Rhetorical Analysis Of Utopia By Thomas More

In his book Utopia, Thomas More examines a society that seems to be the ideal living situation for human beings. The main thesis of Utopia is his solution to many of the problems that are being faced in English society in the early 16th century.

Through expectations and boundaries individuals in Utopia are manipulated into pursuing a trade that benefits the commonwealth. This parody is seen in all Utopian lives, from childhood, are geared to

Sir Thomas More in 1516 first conceived utopia while he served as an ambassador For England on a party expedition to Flanders. In England his vocation was law and he held the position of Under-Sheriff his knowledge in this area is an obvious influence in Utopian society. Utopia is a chronicle of More's fictitious meeting with Raphael Hythlodaeus a traveller who has lived in Island, republic society of Utopia for five years. Almost five hundred years after its writing utopia is still the subject of controversy; it has been claimed by certain political and religious followings to be specific to their ideals and beliefs. Notably both communists and Catholics of the last few centuries have reasoned Utopia to be a statement of their beliefs.

Thomas More’s Utopia is a work of ambiguous dualities that forces the reader to question More’s real view on the concept of a utopian society. However, evidence throughout the novel suggests that More did intend Utopia to be the “best state of the commonwealth.” The detailed description of Utopia acts as Mores mode of expressing his humanistic views, commenting on the fundamentals of human nature and the importance of reason and natural law while gracefully combining the two seemingly conflicting ideals of communism and liberalism.

Throughout history, philosophers have tried to uncover the reasons behind people’s actions. Although many philosophers believe in human nature, which is the basic state of humans, there are some philosophers who believe that human nature simply does not exist. There are ideas about why people act the way they do, including assumptions based upon human nature, but the reality is that humans will do what they please based upon free will. Thomas More, a philosopher, envisioned a society and customs, which were outlined in his novel Utopia. In life, people will do what they please, but nothing can ever be completely perfect due to the nature of life and self-interests, which goes against Thomas More’s whole idea of his society.

During the later middle ages, from ca. 1300 to 1500 A.D., one can see the rise of humanism. Specially, one can see that the author of the book Utopia, Thomas More is a humanist. Thomas More, through his book, shows the readers a multitude of examples of humanism throughout his civilization, that can be closely related to events that were happening during this time period. One can see that Thomas More is a humanist through the ideas on luxury clothing, the economy, and slavery that were also large topics of debate during his time period.

Fantasy is the process of imagining things that are impossible or improbable in literature. Fantasy if often used in correspondence to social criticism, which deals with the exposure of problems, issues and conditions in a society with a flawed social structure, where criticism usually addresses cultural, economic and political issues in a society. This paper will analyze two fiction based novels and the social criticism present throughout this genre of fantasy. With regards to social criticism, this paper will compare and contrast Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and The Memoirs of a Survivor by Doris Lessing by analyzing how criticism is displayed according to the issues present in the novels, how violence or madness is portrayed and lastly, the pastoral utopian concept of a better place.

Before sin fell, Earth was a place of paradise. Everyone could live in harmony and man could walk with God. Once Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge, sin entered the world and man became disorderly. Today, people try to control their sins by going to therapy, taking some medication, meditating, etc. Thomas More wants to return to a perfect Utopian society similar to the land of Paradise. In order to fix a broken society, More uses the seven deadly sins (lust, greed, sloth, envy, gluttony, pride, and wrath) to set up a logical fix to man’s fall. His goal is to simplify and remove the temptation to commit sin. A society made to remove sin may seem logical in More’s eyes, but his philosophy for the use of gold and silver, the management of the slaves, the political system, and Utopian clothing are unattainable.

In a “utopia” where all inhabitants are made to be the same, Aldous Huxley shares the events of a man named Bernard Marx. His many differences cause him to feel like an outsider and he soon becomes exiled from his “home”. Aldous Huxley illustrates this series of events through; vivid imagery, extensive use of symbolism, and frequent examples of metaphorical interpretations.

Though some works of Utopian literature may seem unrealistic to the reader, More’s Utopia is a more feasible societal model. Utopian literature generally features a safe environment, a lenient and peaceful democracy, a stress for citizens’ equality, and fair access to features such as education, employment, and healthcare

Religion is something that is frequently studied due to the complexities and interpretations that develop over time. Thomas More is a figure who many scholars spend a significant amount of time studying due to his strong influence and views regarding the Protestant Reformation in England. What baffles many scholars about More is the contradictory nature of his book Utopia, which discusses an ideal society that allows freedom of religion, when looking at the Response to Luther which he published later in his life. As a man who spent the remainder of his life defending the Catholic Church and attacks Martin Luther for his public division from Church, it is surprising More would write something that states varying beliefs can exist in a society that not only functions, but thrives. There are many scholars who have and will continue to

In my opinion, the utopia presented by Thomas More fits Kaufmann’s definition of a utopia. To begin with, More’s utopia takes place on an artificial island called “utopia” which is a combination of the Greek words “ou” which means “not” and “topos” which means “place” which resembles the term “nowhere land” from Kaufmann’s definition. In addition to that, Utopia is literally and island. Utopia’s founder Utopous has made the land an artificial island to protect it from outside influence and corruption. Also, making Utopia an island will make it hard to conquer from nearby nations. Thus, it is evident that More’s Utopia fits the first part of Kaufmann’s definition. Although it is difficult to determine what a perfect government is, it can be argued that the Utopians to an extent live “under an immaculate constitution and a faultless government”. The Utopian system for election clearly demonstrates the will of the people. Although, the prince is elected for life, he or she will be thrown off upon suspicion of tyranny. In addition to the above, Utopia’s government provides many services for its citizens including free food, a welfare system with free hospitals, housing and many others. Finally, it can be argued that the Utopians “enjoy a simple and happy existence, free from the turmoil, the harassing cares, and endless worries of actual life”. By destroying any sense of private property and wealth, the Utopians live without envy or negative competition.

     Socialist ideals have recurred throughout the history of literature; from Plato to Marx the elusive goal of a perfect state has occupied some of the best minds in political thought manifesting itself in literature. In the midst of this historic tradition is the Utopia of More, a work which links the utopias of the ancient with the utopias of the modern. Hythloday's fantasy island draws heavily on the Greek Republic and yet it influenced the revolutionary world of Marx. What values do the Utopians hold which are in common with other socialist utopian values, and which ideals of theirs are unique?

Fiction is, and has always been a mirror for the real life. Therefore, literature, as the artistic tool used to deliver works of fiction, has been parallel to history from past to present. As the ideas evolved, the cultures evolved, and as the cultures evolved, literature evolved. However, there have been times when this evolution had help. In its core, this is what happened in the Renaissance era. As people rediscovered the ideas and cultures of the past civilisations, Middle Ages, in which the evolution of thinking was going backwards, came to an end with a leap in thinking style. People realised they have been stuck at one point because of twisted religion and blind violence between people, and learned to look through individual glasses. These new individual glasses gave huge importance to human, rather than vast kingdoms and large groups, and focused on the core. They moved on from their one-sided viewpoint in life, which was giving the ultimate importance to the afterlife, and gave themselves to discovering

In Sir Thomas More’s Utopia, Thomas More is a man with earnest respect for his fluidity with his flaunts of the public, he lived in the Renaissance era and was a renowned humanist, lawyer and a personal friend of Henry VIII. In the beginning of the book, a letter is sent by More to his friend Peter Giles inquiring about editing and publication of his masterpiece “Utopia”. The first book “Utopia” summarizes a conversation between More and Giles conversing with Hythloday, the man who was enshrouded by the lands of Utopia.