The Character of Argument

The character of argument, fashioned from the ideological materials of English society, can be recognized by its jagged, often treacherous paths that seem to have no definite direction or end. With the traditional character there was little danger of tedium and loss of breath, but there was also little opportunity for further exploration and novelty. The events that precipitated the character of argument were, of course, those that profoundly affected the course of English history. Engaged in a powerful struggle for control of the nation, it is to be expected that the conflicting forces would resort to a strident tone of argument. The character entered the Puritan controversey almost from its first appearance as a distinct literary genre. The Overburian collection has several characters with the biting tone of the later attacks of the 1640's.