Elemental by Antony John - 1 Introduction and Current Events Article:
Elemental by Antony John focuses on the life of seven-year old Thomas who is considered an outsider in his community. He is different from all the others; he has no supernatural power. Thomas has no element. He cannot conjure flames, predict the winds, nor hear the earth. The “Guardians” deem him as useless to the colony. However, some catastrophic event will come across the colony that will test Thomas’s purpose in life. The author’s social critique will focus on inequality and how people who are considered unequal and who are abased by society have purpose in their lives. It is important that people, although considered unequal, are given the same rights and opportunities to succeed. Everyone has the ability to succeed in life when given the chance to do so. Sheila Kennedy points out in Why the Rich Hate Popular Democracy that people have always had a target group to demonize. “Gays, Jews, African-Americans, Muslims, non-Aryans—the identity of the marginalized may change” (Kennedy 7) but they have still been treated as unequal and have not been given the same opportunities as others. There has and will most likely always be inequality within the world. Currently, politics focus on inequalities in wealth and how the majority of the population is poorer than the other. If people were to vote on policies that would directly benefit themselves, then the rich would be stripped of their wealth in order to supply for the poor. This type of popular democracy would lead to bad policies that would negatively affect a nation and lead to demise. Kennedy supports a more logical approach to politics that will benefit the masses including the rich minority. It is important that people are given the same rights as others. Even though their is wealth inequality, if those who are rich and those who are not are given the same rights then all people will have the same opportunity to achieve wealth or lose it.
As the article hones in on the poor, less worthy stereotype, Kennedy connects the idea of equal education and the poor. It “focused upon the (unfortunately widespread) belief that children from poorer precincts lack the ability to learn” (Kennedy 10).
o Your personal response and explanation of the context of the passage.
o Analysis of the purpose of the passage, specific techniques used to achieve this purpose, and the overall effect.
o A connection to one or more of our essential questions:o A reflection/connection to previous ideas addressed in your other postings.
§ What does it mean to be human?
§ What do our depictions of the future reveal about the present?
§ How do we use language / images to manipulate people’s minds?
" 'That's no skill. Predicting others' misfortune is a curse.' 'You think we don't know that?' I snapped. 'Look at him. He can't eat or sleep because of what we saw.'.... 'What’s wrong with him?' 'Nothing's wrong with him' "(John 29).
With the beginning of the novel, Antony John portrays each social division and inequality through characters' behaviors and interactions. The guardians serve of the chiefs of the town, wielding powers of elements and guiding those who have it. Elemental powers is the "normal" of society; this is what it means to be human. Those who have powers cast out those who do not, or those who have powers that are far different from theirs. Thomas has no power at all and Griffen, Thomas' brother, has a power similar to his mother's, the power to see others' deaths. Since the village is isolated within an island, the people with elemental powers (water, fire, earth, wind, etc) see themselves as the only type of humans on the world. Although they do trade with others that anchor away from the shore, only those who control the village (the guardians) interact with outsiders. This keeps insiders nearly completely isolated. The author mainly uses dialogue to express the society's values. At first, Thomas, the outcast, does not have a true voice and can not stand up for himself. Only his father has ever held his hand and others are afraid to come into contact with him, thinking that he is cursed or diseased. As the story progresses, Thomas is given a voice towards others in the society. This transition predicts the fight against inequality that will allow people to hear Thomas the same way they hear each other. There is nothing "wrong" with others, but rather what's different. People see difference as a problem and wish to eliminate it. This unequal treatment of people builds into the theme of inequality and as peoples' treatment towards Thomas changes, we as the reader will see how inequality will fluctuate. John, Antony. "Chapter 4." Elemental. New York: Dial, 2012. 26-32. Print.
“Scars look good on you-remind me we’re not so different after all” (93)
By seeing others to be human, one is able to connect with them on equal levels. People who treat one another as the same are able to understand each other better and cooperate with similar ideals. It is comforting when you know that others are not so different from you and that you can be with them without being scared of the unknown. Everyone is equal and everyone should be treated equally. Society forces boundaries between people, whether it’s wealth, reputation, or rights. Social rifts are enforced through laws and ideals. People are taught how to treat others and how they should feel towards different people. The author emphasizes that people are all human; they all bleed the same blood, breathe the same air and live on the same Earth. John, Antony. "Chapter 13." Elemental. New York: Dial, 2012. 91-96. Print.
