Shortcomings of Seven Deadly Sins

Some shortcomings of "Seven Deadly Sins," would include the style in which this book was written. Most critics would judge it poorly based on this. The concept of formality is tossed around quite a lot in this book, which allows this book to act more as a conversation rather than a read. Another shortcoming would have to be some of Taylor's references. At some points in the story he makes short speeches on subjects that do not appear to pertain to the theme of the book, but there is a subliminal message that requires some thought.

Praiseworthy about Seven Deadly Sins

Some praiseworthy mentions about "Seven Deadly Sins," would have to be how closely I as a reader could relate. Not necessarily from the religious stand-point, but from the overall theme of just living life as is. A person's conscience should not have to be weighted heavily on the day to day actions called life. Another thing that is praiseworthy about this book is Taylor's use of metaphors and satire. This makes for a humerous read and kept me interested in every page.

Theme or Main Idea of Seven Deadly Sins

The theme or main idea of "Seven Deadly Sins" is to not view the sins that we have come to fear, as vicious. Some people have become so up-tight about every judgement or move that they make, that they forgot what it was like to live for the moment. These "sins" should not become the deciding factor in a person's life. They should be viewed as petty, and that a person should be more outgoing and live.

Compare and Contrast of Seven Deadly Sins and Band of Brothers

There are many differences between "Seven Deadly Sins" and "Band of Brothers." First off being that the subject matter of the two is entirely not related. "Seven Deadly Sins," deals with seven sins that are considered dangerous, while "Band of Brothers," tells the story of one unit who goes through a series of events in World War II. Another difference being that the "Seven Deadly Sins," focuses on one character, where as "Band of Brothers," focuses on a whole platoon.
There is only one distinct comparison that was able to be made about both books. While they have their distinct differnces, both books seem to use real life events to make connections to the writings. Also, both use personal experiences throughout the novels.

Three Major Incidents in Seven Deadly Sins

One of the major incidents that occur in "Seven Deadly Sins," would have to be Taylor's personal experience to the sin of wrath. He starts by providing background information, in which he and his sister were staying at a friend of their mother's house one night. He then claims that he doesn not wish to remember these people, so they are referred to as Tom and Christine. Taylor then describes the lifestyle of Tom and Christine and how Tom seemed to be the only normal one out of both of them. Christine leaves to drink while Tom sits at home and waits for her. Then, he goes into detail of Tom's elevation of anger. There is a transition of the next day of Christine kicking in the front door. Tom then snaps, and gets into a brawl with Christine. Taylor states "I watched it all, including the inevitable aftermath: Christine running away and Tom chasing after her, leaving all the kids by themselves." (Taylor pg 30)
Another major incident within this book is the author's opinion on the sin of sloth. Taylor describes himself as a determined person, by saying "I work constantly. When I am not working, I am trying to raise my kids. When I am not raising future anarchists, I am working on other people's tomfoolery." (Taylor pg 95-96) He goes into saying that sloth should not necessarily be a sin, because it is all based around an attitude, rather than a lifestyle. He describes how his previous mindset of work has changed from that of where he is today. He makes a powerful statement of "Life owes you nothing; you owe yourself everything." (Taylor pg 97)
One last incident through this read would have to be Taylor's descripton of him growing up in Waterloo. He begins by saying that the statements that will be made about this town do not reflect the people who are currently living there. Taylor explains his hatred for the town as he was growing up, and shares that "It was in this town that all of these 'sins' really hit home." (Taylor pg 115) He then describes his living conditions at the time, and how he had to move in with his mother's best friend, who he despised greatly. "It was Jerry Springer every night at our house." (Taylor pg 116) This excerpt describes the addictions and domestic violence that Taylor would face daily. He then leads to more horrific details of events that occurred. In reference, Taylor says "Some scars run deep and some wounds never heal, but that sweet, sweet anger lives forever." (Taylor pg 119)

Element most important to Seven Deadly Sins

The element that is most important in "Seven Deadly Sins," would have to be the events. This is because Taylor is able to take personal experiences and connect them to the theme of this book, being the seven deadly sins. Also, he not only provides great detail to each event, but also gives the after-math and his reflection of the situation. He incorporates use of metaphors into each event, and breaks down the sense of formality during the scenarios. Not only does Taylor allow for personal experiences of himself to be made, but also for the audience to reflect on personal experiences in their life as well.

Prevailing mood of Seven Deadly Sins

Overall, this book's mood is across a broad spectrum of emotions. Due to this read dealing with seven different areas, or sins, of human life, the mood will sing with every page read.  The first few chapters of the book deal with the sin of wrath, in which Taylor prevails a more serious tone. For example he tells a personal experience of this sin and tells of the aftermath, in which he states "Rage is not a sin, but it can be the trigger that makes us commit sins. The real problem comes when we bottle up emotion and ignore the fact that we need to let ourselves be angry." (Taylor pg 30.)
Another section of the book deals with the sin of lust. Taylor takes more of a humurous tone. He tells of another personal experience, and describes the feeling of lust through in his eyes. He states "Lust, my Achilles Heel, the crazy monkey on my back, flailing and screaming and using my hair as a pair of handle bars, steering me toward the edge." (Taylor pg 48) His use of metaphors is what brings out the humor of this passage.
The next sin Taylor targets is that of vanity. With this, he continues to stay with a humerous tone. He begins this by giving a drawn-out description of himself, and never the less ending with "One more thing: I do not mean to brag or anything, but god-damn, I am pretty." (Taylor pg 70) Now reading through the description, Taylor is jokingly stating his accomplishments, such as "I am (apparently) a renowned artist, singer, songwriter, lyricist, entertainer, dancer (total lie), magi (another lie), aura reader (where's he going with this?) and all-around famous person." (Taylor pg 69)