a deeper meaning that it might seem from the very beginning. The concept of two forces dominates in David Garrett Izzo's books and thoughts concerning literature, epistemology and philosophy, and Maximus in Catland is not exception to the rule. Speaking simple language and telling simple truths, Izzo carries philosophical messages and refers to the two forces by different names, but the very concept remains the same, whether he tells the readers about activity and passivity, good and evil, love and hate, peace and war, to mention a few. It seems that Izzo views these forces as a necessity for life itself. Izzo's concept of the universe, his literature theory, and his literature are also based on the operation of two forces, such as strong and weak, calm and anger, masculine and feminine, day and night, bright and dark. His basic faith in the possibility of reconciliation of opposites is at the heart of his Maximus in Catland.
Works Cited Bacchilega, Cristina. Postmodern Fairy Tales: Gender and Narrative Strategies. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997. Bottigheimer, R.
Fairy Tales and Society: Illusion, Allusion, and Paradigm. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1986. Fairy Tale as Myth Myth as Fairy Tale. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1993. Izzo, D.
Maximus in Catland. Give Press, LLC, 2007. Narvaez, D. "Does Reading Moral Stories Build Character?" Educational Psychology Review 14. 2 (2002).
Free research essays on topics related to: freedom riders, inanimate objects, moral lesson, fairy tale, behavioral patterns
Research essay sample on Maximus In Catland By David Izzo
