Aristotle argues that friendship is one of the most important virtues that humans can achieve. Thus, to be a good friend is to be ethical in the highest sense of the word. For your paper you are to consider two friendships in the novel, Ceremony, one of which you consider praiseworthy and the other of which you consider blameworthy. Each of these friendships should involve Tayo, the novel's central character.
Your analysis of each friendship should consist of two parts. In the first part, you will characterize, via the novel's text, the actual qualities of the friendship you are considering. In the second part of your analysis of each friendship, you will then give the reasons for your judgment as to why the friendship is praiseworthy or blameworthy. In doing so, you are to make use of some of the ideas you have encountered in the various readings we have made use of in this course. For instance, Hallie's notion of institutional cruelty may be interesting to look at in relation to how a certain friendship either embodies or resists what Tayo comes to call the "White lie." You might want to consider how this "White lie" differs ironically from Kant's notion of a "white lie." Aristotle's distinction between true and utilitarian friendships should also be quite helpful, as well as his claim of how friendship leads to concord in a community and so to social responsibility and justice.
In the final section of the paper, you will analyze how the two friendships you have considered aid one in understanding the dramatic but ambiguous ending of Ceremony. Why does Tayo not intervene in the brutal scene unfolding before him? Was he right or wrong to have resisted such involvement? Why? At the novel's end, how is Tayo prepared to be someone's friend? Do you approve of such friendship?
This paper is to be typewritten and at least 3 pages long. It is due by noon, May 19th in the Philosophy House.