Complex sentence: Ernst's argument therefore concentrated on "downplaying the novel's subversive or potentially offensive elements and emphasizing its artistic integrity and moral seriousness", arguing that the work was not obscene but rather a classic work of literature.
Split into simpler sentences: Ernst's argument therefore concentrated on "downplaying the novel's subversive or potentially offensive elements and emphasizing its artistic integrity and moral seriousness". He instead arguing that the work was not obscene but rather a classic work of literature.