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How To Be Good

Abstract:
This reviews "How To Be Good" by Nick Hornby, with analysis using Aristotle's philosophy of ethics, precisely virtue and friendship. The paper closely focuses on the character of Katie and elaborately examines her inner self and her attempt to find means on becoming perfectly good. The paper examines her relationship to the main characters and how they implicitly or explicitly aid her in achieving her goal – attaining her perfect self. Using Aristotle's Nicomachaen Ethics it is easier to derive some of Katie's conclusions and consequently find out "How To Be Good."

Outline:

I. Introduction
a. Main character, Katie, and her problem of not knowing "How to be Good"
b. The inner self
i. Self-satisfaction
ii. Aristotle's emphasis
iii. Nick Hornby's point of infinite answers
II. Katie
a. Believes she is good, but wants to show it (second self)
i. She is a doctor which self-implies her goodness
ii. Thinks about world problems
III. Katie's Relations With
a. Stephen
i. Her lover
ii. Utility-love
iii. Pleasure-love
iv. Realizes that doing something good doesn't excuse doing something bad
b. David
i. Her horrible husband
1. egocentric
2. boring
3. cynical
ii. Her children
1. love for the sake of character
2. motherly love
3. care

IV. David and DJ GoodNews
a. DJ GoodNews
i. Magical healer
b. David changes entirely
c. David turns into an exaggerated charitable man
d. Confuses Katie
e. DJ GoodNews moves in
f. DJ GoodNews' anti-materialism
g. DJ GoodNews' makes David even more exaggeratedly caring
h. DJ GoodNews' "act not words" theory

V. Katie's Realization (Conclusion
a. Love is enough
b. No perfect self
c. No wrong no right

No guidelines to "How To Be Good"

Nick Hornby's How to be Good raises some complex questions on what it means to be good. Katie Carr, a wife and a mother, is certainly trying to be good. She cares about Third World debt, about the homeless, and struggles to raise her children in good ethics....