Ceilie's Essay #14

Ceilie Moore

Mr. Salsich 

English 9

February 26th, 2009

A Brave New World

An Essay On What It Takes To Build A Civilization

A city doesn’t come out of nowhere. It has to be built, it has to be capable of supporting human beings and it has to be sturdy enough to withstand the toughest of disputes. (Parallelism) The people of the city also have to be willing to take care of it, as well as each other. With the right foundations and devotion to the town and its people, a city will be triumphantly built and run, but without the right amount of cooperation, it will shatter into nothing but rubble.

TS In “The Tempest”, the island that all the characters inhabit makes a drastic change from a rancorous (SAT Word) prison to a benevolent (SAT Word) sanctuary. SD When first introduced to the isle and those who are stranded on it, we are given the impression that this small strip of land in the middle of the ocean is nothing but an open jail cell. CM Prospero and his daughter, Miranda, are confined to this island along with Caliban, and their only goal is to get off, without the thought of taking this time of isolation to refine themselves as people and rebuild the tarnished relations they now hold with others. (Loose sentence) CM But as time passes and more people are banished to the island, all the characters restore their broken bonds, create new ones and eventually make the isle into a “brave new world”. SD One way in which the island makes the transformation into a new realm of kindness and joy is the love that Miranda and Ferdinand find in each other. CM The two young souls find this passion for each other and because of it they are overwhelmed with this new feeling of unimaginable bliss. CM This love also infects the other characters, making them believe in this magical concept that they may have lost sight of in the past. SD Another way the island transforms from a secluded area of hate to a united area of contentment is Prospero’s overall metamorphosis. CM Prospero was originally the first one to be trapped on this island and essentially controlled it, so his change from one person to another really impacted the island and all its inhabitants. CM One way he changed was that he gave up his helpful, but evil magical powers and decided even if it wasn’t easier, it was better to rely on “what strength I […] own.” CM3 Another reason Prospero changed himself and the island for the better is when he forgave his brother, Antonio, for all his wrongdoings, which lifted this symbolic weight of spite off of Prospero’s shoulders, letting him live normally again. CS In the end, the island in which all of those characters were stranded on made a significant transformation from a hateful prison to an isle of happiness, but none of that could’ve happened if it wasn’t for each person who contributed to this desired evolution.

TS From providing food and shelter to electing a government, building a successful civilization takes work. (Periodic Sentence) SD To make a society as peaceful as the one in “The Tempest”, you need a few specific attributes acting as glue to hold the community together. CM One important virtue you need is acceptance. CM When having every person belonging to this society accept a variety of people, it creates peace among the diversity and prevents conflict regarding intolerance caused by prejudice to break out. SD Another attribute of a cordial civilization would be moderation. CM If the people of the society lived in moderation and knew their limits when it came to not only wealth, but other necessities that some indulge themselves in, they could live comfortably without feeling guilty of their fortune. CM This moderation would also open a door to generosity and let those who do have too much of something, give it to those who don’t have any. SD The final piece of the society puzzle would be unity. CM A successful community is nothing without the unity of its members. CM The whole point of a society is to interact with and learn from the other inhabitants and use those relationships to work together to build a better community. CM3 The concept of unity also erases any chance of the society becoming conflicted because the people are living compatibly, as opposed to on one’s own initiative. CS Building a successful society requires more than just some friendly inhabitants and a few houses. CS2 It takes effort and perseverance (SAT Word) not only to physically build the civilization, but also to create the withstanding relationships the people need to have in order to work well together.

Love, forgiveness and the discovery of humanity are just a few of the things that turned the island in “The Tempest” into a “brave new world”. To build a successful society, you need virtues such as those, along with others like acceptance, moderation and unity. With the help of those necessary attributes, any country, state, city or even island can be made into a place of wonderment and peace.