“There was a tension between us that felt new. I kind of liked it” (95)
Old relations between the discriminated and the general population begin to deteriorate and equal treatment of the discriminated arise. Those who are deemed different are no longer seen to be so different as society’s needs change. People are able to naturally come together and get along well without the ill influence of society’s values and ideas. Without an authority to directly tell people how to treat one another, people observe and decide for themselves who is inherently good and bad. Humans will always be able to build relationships, whether good or bad, within society and personally. Mutual relations are necessary for survival and is seen throughout nature. Natural relations contrast with social relations whereas even though people seek happiness and survival, there is always chaos and conflicts that affect those who hold grudges and prejudice. John, Antony. "Chapter 13." Elemental. New York: Dial, 2012. 91-96. Print.
“She was here to make sure we didn't leave the shelter and explore the town. She was here to keep the Guardians’ secrets.” (111)
As characters must act on their own free will, independent from the directions of the Guardians, they begin to question the Guardian’s orders and laws. They are given more things to divulge as they explore uncharted territory that has been concealed by the greater powers. Pressured by the need to survive, people adapt to new surroundings and cooperation. It is a necessity to put aside differences and emphasize strengths in order to best contribute to living. Peoples’ ways of thinking and their values begin to shifts as they discover new things about themselves and their society. The author creates one character as a catalyst for reform, and uses interaction between this one character and others to show shifts in others’ values. Society typically stores secrets behind government and power in order to give the public only one side to a story. The government displays their history through a set of lies and fictional stories and persuades their people that their actions have taken a course for the better. People are never given the full truth behind their history and the history of others, rather they are given the history that will force them to think one way. That single bias history prevents people to moving on from true history, and causes them to become oblivious of the past. People with power and authority are given the responsibility to continue to hide unbiased facts and keep them a secret. Instead of destroying history, society always keeps it a secret, keeping in mind that only those with power and authority should know the truth, and those who are given the truth are already slaves to the society in which they live in. John, Antony. "Chapter 16." Elemental. New York: Dial, 2012. 109-116. Print.
- 1 Final Analysis of Social Critique: After finishing the text, analyze the author’s purpose and what he/she critiques about our society. What issues inspired this text? To support your response, provide some other articles that illustrate how the issues are present in our society, and reference them in your analysis. (Use quotations and provide a works cited section at the end of the post).
Society always has the tendency to hold biased views and segregation. Those who are persecuted must face challenges ahead of them and seek equality and justice. They seek acceptance from society and are willing to create new societies to do so. This text is inspired by challenges that are overcome by those who are persecuted, and how society values each group of people. Inequality is a social problem that prolongs today. “Gays, Jews, African-Americans, Muslims, non-Aryans—the identity of the marginalized may change” (Kennedy 7), but there will always be a group to target. Those with power secure their positions by drawing a fine line between them and others, as suggest by Sheila Kennedy in “Why the Rich Hate Popular Democracy”. Both Antony John and Sheila Kennedy point out how government and wealth can control the majority population and enact rules and regulations upon individuals. The rich in our modern day society and the Guardians of “Elemental” both exercise their influence in order to keep control over people. The ladder of social positions causes those who are above to look down upon those less fortunate, or those who are simply different. Through the unfair treatment of overs, people feel as if their positions within society are secured and invulnerable to change.
John, Antony. Elemental. New York: Dial, 2012. Print. Kennedy, Sheila S. "Why the Rich Hate Popular Democracy." Inequality. Institute for Policy Studies, 5 Nov. 2014. Web. 11 Jan. 2015.
Firebrand by Antony John - 1 Introduction and Current Events Article:
Thomas and his "friends" have rescued the Guardians and have taken over the pirates' ship, but the pirates are still a threat to Roanoke Island. Thomas' newly found element leads to him overhearing a radio message calling for refugees to head to Fort Sumter. They sail south, but quickly discover that their elements become less effective as they leave Roanoke behind. There is something evil occurring within the refugee colony. From the perilous food-gathering squads, to the constant threat of rat infestation, to dangerous secrets, Thomas and his colonists begin to realize that this promising new world may be even more terrifying than the one they left behind. It is widely known that the wants of the rich differ from the wants of the lower classes. Social problems become a larger rift and market-based solutions have constantly been proposed and implemented in order to lessen the problem, without much effect. "The market has one objective — to produce profits." However, profits of some people come at a cost for the other majority. It is also evident that wealth has become increasingly concentrated among small groups of people, and as a result, political power has become more concentrated within specific groups. The public only benefits when policymakers' needs align with their own. Mike stout points out that "individualism and competition have become increasingly engrained in our ways of thinking and talking about the causes of, and solutions to, pressing social problems. This has allowed the market to have a disproportionate influence on our political system, and has degraded civil society and civic engagement." It is proposed that in order to solve modern problems, the economy must take a shift in values that would promote "community, civil society, and the public good."
