Published in 1989, Crimes and Misdemeanors charts the lives of two men; Cliff Stern and Judah Rosenthal. Cliff Stern, a small-time director, struggles to succeed in both his career and his marriage. While Judah Rosenthal, a wealthy ophthalmologist, faces moral dilemmas after having an affair with a young lover. Judah's lover expects him to leave his wife and when he doesn't, threatens to expose the secret affair. The uncertain Judas ponders whether killing his lover, to protect his comfortable lifestyle, is morally understandable. In the end, Judah decides to pay for the murder and gets away with it. Surrounding Judah's decision and Cliff's struggles, minor characters emerge in the plot who embody specific philosophical viewpoints. One of these characters is a professor and philosopher named Louis Levy who expresses the importance of love. Shortly before committing suicide Levy says something rather ambiguous about love; "It is only we, with our capacity to love, who give meaning to an indifferent universe; yet, most human beings seem to have the capacity to...