Many people wonder what it would be like to live in a world that they would consider ideal. The Republic of Plato, The Handmaids Tale, and Utopia are three novels that describe different communities and views of a perfect community. Although these ideas of a utopia are portrayed both similarly and differently throughout these novels, each story shares similar guiding principles such as gender, education, and work. The Republic of Plato by Francis MacDonald Cornford demonstrates that everyone’s idea of justice can be different. Throughout the novel, readers discover Plato’s idea of dikaiosyne. He explains that both the community and the individual can be just but the community is the bigger of the two. The just state from top to bottom would
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In The Republic, Plato explains that he wants both women and men to be equal. One of Plato’s three waves is that women are equal. He mentions “If women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things”(Plato). Not only is equality important but Plato ties in education as well. He believes that women should not be defined by their ability to bear children.
The idea of gender is seen much differently in The Handmaids Tale. Margaret Atwood describes strict gender roles for the handmaids. Women aren’t even called by their own names, they all belong to a man and take on their mans first name which is still similarly seen in modern society where women take their husbands last name. The women in The Handmaids Tale are not allowed an education for all that matters is their ability to have a baby and be fertile.
Gender in Utopia is similar to The Republic. Women are able to have the same rights as men however they aren’t expected to engage in the same types of jobs for work. Men are typically responsible for the more heavy-duty jobs. Both More and Plato are focused more about the productivity of their utopias rather than which gender is performing the task that helps better the …show more content…
Although prostitution is becoming less common, women are still seen as objects. Within the last year, social media has been addressing many topics regarding women’s rights. The message from this novel is also dangerous. It would be dangerous if we were in a Gilead society where women were uneducated and only used for the purpose of bearing children. The message portrayed in Utopia is even more unreal than Plato’s. It would be incredibly unrealistic to live in a society where nearly everyone was the same and dressed the
In The Republic, Plato explains that he wants both women and men to be equal. One of Plato’s three waves is that women are equal. He mentions “If women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things”(Plato). Not only is equality important but Plato ties in education as well. He believes that women should not be defined by their ability to bear children.
The idea of gender is seen much differently in The Handmaids Tale. Margaret Atwood describes strict gender roles for the handmaids. Women aren’t even called by their own names, they all belong to a man and take on their mans first name which is still similarly seen in modern society where women take their husbands last name. The women in The Handmaids Tale are not allowed an education for all that matters is their ability to have a baby and be fertile.
Gender in Utopia is similar to The Republic. Women are able to have the same rights as men however they aren’t expected to engage in the same types of jobs for work. Men are typically responsible for the more heavy-duty jobs. Both More and Plato are focused more about the productivity of their utopias rather than which gender is performing the task that helps better the …show more content…
Although prostitution is becoming less common, women are still seen as objects. Within the last year, social media has been addressing many topics regarding women’s rights. The message from this novel is also dangerous. It would be dangerous if we were in a Gilead society where women were uneducated and only used for the purpose of bearing children. The message portrayed in Utopia is even more unreal than Plato’s. It would be incredibly unrealistic to live in a society where nearly everyone was the same and dressed the