Anna Roberts

BIOL 1120-F16
Taylor
November 21, 2016
The Lorax
Comprehension Questions
1. The Truffula Trees were scarce, valuable natural resources. What made the
valuable and scarce?
The Truffula Trees were rare beauties; they featured tufts softer than silk and a wonderful
smell of fresh butterfly milk. Their rarity contributed to their value the more uncommon
something is, the more that something is desired.
2. Why did the Once-ler chop down the first Truffula Tree?
The Once-ler wanted to make his Thneed, the best Thneed, from the great Truffula
Tree.
3. What benefit did the Thneed have for consumers?
The Thneed acted as an assortment of objects, ranging from socks to pillowcases to
covers for bicycle seats.
4 . The Lorax did not think anyone would want to purchase a Thneed. Was he
correct? He was not correct. At first, just one man wanted the Thneed, but soon it
became a mass product.
5. What new capital resource did the Once-ler invent? How did this help his
business?
The Once-ler invented the Super-Axe-Hacker, a device that chopped down four Truffula
Trees in one swing. The quick chopping down of the trees meant products could be made
more quickly, thus allowing fast consumerism.
6. Who was harmed as more and more Truffula Trees were chopped down and they
became more scarce?
The Bar-ba-loots were harmed as they lost their source of food the Truffula Fruit. Also,
the Swomee-Swans were unable to sing due to the smog in the air from the Thneed
factory.
7. Was it wise of the Once-ler to chop down all the trees?
It was unwise for the Once-ler to chop down all of the trees; he ruined the home of Barba-loots, the Swomee-Swans, the Humming Fish, and the Lorax himself. He killed off a
population of wonderful trees and filled the air with pollution from his factory. He also
ruined his company and terminated future profit.
8. In the story, all the trees were chopped down. In the modern U.S. economy, why
would this not happen?
From an economical standpoint, it would be unwise to chop down all the trees, as
production would eventually cease, thus resulting in no products for people to buy, thus
losing money. The U.S. also has regulations on the cutting down of trees, making it
impossible to chop them all down.
9. What situation or condition would promote the cutting down of all trees or the
overuse of natural resources?
When there are no clear laws on the cutting down of trees, people will take it upon
themselves to overuse their resources to profit before anyone else can.

10. When a good, service, or natural resource becomes more and more scarce, what
happens to the price?
The price will raise; people will charge more for something if they know many people
will want to buy it.
11. Compare the Once-ler's attitude toward the environment at the beginning of the
story with his attitude at the end.
The Once-lers attitude changes to be in favor of helping the environment and ending
exploitation of resources. He encourages the listener to take the Truffula Tree seed, plant
it, and help bring back its population. He heartens the listener to learn from his mistakes;
do not be greedy, but help the environment prosper.
Reflection Questions
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.
A big reason as to why the Onceler succeeded was due to the cultural acceptance of mass
production at the sake of the environment. The Lorax had truth and nature on his side,
while the Onceler had the desire for consumerism. Unfortunately, consumerism often
takes the lead in many issues. The need and want for money drove the Onceler and the
people buying the Thneeds. No one wanted or understood they needed the trees.
Oncelers argument appeals more to the general population.
2. Can aesthetic appreciation and value be taught? Why or why not? Is it possible to
persuade someone that a mountain vista or seashore is beautiful if they did not
already appreciate it? Why or why not?
I believe that appreciation can be taught, but only if people are willing to learn. I
personally never had much of an appreciation for deserts until I went to the Grand
Canyon, observed and immersed myself in my surroundings, and learned about the
history of that beautiful park. It is difficult to persuade people who are close-minded and
believe their way is the only way. There are many people who do not care to take the time
to learn about various climates and environments and do not want to put in the effort to
learn to appreciate them. So in that sense, it is almost impossible to teach them aesthetic
appreciation. However, I do believe it can be done.
3. The Lorax says that the Once-ler 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 Once-ler 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?
The Once-ler proved his greed through his continued efforts to chop down all of the trees,
despite the Loraxs pleas and explanations of the harm he was committing. His desire for
money and for profit blinded him to the damage of his success. I do believe that everyone
needs money it is what our world is run on. However, no one needs millions of dollars;
people need enough to survive and to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. It is unethical to
destroy anything, especially the environment, to profit. Devastating one thing for
personal gain is, to me, the definition of greed.

4. What did the once-ler 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?
UN-LESS was the simple way of saying: the environment could/would be harmed
unless someone took the time to make a change. Someone like you includes everyone,
and it is everyones responsibility to ensure the safety of our environment and natural
resources. There are simple measures that can be done to help our future. Recycling,
water conservation, reducing our use of natural resources, respecting the environment,
and spreading the word are easy actions to be taken. Too often environmental
conservation is overlooked, under taught, and misinterpreted; it is time to change the way
people view conservation and make it a priority.
5. 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?
The Lorax is a conservationist who considers himself to be a part of the trees, or the trees
to be a part of him. He understands the importance of nature and how it plays significant
direct roles in his life. The beauty and the resourcefulness of the trees should speak for
themselves. However, people forget that trees are not less important than they are and
deem them to be just another part of their want for profit. The Lorax has taken it upon
himself to stand up for the trees and their ecology. At the end of the story, the Lorax is
defeated and disappointed in those who want to exploit the Truffula Trees and any part of
nature; he leaves in solemn, but leaving the message of hope with the Once-ler.