Spartacus Thesis

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Spartacus Howard Fast M.E. Sharpe Inc., New York (1993) 363 pages A Quest for Freedom Thesis Throughout Spartacus, Howard Fast depicts this heroic slave war, as a war for freedom, a war that could have caused the collapse of Rome’s economy and government. Even though the story takes place 2,000 years ago, it is very clear that this novel was written to relate to the reader of today. By the end of the book the reader slowly but surely ends up with a profound lesson in the dynamics of social change. Fast also makes the point that the true class foundation of ethics in his strong contrast between the preaching of decadent Roman ruling class and the basic Spartacan code. For the story to be about Spartacus one sees a little too much…show more content…
The chronicle of Spartacus and his army is one of the greatest stories in history. Early in 71 B.C., Spartacus organized 70,000 runaway slaves, gladiators and held Rome’s military on halt for nearly four years. Spartacus’ success finally came to an end when they were ultimately destroyed by the states power. In the novel, the Roman general whom finally takes down Spartacus also destroys two monuments, since the slaves had carved them out of Mount Vesuvius’. The main focus throughout the novel are the ladies and gentlemen of the Roman ruling class, and how the declination. That is actually how the Spartacus story begins to unravel, their doings and sayings toward the slaves. Gracchus, the wealthy, sneaky and ironic leader of the Roman Senate, falls in love with Varinia along with Spartacus. He throws away his fortune in order to have her stolen from Crassus and gets to spend a night with her before she leaves Rome forever. He claims in “all his life before, he had never felt this much contentment for one person.”(pg. 187) Right before dawn, before her final voyage, the superior Spartacus kisses her in gratefulness of her help destroying her husband, and proposes him to share her life with him. After she is gone, Gracchus frees his twenty slaves and later takes his own life. Essentially is the betrayal of Spartacus that ultimately leads him to…show more content…
Fast’s views are expressed through Spartacus when he says, “Our law is simple. Whatever we take, we hold in common, and no man shall own anything but his weapons and his clothes. It will be the way it was in the old times.”(pg. 247) Old time meaning before the 1950’s will never come back. Rome was essentially a society without values, or ideals, with the rich addicted to money and the poor addicted to welfare. He displays the Roman Senate a lot like the US Senate in the 50’s; conceited, dishonest and

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