The Lorax
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BIOL-1120
December 7, 2017
PART ONE
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1. The Truffula Trees were scarce, valuable natural resources. What made the
valuable and scarce?
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They were valuable because they had desirable characteristics that could be used in commerce. They were also valuable because they were rare and not available to everyone. They were scarce because they were rare and only found in a particular place.
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2. Why did the Onceler chop down the first Truffula Tree?
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The Onceler chopped down the first tree so he could use the tufts to create a product he could sell for profit.
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3. What benefit did the Thneed have for consumers?
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In order for the Onceler to make money he needed a product and then he needed consumers who would purchase his product.
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4 . The Lorax did not think anyone would want to purchase a Thneed. Was he
correct?
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No, the Lorax was not correct when he assumed no one would want to purchase his product.
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5. What new capital resource did the Onceler invent? How did this help his
business?
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The Onceler invented the Thneed, which is basically anything anyone might need made from the tuft of the Truffula tree.
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6. Who was harmed as more and more Truffula Trees were chopped down and
they became more scarce?
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The native species of plants and animals were harmed as more Truffula trees were chopped down. The Lorax lost his home, the barbaloots lost their food source, the swans were overcome by air pollution, and the fish were swimming in polluted water.
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7. Was it wise of the Onceler to chop down all the trees?
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No, it was not wise for the Onceler to chop down all the trees. Once the trees were gone, there were no more tufts for thneeds, and therefore no jobs for the oncelers so everyone packed up and left, leaving a ruined wasteland.
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8. In the story, all the trees were chopped down. In the modern U.S. economy,
why would this not happen?
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The modern U.S. economy has enacted protections such as creating national forests that protect large swaths of forested areas from being desecrated by humans, though they are still prone to wildfires.
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9. What situation or condition would promote the cutting down of all trees or the overuse of natural resources?
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One situation that would promote the cutting down of all trees is the need for land habitable for humans. As our population grows, so does our need for land space currently occupied by nature.
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10. When a good, service, or natural resource becomes more and more scarce,
what happens to the price?
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When something that can be sold becomes scarce, more people will compete with each other for the chance to own this rare thing, driving the price up.
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11. Compare the Once-ler's attitude toward the environment at the beginning of
the story with his attitude at the end.
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The attitude of the Onceler at the end was very apologetic. He seemed sorry for his actions that lead to the destruction of the Truffula tree. He wanted the younger generation to learn form his mistakes and to regrow and protect the Truffula tree. This is a one hundred and eighty degree difference from the beginning of the film where let greed overcome reason.
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PART TWO
1. Both the Onceler and the Lorax were passionate about their goals. Discuss several reasons to explain why the Onceler succeeded while the Lorax failed.
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The Onceler was successful where the Lorax failed because the benefits of the Onceler’s thneeds were immediately received by anyone who purchased one, where the passions of the Lorax were a bit more obscure and provide benefits that aren’t exactly tangible. The Onceler was backed up in his efforts by all his consumers, where the Lorax was a lone voice. The Lorax might have been more successful had there been more voices like his dealing with the Onceler earlier on in his business venture.
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2. The Lorax says that the Onceler is greedy. Greed is defined as a selfish desire for food, money, or possessions over and above what one needs. What are some of the ways that the Onceler proved his greed? He says, "I biggered my money which every needs." Is it true that everyone needs money? How much money do people need? Is it right to make a ton of money while destroying the environment?
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The Onceler proved his greed by using all the Truffula trees in existence to further profit from their tufts. Though he had already made a good sum of money, he was unable to stop himself until there was nothing left to profit from. Yes, everyone needs some money to pay for housing, food, and other basic needs, but the amount of money one needs is a bit arbitrary and hard to define. The more money one makes, the more they acquire, and the more money they need to sustain their lifestyle. Large sums of money over and above basic needs could easily be seen as unnecessary wants by many. There are laws in place that prevent the pollution of the environment, but those laws still allow for some level of acceptable pollution in the pursuit of profits. I personally feel it is unethical to destroy the environment, which every human has some right and claim to because we can’t help but breathe the air or drink the water. It should not be allowed or tolerated by anyone in my opinion.
7. What did the Onceler mean by "UN-LESS"? What responsibility does he seem to think "someone like you" needs to take? What kinds of things can we do today to ensure that natural resources will be available for purposes in the future?
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Unless people will make the changes that need to be made to protect our natural resources now, we can see by the depicted events in the fictional film The Lorax what our future holds. It will surely take more than one person and will require the work of a community to ensure the preservation of our precious lands and its resources.
8. The Once-er explains his actions by saying, "If I didn't do it, someone else would." Is this a good excuse for doing what he did?
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No, the Onceler’s excuse that if he didn’t do it someone else would is not sufficient to support his heinous actions. While it is likely that someone else might have come along to do the same thing, it is not a certainty. The Onceler had an opportunity to join the Lorax and be the voice of the Truffula trees that he so admired, but he chose greed instead.
9. The Lorax says he speaks for the trees. What does this mean to you? What is the Lorax's attitude at the end of the story?
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Trees do not have a literal voice, and cannot speak to humans to explain their importance. When the Lorax says he speaks for the trees, he is the human voice attempting to persuade all other humans of the importance of this scarce resource. The Lorax’s attitude at the end of the story was one of dismay, and he seemed rather disheartened by the actions of the Onceler. He could not conceive that someone could be so selfish that they would put money (more money than that one person needed) above the health of the trees which provided food, shelter, and oxygen for many creatures including the Onceler.
Reflection
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BIOL-1120
December 7, 2017
The SLCC Learning Outcome that I would like to focus on in this reflection are Students communicate effectively, which includes developing critical literacies—reading, writing, speaking, listening, visual understanding—that they can apply in various contexts; organizing and presenting ideas and information visually, orally, and in writing according to standard usage; understanding and using the elements of effective communication in interpersonal, small group, and mass settings. Additionally I've selected Students develop the knowledge and skills to become community engaged learners and scholars. This includes understanding the natural, political, historical, social, and economic underpinnings of the local, national, and global communities to which they belong; integrating classroom and community-based experiential learning; identifying and articulating the assets, needs, and complexities of social issues faced by local, national, and global communities; evaluating personal strengths, challenges, and responsibility for effecting positive social change in local, national, and global communities; drawing upon classroom and community-based learning to develop professional skills and socially responsible civic behaviors; engaging in service-learning for community building and an enhanced academic experience.
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The Lorax assignment gave me the opportunity to work on my written communication skills because it was more difficult to arrange some of my responses in a way that could be easily understood by someone who hasn't just read or watched the short 1972 film The Lorax. It is incredibly important to learn to communicate effectively in different ways so that you may present ideas to others in a way that has the potential to change the world for the better. by watching the film I was also able to reflect on a beloved childhood story that ignited a sense of environmental activism that pushed me towards purchasing a book written by The Earthworks Group in 1990, "50 simple things kids can do to save the Earth", at a school book fair in the fourth grade. I dog-eared every page that held ideas I could easily do alone and began working to "save the Earth". This class has reminded me of the important work that still needs to be done, every day by all of us, to ensure a lasting home for all inhabitants.
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