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Thomas More's Utopia Extensive Notes
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Extensive notes on the concept of Utopia including summaries, quotes, technique analyses, critical readings, etc.
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26 Apr | Approaching a Challenging Question- Term 1 Document: 11EX T1 Utopia
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“To what extent.”
- Significant, less than, larger than levels of truth as a discriminator, degrees to which
something is true, must recognise complexity—in this way it is true, but in other ways not
—i.e. it is ‘degrees of extent’ not one thing but several might need to be considered
“Evaluate.”
- Weigh up the degree to which something is significant/important/true/relevant
“How effectively does the author...”
- Weigh up the degree of effectiveness according to the specified criteria
How to approach a question that approaches your topic from an angle you have not yet
considered.
- Underline all the key terms and identify the aspect of your topic to which they relate.
- Note that you cannot redefine them so that the generally agreed meaning is not the
meaning you use. That is, you cannot take a term like ‘violence’ and redefine it as
‘selfishness’ because it might suit what you want to say. (Selfishness might be
something you discuss as a root cause of violence, for example.)
- You should however clarify what the term, in your view, refers to or means in the text or
texts under discussion. That is, you might say one text explores physical violence or
psychological violence.
- Note: the question will come from the syllabus rubric (content) and outcomes.
- Circle the verb that indicates what you are to do: ‘examine, evaluate, discuss and so on,
as well as any qualifiers: ‘...to what extent (do you agree?) or ‘Does this accord with your
understanding of the text? (How effectively?)’ And so on.
- Remember that these qualifiers are a signal you should consider the issue in more than
one way-varying degrees of agreement, accord extent/effectiveness.
- Then you will be able to address the given question using the relevant knowledge,
understanding and skills you have gained in preparation for the task.
- You must construct a thesis that carefully addresses the question before you in all its
aspects, then plan an approach which supports this thesis in a logical manner.
- Each paragraph should address some aspect of the question, and be seen to do so-
writing clear topic sentences is a way of ensuring both you and the reader are following
the line you have taken, the thesis you are supporting.
Task
In pairs or individually, attempt the below question and write a plan, introduction and 1st
paragraph. You may write more if you wish.
Q: "Utopian texts often reflect what is wrong with the real world.” To what extent is this
statement true?
1
,Planning
- To a great extent; to a significant extent
- Perspectives: Utopia not as a blueprint → as a “touchstone” or standard
- Utopia is a mirror? Using irony
- I did not finish this exercise
2
,03 May | Pleasantville Context Research: The American Dream
General Information
- Term "American dream" was coined in the best-selling book Epic of America (1931). James
Truslow Adams described it as "that dream of a land in which life should be better and
richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement."
- In our own words: it is a set of beliefs that you can achieve anything through
hard work ← what is desired to be achieved has somewhat shifted over time,
but it fundamentally encompasses a life that you can live comfortably
within/one where you can achieve your own dreams (quote-on-quote without
society stopping you)
Timeline
Link to: Progression of the American Dream (Ideals and Values Integral to the ‘Dream’
Negatives and Representations in Media
- Can involve:
- sitcoms (use of deus ex machina) → The conflict always ends in a positive
resolution, where everything returns to normal from an unexpected
event/force. Deus ex machina was used as producers believed that the
audience wouldn’t want the episode to end on a negative note.
- “nuclear family structures” → the breadwinner father, the mother that takes
care of everyone and everything, and the children.
- “TV portrays people of colour achieving the American Dream nearly twice as often as their
white counterparts — this inaccurate depiction is a reverse of racial realities”
- Programs produced after 2010 have had twice as many wealthy characters as those made
in the 1990s and nearly 90% fewer poor characters
- “Based on their consumption of media, teens may believe that upward mobility and success
is a given. But if systemic inequities make the dream nearly impossible to achieve, they
may feel they only have themselves to blame.”
- Some TV shows/films: Friends (1994), Pleasantville (1998), American Beauty (1999),
Grey’s Anatomy (2005), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013), etc. Other media such as Love &
Death (2023) and the book The Great Gatsby (1925) explore more pessimistic critiques of
the American Dream/the dark side of the American Dream:
- Even by achieving the American Dream, there can still be a sense of
unfulfillment. This includes feeling hollow, and using superficial devices to
attempt to spice up life, or other drastic actions such as an affair ← when
one’s personal values do not line up with the American Dream → not for
everyone
- Encourages individualism, overemphasises materialism → diminishes social
cohesion
To Utopia
- Fundamentally, Utopia is the opposite of the American Dream (vision of earthly bliss vs
struggle and accomplishment, although both narratives achieve the same results in the
end)
- The American Dream ignores systemic inequalities in reality faced by minorities i.e. POC,
the poor; women, whilst Utopia explicitly attempts to end the harsh barrier between one’s
goals and their state of wealth. The American Dream promotes capitalism!!
3
, - Aspects that align with Utopia: faith in progress to a better future, can be didactic, can
appear to be naive, romance of an ideal future (usually personal rather than large-scale)
4
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