had been persecuted by the Black Party and forced into exile for his beliefs. This could have influenced his writings in the Purgatory section of his work (Haller 6). We do not have much information on the early part of his life, but he should have been seemingly happy for the most part. He had married a women which he did not choose and seemingly fell in love. After her death, he seemed to search for something. He had lost his home, his family, his wife and now searched for a way out. His search was for freedom. The Purgatory section portrays him conquering each of the seven deadly sins on his way to Paradise or freedom. Dante picked the seven deadly sins as to his life. He must overcome seeing old friends and family on each of the ledges as he climbs. His reasoning for picking these particular seven sins is interesting. Did he pick them because of his vast traveling and meditation? He had been studying philosophy during his exile, which probably helped him picking some of the sins. Pride has always been a problem in society. Dante also names gluttony. Why is eating too much a sin in Dante's eyes? The envy ledge should not be a sin but a stepping stone for sin. If a person envies someone or something so much, it could cause him to commit a sin. Sloth is not a sin, but an unsophisticated state of being. People that are lazy are not considered sinners. Anger could be considered a sin in that is promotes sin after the fact. Greed should have been written in the Ten Commandments. Dante does describe this sin correctly being that greed has promoted many sins in all cultures. Lust is another sin most people will agree on. Lust constitutes many crimes of passion and should remain at the top of the list. At the entrance to each of the levels, Dante would meet someone he knew. Dante's life seemed to be a happy one for the most part and it can be seen through the people he met. Most of the people along the way were closely associated with Dante...
