Name: Roxy Shane R.

Tan Date: November 11, 2022

Year & Section: 11 STEM ENG’G Teacher: Dianne Malihan

CRITIQUE PAPER IN 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE

“Amazing Love” by Greg Mitchell

GUIDE QUESTIONS THROUGH THE SOCIOCULTURAL CONTEXT:

 What is the relationship between the characters or the speakers in the text and their
society?
- The interaction between the characters and their society has tremendously influenced their
attitude since the characters of the society and inside it must behave in order to operate in the
manner demanded by society. The influence of society on teenagers' behavior, character, and
attitude is enormous. It influences how individuals perceive other people, their general
viewpoint, and their ethics. As I have observed, the teens made a judgement on Ashley based
on how she behaved, which may have been influenced by the type of society the teenagers
live in. Hosea and Gomer, on the other hand, also have a relation with their culture, which is
the cause for their actions throughout the story. Gomer desires to always buy a significant
amount of jewelry, but because to Hosea's social standing, he is unable to satisfy his wife's
wish and is powerless to do so. Their relationship with society is also the trigger for the story's
initial conflict. Each society is structured and works in certain ways that are dictated by a
variety of external factors.

 Does the text explicitly address issues of gender, race, class? How does the text resolve
these issues?
- Considering Ashley had a terrible reputation amongst the teenagers in the beginning  because
of her desire to date "boys with money," the novel tackled several societal concerns in the
initial half of the story, where there was discrimination and judgement shown by the teenage
characters. There are also various issues of class that are addressed in Hosea's account. In
the story, Hosea is a poor man, which is why people look down on him and refuse to believe
him, and his status is also why his harlot wife Gomer betrayed him. Because of this class
issue, Gomer has committed adultery with a wealthy man who has greater authority and
power in their society during the time of the story's history. According to my research to the
biblical book's plot, the connection between Hosea and his unfaithful wife Gomer is parallel to
the relationship between Yahweh and his unfaithful people Israel. Hosea and Gomer's final
reunion is viewed as a hopeful symbol for Yahweh and Israel's eventual reconciliation. Also,
Hosea represented God, and Gomer represented God's people. God's people were called to
be covenant partners with the Lord. Throughout the story, God uses Hosea and his connection
with his harlot wife Gomer to show God's love for His people. Because of the story of Hosea
that Stuart has told to the adolescents, the troubles in the present chronology of the novel have
 been resolved, and the teenagers have begun to seek God's word and truly study their favorite
books of the Bible, and we get a glimpse into Ashley's life and struggle.

 Who was in the setting? Who was not? What is the reason for this setting?
- On the narrative "Amazing Love," there were two settings, each of which featured a separate
group of characters. The settings are in the present chronology at a forest campground, and in
Israel about 786-746 BC. Stuart, Beth, Ashley, Cooper, Steve, Gameboy, Carrie, and Helen
are the characters in the first setting, which takes place in the present timeline of the story.
Hosea, Gomer, Zedekiah, Jezreel, Dublaim, Jahaz, and the Wealthy Man, on the other hand,
are characters that are not present in the first setting since they are present in the second
setting, which occurred in Israel. The setting in the middle of the night in the forest campsite
happened because on the small youth group retreat, Pastor Stuart knows that something is
wrong with the group of teenagers he is in charge of which then made him decide to have a
story telling the campsite. He then proceeds to attempt to reach them by giving them his
imaginative and family-friendly retelling of Hosea's difficult relationship with his wife Gomer,
and here is where the second setting comes in. The second setting is in Israel since that is the
period when the narrative of Hosea transpired in the bible. The story that happened in the
second setting has taught everyone in the first setting, especially youngsters from broken
homes, that God's love is unconditional. The narrative of Hosea teaches everyone in the
present timeline of the story that God loves even people we thought were hopeless and
unreachable. Giving my critique to the story's two settings; due mainly to the dual narrative, the
conversation is plain and the characters are superficial, yet there are some intriguing twists
that have retained my attention.