Are we Rome? Author and current editor at large at Vanity Fair, Cullen Murphy who has previously written about the female role in The Bible, debates this in his 2007 novel, Are we Rome? The Fall of an Empire and The Fate of America. He argues that yes, in fact, we in some ways are making the same mistakes as Ancient Rome. In doing so, he poses a series of questions that might help us better understand how exactly we have come to relate to that once mighty republic that met such a bleak end. Most importantly for us today, he questions if decline and fall lurk somewhere ahead? Throughout this book, Murphy tries to explain the complexities of Roman culture and how the various factors within this society, contributed to the demise of the empire.
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author Cullen Murphy tries to prove that while many of the issues that directly led to the collapse of Rome are now present in the United States, our society still has the ability to counter their effects. Murphy is effective in presenting his arguments as well as accurately defending them with successful research. He also excels at adapting his experience previously writing about the Bible and his work as a magazine editor to skillfully examine Rome and the US to provide insightful opinions on both that are not impeded by any particular bias. However, Murphy ultimately fails at accurately organizing his book to achieve a balance between his assessment of both cultures. Throughout his work, it is clear that Murphy prefers to relate Roman culture over an equal analysis of American society. This hinders his ability to fully address his thesis, he lacks a clear consensus to address the issues he raises about the future of America in the same way he dissects the fall of Rome. I agree with his thesis, I also believe that while we can recognize flaws today in the US, we are still in time to correct ourselves. Through, Murphy leaves the reader unsatisfied by limiting the solutions he proposes for these flaws, which also greatly degrades the literary quality of the
author Cullen Murphy tries to prove that while many of the issues that directly led to the collapse of Rome are now present in the United States, our society still has the ability to counter their effects. Murphy is effective in presenting his arguments as well as accurately defending them with successful research. He also excels at adapting his experience previously writing about the Bible and his work as a magazine editor to skillfully examine Rome and the US to provide insightful opinions on both that are not impeded by any particular bias. However, Murphy ultimately fails at accurately organizing his book to achieve a balance between his assessment of both cultures. Throughout his work, it is clear that Murphy prefers to relate Roman culture over an equal analysis of American society. This hinders his ability to fully address his thesis, he lacks a clear consensus to address the issues he raises about the future of America in the same way he dissects the fall of Rome. I agree with his thesis, I also believe that while we can recognize flaws today in the US, we are still in time to correct ourselves. Through, Murphy leaves the reader unsatisfied by limiting the solutions he proposes for these flaws, which also greatly degrades the literary quality of the