People who end up on the falling side of society will always want their government to close social rifts and provide a better equality for people, whether financially, socially, or legally. Inequality has been a social problem that governments have tried to solve in their own special little ways. None of which have truly gotten rid of inequality.
“You element is a mistake. An anomaly. So is Griffin’s ability to see the future. A generation ago you’d have been banished (8).
Even as people have to work together to survive, they still harbor ill thoughts towards those discriminated. Their values remain unchanged, yet their actions must contradict those values in order to achieve a goal. The fact that people are different remains unchanged, but the treatment of those people have changed. Although people are treated more equally, they are still looked down upon as inferior and are cast out from society. “A generation ago [they’d] have been banished” (8), but now they can coexist with others as they have come to be accepted by the majority of the population. There are always people within a population that will judge people who are different and treat them the way that they feel is right. The idea that one group of people is better than others exists throughout the history of this Earth. John, Antony. "Chapter 2." Elemental. New York: Dial, 2013. 4-8. Print.
“hugged his mother tightly, crying into her hair, while she stared ahead, unblinking. (25)
People are intertwined by their capacity of emotion and free thought. People will always bear sufferings following the loss of a loved one; people will always be able to feel happiness, despair, anger, and joy. It is one of the many things that make us human, and Antony John emphasizes that within this morbid scene of tragedy and death. However, following despair and sadness comes hatred and the need for revenge. People who lose something they love end up hating the cause of their lost. They, more than often, do not learn to forgive and they spark conflict and strife. Human nature is filled with both positives and negatives and this will remain unchanged, however in order for the world to survive, the positives most outbalance the negatives and war and hatred must be kept to a minimal. John, Antony. "Chapter 4." Elemental. New York: Dial, 2012. 21-26. Print.
“then the Guardians have known all along. Maybe they know this ship too.” She narrowed her eyes as she ran though the meaning of it all.”(24).
The laws and regulations that society enforces are almost never questioned by the vast majority of its people. They are justified and enforced through peoples’ early education and when they are questioned, society provides a large wave of support for its values based on its history and mutual need. Most information that is given to the people are biased and given to condition them to think a certain way. The Guardians have lied and kept so many secrets from their people in order to keep them from venturing off from their society and to instill their ideals and values upon them. Those who have more knowledge and intellect are able to keep that knowledge from others. The Guardians serve as the prime example of governments who are able to keep knowledge from their population in order to control them. As the younger members of society begin to open their eyes as to what the Guardians have been actually doing, they become more aware of the Guardians’ secrets and more aware of what lies behind those secrets. John, Antony. "Chapter 4." Firebrand. New York: Dial, 2012. 21-26. Print.
"None believed rats could make it out this far. The island settlements are so irregular- entire regions uninhabited. Rats need food and human waste to survive." (12)
Contrasting between rats and people, both are the cause of misfortune and plague. Rats are the cause of plague just as those who are persecuted are seen as causes of misfortune. People always have an excuse to segregate inferior people. They are treated as human waste and do not deserve to live the same way as others live. Those who are victims of persecution are never thought of to successfully rebel against those who persecute them, just as rats could never make it to an uninhabited island. However, people are able to overcome inequality as suggested by Antony John. Overcoming inequality can easily lead to an escalation of conflict as those who were the persecutors feel unjust and wronged. They must prove that they are right by continuously attacking the other group, and so inequality is never cured as long as there is the possibility of conflict. The cure to inequality is much harder to find than the cure to plague. Antony John uses the characters within his novel to portray what he believes molds into the world of equality.
- 1 Final Analysis of Social Critique:
Lives within different societies vary greatly in values, beliefs, environments and rules. Within every society, there is inequality. There must always be a more powerful force in order to rule over the rest, and there are always groups within the society that hold more power than others. Antony John introduces a “New World” that is supposedly better than the old. However, not everything is truly better since there is always one part of society that is infested with rats, disease, corruption, and chaos. There is almost never a perfect utopia and there is always inequality. Mike Stout also discusses how politics are most influenced by money and that the government relies on people with wealth to support them. In modern day society, there is always somebody relying on somebody else. Rules are set by those who have power and those who don’t have power don’t have any other choice but to follow them. At the very bottom of our society lies unemployment, bankruptcy, homelessness and suffering.
John, Antony. Firebrand. New York: Dial, 2013. Print. Stout, Mike. "What Has Happened to the Public Good?" Inequality. Institute for Policy Studies, 6 Aug. 2014. Web. 11 Jan. 2015.
