Individualism & Social

Harmony

Group: Handmade’s Tale

Lorenzo Anino Adolfo Chavez

Haydee Hernandez Briteny Montoya Rita Zakaryan

Individualism & Society

Individualism: The ideology that an individual can form it’s own thoughts and opinions. They value their independence.

Social Harmony: A group of individuals in a society who have peaceful interactions and focus on better the group as a whole.

-The Uglies contrasts both these different ideals.

What is Individualism Today?

• Indecency and self-realignment

• Loyalty towards one’s self

• Liberty, rights (the right to speak out), independence

• Creating your own rules

• Forms who you are

Source: Fee.org

What is Individualism in Uglies?

• Smoke Town

-create and survive with their natural power

-They do their own things

• Smoke Town encourages people to live in a nonconformist lifestyle. People in Smoke Town are influenced by the community of people that they are surrounded by causing them to live as individuals.

What is Social Harmony Today?

• Equality to all people regardless of race, gender, skin color, etc.

• Peaceful interaction among other people

• Universal understanding

• Ideally a utopia

• Unity

Source: Amerika.org

What is Social Harmony in Uglies? New Pretty Town:

- Same ideas of beauty

- Stayed within a certain age group

- Got plastic surgery at age 16 to look the same as everyone in order to be accepted

- Carried out daily plans in a certain repetitive order

- Happiness and beauty were the key ideas to live happily

The Smoke: - Same ideas of life- Live in harmony because of the common ideas of life- Appearance/ beauty did not matter

New Pretty Town was trying to make everyone see their community as an euphorian community. Thus, this explains the reason The Specials are seeking The Smoke and those who rebel.

Pros & Cons: Individualism & Social Harmony

Life Today

Individualism Pros: - allows for new ideas - self rights - freedom of ones mind, body,

and actions

Cons:- alienation- self failure - limited to power

Social Harmony Pros: - Equality for everyone - Peaceful living - Ability live in harmony without fear of issues - Growth

Cons: - Limited freedom- Certain rules to abide by

Uglies (New Pretty Town)

Individualism

- There really isn’t any form of individualism in the city where Tally and Shay live therefor since individualism doesn’t really exist as it does in our world there are not positive or negative aspects but the only negative aspect is rebellion.

Social Harmony

Pros: - Everyone lives in peace- No violence - Unity

Cons: - No existence of any individual

freedom- Equal rights only by one aspect;

the operation- No form of true equality

Uglies (The Smoke)

Individualism Pros:- Freedom to do as you please- Ability to show your true self - No judgment

Cons:- Rules for safety - Against city rules - Home sick - No operation

Social Harmony Pros: - Equality - True understandment

Cons:- There aren’t any issues with the way The Smoke works together in harmony. Though they are a community they live in harmony because they all share common beliefs and work together in peace.

Life Today & In Uglies ● Our world is balanced between Individualism and Social Harmony

○ For example: ■ In the US, our Civil Liberties are equally divided with National

Security■ The Patriot Act and its affect on the US■ The NSA and a citizen’s privacy rights■ Civil Liberties and National Security after 9/11

● Special Circumstances give enough freedom to the Uglies and Pretties to keep them happy, while keeping the societies interest above all

● In a similar way, US government monitors phone calls and web searches to protect the citizens from national threats

● Both sacrifice some Civil Liberties for more National Security

Directions for Discussion Everyone gather in your project groups near a whiteboard. Each group should be able to find one. Markers will be passed out. As the questions are read, take a few minutes to discuss the question and write down everyone’s thoughts & opinions. There are no wrong answers.

Questions 1. What is your idea of social harmony and individualism? Is one more important over the other?

2. Can there be balance in the world without any of these concepts?

3. Do any of these concepts violate our rights or laws that pertain to us?

4. When is it okay to violate our rights? Is it ever okay for our rights to be violated?

5. After many issues that America has faced over the years such as 9/11 and the more recent attacks

like in schools, in Boston, and the airport gunman attack changed the amount of freedom that we

have?

6. If we have both of these concepts working neutrally, what more do you believe could be or

should be done to reach harmony without causing issues towards individual rights?

Work Cited

“Editorials.” NSA Scandal: National Security vs. Individual Privacy. Star Tribune, 10 June 2013. Web. 04 Feb. 2014.

Hines, Pierre. “Civil Liberties vs. National Security Debate: Where Do You Stand?” Policymic.com. 12 June.

2013.Web. 2 Feb. 2014.

Koch, Richard. "Is Individualism Good or Bad?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 07 Oct. 2013. Web. 9

Feb. 2014.

"Social Harmony." Social Harmony. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. New York: Simon Pulse, 2005. Print.