Something that has really stuck out to me in this text so far are how important living in a “gray area” is and what that means about a person’s life. When Dante and Virgil enter the outer courts of hell, they discover two different groups who are suffering horribly. The first group is labeled as “The Opportunists”. While living, they weren’t good or evil, but they just lived for their own gain. Along with them were those who didn’t choose a side in the rebellion of the angels. The second group contained people who are “nearly soulless”. They were neither blamed or praised for anything.

They’re described as having no hope. They envy everyone else and pursue things that aren’t within their grasp. I think the author is making a bold statement about people who live their lives not fighting for anything. They don’t belong to anywhere, so they’re just wasted space. The author could also be saying that it’s best to choose a side because you’ll later regret it and it will torment you.

When a person chooses not to fight for anything, it doesn’t matter if he increases his knowledge or not. It doesn’t matter to him how other people see him because he probably feels he doesn’t need them. So choosing something to fight for ultimately mean becoming a better, more intelligent and thoughtful person. And, maybe, according to the author, that’s what this world needs.

Do you think the author is trying to get a message across about people who don’t fight for anything? If so, does his execution seem successful in doing so?