Renegade by Antony John
- 1 Introduction and Current Events Article: Thom and his friends must go through the final and most dangerous trials in order to save their homeland. Furthermore, after the shocking discovery that Thom's mother is still alive on Roanoke, Thom is determined to return to that island. However, the island is still under pirate control, and a mysterious boy in possession of a dangerous element appears. How will Thom and the colonists overcome the pirates? With the help of an unlikely ally and the newly discovered ability to combine elements, Thom must bring forth the full extent of his power to end this battle for their home once and for all.
Just as the cure for Ebola is at the brink of discovery, government funding is withdrawn and research is left incomplete. With the lack of concern for future investment, governments focus on the effects on a problem, and if the effect does not target themselves, they could care less about the problem. Respectively, if a problem does affect someone with power, that person will take immediate action to quell that problem. By ignoring problems that don’t affect us, we become ignorant and less aware of our surroundings. Although justifiable, the unequal distribution of funding is similar to the unequal treatment of people, as those who are deemed useless are treated worse than those who are useful. And in an unfair society, those who are useful are easily taken advantage of when those with power are able to control the lesser people. http://inequality.org/why-research-funding-matters/
- 4 Passage Analysis Posts:
“Plague. For sixteen years we’d lived in isolation on Hatteras Island protected from the rats that had consumed the mainland and the disease that had decimated the population.” (2)
Isolation between separate societies prevents the two societies from learning each other’s identities and cultures. This also prevents different ideas and values from entering one population. Thus, the set ideals and values that exist within one population are enforced and people are less likely to oppose it, When values are opposed, it is opposed by the minority and the minority becomes an outcast of society. People must become exposed to various ideas and values so that the individual can reflect off various values to construct their own belief system. Society uses language and images in order to provide one set of ideas and enforce their own values, People must recognize the effects of media and analyze the true meanings of words cast by society.
“I’ve seen what evil people are willing to do to get what they want, My parents were killed by the man they trusted most of all. So you’d better believe it“ (5).
The author criticizes society for its emphasis and drive of greed and wealth. People take routes most advantageous to them and are willing to use others and abase others in order to achieve a goal. Human nature allows us to build relationship amongst others and build trust. However this trust can easily be manipulated and taken advantage of by people. People who feel the need to become better than others and climb up the social ladder are influenced by society’s needs and their wants. The future may be built off trust, but there is always a chance that society will fail and that individuals will do anything in order to achieve power.
“On Sumter, Griffen had been imprisoned inside a glass cube with a pack of rats- a brutally efficient way to determine if he was the mythical solution. With his hands and feet bound” (9).
The unequal treatment of people in order to achieve success has been repeated throughout history and is still evident in the future. Although experiments using humans and even other living creatures is considered immoral in some 1st world countries, it is not always seen such a way. Generally, if not bound by law, people will not consider such experiments to be cruel as they are more progressive. It is society that shapes the way people think and guides their morals and values. It is important that people are taught what is right from what is wrong, however even this can have a negative effect if what is taught is truly evil and threatening to others. Humans are easily manipulated by society and are vulnerable to most environmental factors.
“They didn’t care for Griffin, only for what Griffen could provide. What would happen when everyone had been cured? Would we coexist peacefully when they no longer had any use for us? When non-elementals outnumbered us five to one? (264).
When the majority outnumbers the rest, that majority rules over the rest. This can only apply, of course, if that majority has the power necessary to overcome the minority. Again, the author uses an example of the unfair treatment of people in order to achieve a goal. This particular example reminds me most of slavery and how after the slave has met its purpose, it is disposed of and is no longer useful. There is no telling of what society can do to people who are deemed useless. Even now, businesses who see people as useless will not hire them and those people shall perish. However, society’s need always change and so whoever is not needed of will be cast out.
- 1 Final Analysis of Social Critique
Throughout Renegade by Antony John, the author utilizes characters and their experiences within the novel to express his own views of society. The main theme of this final book is how people work in order to fulfill society’s needs and that people will do whatever it takes in order to achieve success in that society. Griffen is used as the primary character in order to emphasize his claims. Experiments are carried out unjustly and he is used as a tool in order to cure a disease. His life is not valued whatsoever and he merely serves the society’s needs. In “Why Research funding matters” by Sheila Kennedy, it is noted that the government only funds programs that benefit itself, directly or indirectly. This ties well with Renegade as both the novel’s society and our modern day government only work in order to achieve their versions of success and manipulate their people in order to do so. Antony John foreshadows that if people stay vulnerable to society’s rule and susceptible to change, we will not survive as people, but as tools of that society.
John, Antony. Renegade. New York: Dial, 2014. Print. Kennedy, Sheila S. "Why Research Funding Matters for the Country" Inequality. Institute for Policy Studies, 22 Oct. 2014. Web. 11 Jan. 2015.
- 1 Introduction and Current Events Article:
Elemental by Antony John focuses on the life of seven-year old Thomas who is considered an outsider in his community. He is different from all the others; he has no supernatural power. Thomas has no element. He cannot conjure flames, predict the winds, nor hear the earth. The “Guardians” deem him as useless to the colony. However, some catastrophic event will come across the colony that will test Thomas’s purpose in life. The author’s social critique will focus on inequality and how people who are considered unequal and who are abased by society have purpose in their lives. It is important that people, although considered unequal, are given the same rights and opportunities to succeed. Everyone has the ability to succeed in life when given the chance to do so.
Sheila Kennedy points out in Why the Rich Hate Popular Democracy that people have always had a target group to demonize. “Gays, Jews, African-Americans, Muslims, non-Aryans—the identity of the marginalized may change” (Kennedy 7) but they have still been treated as unequal and have not been given the same opportunities as others. There has and will most likely always be inequality within the world. Currently, politics focus on inequalities in wealth and how the majority of the population is poorer than the other. If people were to vote on policies that would directly benefit themselves, then the rich would be stripped of their wealth in order to supply for the poor. This type of popular democracy would lead to bad policies that would negatively affect a nation and lead to demise. Kennedy supports a more logical approach to politics that will benefit the masses including the rich minority. It is important that people are given the same rights as others. Even though their is wealth inequality, if those who are rich and those who are not are given the same rights then all people will have the same opportunity to achieve wealth or lose it.
As the article hones in on the poor, less worthy stereotype, Kennedy connects the idea of equal education and the poor. It “focused upon the (unfortunately widespread) belief that children from poorer precincts lack the ability to learn” (Kennedy 10).
Kennedy, Sheila S. "Why the Rich Hate Popular Democracy." Inequality. Institute for Policy Studies, 5 Nov. 2014. Web. 11 Jan. 2015.
http://inequality.org/why-rich-hate-democracy/
- 4 Passage Analysis Posts: These should include
o A connection to one or more of our essential questions:o A reflection/connection to previous ideas addressed in your other postings.
" 'That's no skill. Predicting others' misfortune is a curse.' 'You think we don't know that?' I snapped. 'Look at him. He can't eat or sleep because of what we saw.'.... 'What’s wrong with him?' 'Nothing's wrong with him' "(John 29).
With the beginning of the novel, Antony John portrays each social division and inequality through characters' behaviors and interactions. The guardians serve of the chiefs of the town, wielding powers of elements and guiding those who have it. Elemental powers is the "normal" of society; this is what it means to be human. Those who have powers cast out those who do not, or those who have powers that are far different from theirs. Thomas has no power at all and Griffen, Thomas' brother, has a power similar to his mother's, the power to see others' deaths. Since the village is isolated within an island, the people with elemental powers (water, fire, earth, wind, etc) see themselves as the only type of humans on the world. Although they do trade with others that anchor away from the shore, only those who control the village (the guardians) interact with outsiders. This keeps insiders nearly completely isolated.
The author mainly uses dialogue to express the society's values. At first, Thomas, the outcast, does not have a true voice and can not stand up for himself. Only his father has ever held his hand and others are afraid to come into contact with him, thinking that he is cursed or diseased. As the story progresses, Thomas is given a voice towards others in the society. This transition predicts the fight against inequality that will allow people to hear Thomas the same way they hear each other. There is nothing "wrong" with others, but rather what's different. People see difference as a problem and wish to eliminate it. This unequal treatment of people builds into the theme of inequality and as peoples' treatment towards Thomas changes, we as the reader will see how inequality will fluctuate.
John, Antony. "Chapter 4." Elemental. New York: Dial, 2012. 26-32. Print.
“Scars look good on you-remind me we’re not so different after all” (93)
By seeing others to be human, one is able to connect with them on equal levels. People who treat one another as the same are able to understand each other better and cooperate with similar ideals. It is comforting when you know that others are not so different from you and that you can be with them without being scared of the unknown. Everyone is equal and everyone should be treated equally. Society forces boundaries between people, whether it’s wealth, reputation, or rights. Social rifts are enforced through laws and ideals. People are taught how to treat others and how they should feel towards different people. The author emphasizes that people are all human; they all bleed the same blood, breathe the same air and live on the same Earth.
John, Antony. "Chapter 13." Elemental. New York: Dial, 2012. 91-96. Print.
“There was a tension between us that felt new. I kind of liked it” (95)
Old relations between the discriminated and the general population begin to deteriorate and equal treatment of the discriminated arise. Those who are deemed different are no longer seen to be so different as society’s needs change. People are able to naturally come together and get along well without the ill influence of society’s values and ideas. Without an authority to directly tell people how to treat one another, people observe and decide for themselves who is inherently good and bad.
Humans will always be able to build relationships, whether good or bad, within society and personally. Mutual relations are necessary for survival and is seen throughout nature. Natural relations contrast with social relations whereas even though people seek happiness and survival, there is always chaos and conflicts that affect those who hold grudges and prejudice.
John, Antony. "Chapter 13." Elemental. New York: Dial, 2012. 91-96. Print.
“She was here to make sure we didn't leave the shelter and explore the town. She was here to keep the Guardians’ secrets.” (111)
As characters must act on their own free will, independent from the directions of the Guardians, they begin to question the Guardian’s orders and laws. They are given more things to divulge as they explore uncharted territory that has been concealed by the greater powers. Pressured by the need to survive, people adapt to new surroundings and cooperation. It is a necessity to put aside differences and emphasize strengths in order to best contribute to living. Peoples’ ways of thinking and their values begin to shifts as they discover new things about themselves and their society. The author creates one character as a catalyst for reform, and uses interaction between this one character and others to show shifts in others’ values.
Society typically stores secrets behind government and power in order to give the public only one side to a story. The government displays their history through a set of lies and fictional stories and persuades their people that their actions have taken a course for the better. People are never given the full truth behind their history and the history of others, rather they are given the history that will force them to think one way. That single bias history prevents people to moving on from true history, and causes them to become oblivious of the past. People with power and authority are given the responsibility to continue to hide unbiased facts and keep them a secret. Instead of destroying history, society always keeps it a secret, keeping in mind that only those with power and authority should know the truth, and those who are given the truth are already slaves to the society in which they live in.
John, Antony. "Chapter 16." Elemental. New York: Dial, 2012. 109-116. Print.
- 1 Final Analysis of Social Critique: After finishing the text, analyze the author’s purpose and what he/she critiques about our society. What issues inspired this text? To support your response, provide some other articles that illustrate how the issues are present in our society, and reference them in your analysis. (Use quotations and provide a works cited section at the end of the post).
Society always has the tendency to hold biased views and segregation. Those who are persecuted must face challenges ahead of them and seek equality and justice. They seek acceptance from society and are willing to create new societies to do so. This text is inspired by challenges that are overcome by those who are persecuted, and how society values each group of people. Inequality is a social problem that prolongs today. “Gays, Jews, African-Americans, Muslims, non-Aryans—the identity of the marginalized may change” (Kennedy 7), but there will always be a group to target. Those with power secure their positions by drawing a fine line between them and others, as suggest by Sheila Kennedy in “Why the Rich Hate Popular Democracy”. Both Antony John and Sheila Kennedy point out how government and wealth can control the majority population and enact rules and regulations upon individuals. The rich in our modern day society and the Guardians of “Elemental” both exercise their influence in order to keep control over people. The ladder of social positions causes those who are above to look down upon those less fortunate, or those who are simply different. Through the unfair treatment of overs, people feel as if their positions within society are secured and invulnerable to change.
John, Antony. Elemental. New York: Dial, 2012. Print.
Kennedy, Sheila S. "Why the Rich Hate Popular Democracy." Inequality. Institute for Policy Studies, 5 Nov. 2014. Web. 11 Jan. 2015.
Firebrand by Antony John
- 1 Introduction and Current Events Article:
Thomas and his "friends" have rescued the Guardians and have taken over the pirates' ship, but the pirates are still a threat to Roanoke Island. Thomas' newly found element leads to him overhearing a radio message calling for refugees to head to Fort Sumter. They sail south, but quickly discover that their elements become less effective as they leave Roanoke behind. There is something evil occurring within the refugee colony. From the perilous food-gathering squads, to the constant threat of rat infestation, to dangerous secrets, Thomas and his colonists begin to realize that this promising new world may be even more terrifying than the one they left behind.
It is widely known that the wants of the rich differ from the wants of the lower classes. Social problems become a larger rift and market-based solutions have constantly been proposed and implemented in order to lessen the problem, without much effect. "The market has one objective — to produce profits." However, profits of some people come at a cost for the other majority. It is also evident that wealth has become increasingly concentrated among small groups of people, and as a result, political power has become more concentrated within specific groups. The public only benefits when policymakers' needs align with their own. Mike stout points out that "individualism and competition have become increasingly engrained in our ways of thinking and talking about the causes of, and solutions to, pressing social problems. This has allowed the market to have a disproportionate influence on our political system, and has degraded civil society and civic engagement." It is proposed that in order to solve modern problems, the economy must take a shift in values that would promote "community, civil society, and the public good."
People who end up on the falling side of society will always want their government to close social rifts and provide a better equality for people, whether financially, socially, or legally. Inequality has been a social problem that governments have tried to solve in their own special little ways. None of which have truly gotten rid of inequality.
http://inequality.org/happened-public-good/
- 4 Passage Analysis Posts:
“You element is a mistake. An anomaly. So is Griffin’s ability to see the future. A generation ago you’d have been banished (8).
Even as people have to work together to survive, they still harbor ill thoughts towards those discriminated. Their values remain unchanged, yet their actions must contradict those values in order to achieve a goal. The fact that people are different remains unchanged, but the treatment of those people have changed. Although people are treated more equally, they are still looked down upon as inferior and are cast out from society. “A generation ago [they’d] have been banished” (8), but now they can coexist with others as they have come to be accepted by the majority of the population. There are always people within a population that will judge people who are different and treat them the way that they feel is right. The idea that one group of people is better than others exists throughout the history of this Earth.
John, Antony. "Chapter 2." Elemental. New York: Dial, 2013. 4-8. Print.
“hugged his mother tightly, crying into her hair, while she stared ahead, unblinking. (25)
People are intertwined by their capacity of emotion and free thought. People will always bear sufferings following the loss of a loved one; people will always be able to feel happiness, despair, anger, and joy. It is one of the many things that make us human, and Antony John emphasizes that within this morbid scene of tragedy and death.
However, following despair and sadness comes hatred and the need for revenge. People who lose something they love end up hating the cause of their lost. They, more than often, do not learn to forgive and they spark conflict and strife. Human nature is filled with both positives and negatives and this will remain unchanged, however in order for the world to survive, the positives most outbalance the negatives and war and hatred must be kept to a minimal.
John, Antony. "Chapter 4." Elemental. New York: Dial, 2012. 21-26. Print.
“then the Guardians have known all along. Maybe they know this ship too.” She narrowed her eyes as she ran though the meaning of it all.”(24).
The laws and regulations that society enforces are almost never questioned by the vast majority of its people. They are justified and enforced through peoples’ early education and when they are questioned, society provides a large wave of support for its values based on its history and mutual need. Most information that is given to the people are biased and given to condition them to think a certain way. The Guardians have lied and kept so many secrets from their people in order to keep them from venturing off from their society and to instill their ideals and values upon them. Those who have more knowledge and intellect are able to keep that knowledge from others. The Guardians serve as the prime example of governments who are able to keep knowledge from their population in order to control them.
As the younger members of society begin to open their eyes as to what the Guardians have been actually doing, they become more aware of the Guardians’ secrets and more aware of what lies behind those secrets.
John, Antony. "Chapter 4." Firebrand. New York: Dial, 2012. 21-26. Print.
"None believed rats could make it out this far. The island settlements are so irregular- entire regions uninhabited. Rats need food and human waste to survive." (12)
Contrasting between rats and people, both are the cause of misfortune and plague. Rats are the cause of plague just as those who are persecuted are seen as causes of misfortune. People always have an excuse to segregate inferior people. They are treated as human waste and do not deserve to live the same way as others live. Those who are victims of persecution are never thought of to successfully rebel against those who persecute them, just as rats could never make it to an uninhabited island. However, people are able to overcome inequality as suggested by Antony John. Overcoming inequality can easily lead to an escalation of conflict as those who were the persecutors feel unjust and wronged. They must prove that they are right by continuously attacking the other group, and so inequality is never cured as long as there is the possibility of conflict. The cure to inequality is much harder to find than the cure to plague. Antony John uses the characters within his novel to portray what he believes molds into the world of equality.
- 1 Final Analysis of Social Critique:
Lives within different societies vary greatly in values, beliefs, environments and rules. Within every society, there is inequality. There must always be a more powerful force in order to rule over the rest, and there are always groups within the society that hold more power than others. Antony John introduces a “New World” that is supposedly better than the old. However, not everything is truly better since there is always one part of society that is infested with rats, disease, corruption, and chaos. There is almost never a perfect utopia and there is always inequality. Mike Stout also discusses how politics are most influenced by money and that the government relies on people with wealth to support them. In modern day society, there is always somebody relying on somebody else. Rules are set by those who have power and those who don’t have power don’t have any other choice but to follow them. At the very bottom of our society lies unemployment, bankruptcy, homelessness and suffering.
John, Antony. Firebrand. New York: Dial, 2013. Print.
Stout, Mike. "What Has Happened to the Public Good?" Inequality. Institute for Policy Studies, 6 Aug. 2014. Web. 11 Jan. 2015.
Renegade by Antony John
- 1 Introduction and Current Events Article:
Thom and his friends must go through the final and most dangerous trials in order to save their homeland. Furthermore, after the shocking discovery that Thom's mother is still alive on Roanoke, Thom is determined to return to that island. However, the island is still under pirate control, and a mysterious boy in possession of a dangerous element appears. How will Thom and the colonists overcome the pirates? With the help of an unlikely ally and the newly discovered ability to combine elements, Thom must bring forth the full extent of his power to end this battle for their home once and for all.
Just as the cure for Ebola is at the brink of discovery, government funding is withdrawn and research is left incomplete. With the lack of concern for future investment, governments focus on the effects on a problem, and if the effect does not target themselves, they could care less about the problem. Respectively, if a problem does affect someone with power, that person will take immediate action to quell that problem. By ignoring problems that don’t affect us, we become ignorant and less aware of our surroundings. Although justifiable, the unequal distribution of funding is similar to the unequal treatment of people, as those who are deemed useless are treated worse than those who are useful. And in an unfair society, those who are useful are easily taken advantage of when those with power are able to control the lesser people.
http://inequality.org/why-research-funding-matters/
- 4 Passage Analysis Posts:
“Plague. For sixteen years we’d lived in isolation on Hatteras Island protected from the rats that had consumed the mainland and the disease that had decimated the population.” (2)
Isolation between separate societies prevents the two societies from learning each other’s identities and cultures. This also prevents different ideas and values from entering one population. Thus, the set ideals and values that exist within one population are enforced and people are less likely to oppose it, When values are opposed, it is opposed by the minority and the minority becomes an outcast of society.
People must become exposed to various ideas and values so that the individual can reflect off various values to construct their own belief system. Society uses language and images in order to provide one set of ideas and enforce their own values, People must recognize the effects of media and analyze the true meanings of words cast by society.
“I’ve seen what evil people are willing to do to get what they want, My parents were killed by the man they trusted most of all. So you’d better believe it“ (5).
The author criticizes society for its emphasis and drive of greed and wealth. People take routes most advantageous to them and are willing to use others and abase others in order to achieve a goal. Human nature allows us to build relationship amongst others and build trust. However this trust can easily be manipulated and taken advantage of by people. People who feel the need to become better than others and climb up the social ladder are influenced by society’s needs and their wants. The future may be built off trust, but there is always a chance that society will fail and that individuals will do anything in order to achieve power.
“On Sumter, Griffen had been imprisoned inside a glass cube with a pack of rats- a brutally efficient way to determine if he was the mythical solution. With his hands and feet bound” (9).
The unequal treatment of people in order to achieve success has been repeated throughout history and is still evident in the future. Although experiments using humans and even other living creatures is considered immoral in some 1st world countries, it is not always seen such a way. Generally, if not bound by law, people will not consider such experiments to be cruel as they are more progressive. It is society that shapes the way people think and guides their morals and values. It is important that people are taught what is right from what is wrong, however even this can have a negative effect if what is taught is truly evil and threatening to others. Humans are easily manipulated by society and are vulnerable to most environmental factors.
“They didn’t care for Griffin, only for what Griffen could provide. What would happen when everyone had been cured? Would we coexist peacefully when they no longer had any use for us? When non-elementals outnumbered us five to one? (264).
When the majority outnumbers the rest, that majority rules over the rest. This can only apply, of course, if that majority has the power necessary to overcome the minority. Again, the author uses an example of the unfair treatment of people in order to achieve a goal. This particular example reminds me most of slavery and how after the slave has met its purpose, it is disposed of and is no longer useful. There is no telling of what society can do to people who are deemed useless. Even now, businesses who see people as useless will not hire them and those people shall perish. However, society’s need always change and so whoever is not needed of will be cast out.
- 1 Final Analysis of Social Critique
Throughout Renegade by Antony John, the author utilizes characters and their experiences within the novel to express his own views of society. The main theme of this final book is how people work in order to fulfill society’s needs and that people will do whatever it takes in order to achieve success in that society. Griffen is used as the primary character in order to emphasize his claims. Experiments are carried out unjustly and he is used as a tool in order to cure a disease. His life is not valued whatsoever and he merely serves the society’s needs.
In “Why Research funding matters” by Sheila Kennedy, it is noted that the government only funds programs that benefit itself, directly or indirectly. This ties well with Renegade as both the novel’s society and our modern day government only work in order to achieve their versions of success and manipulate their people in order to do so. Antony John foreshadows that if people stay vulnerable to society’s rule and susceptible to change, we will not survive as people, but as tools of that society.
John, Antony. Renegade. New York: Dial, 2014. Print.
Kennedy, Sheila S. "Why Research Funding Matters for the Country" Inequality. Institute for Policy Studies, 22 Oct. 2014. Web. 11 Jan. 2015.