Elez 1

Nina Elez
Dr. Sterling
English 1301
November 15, 2016
Social System of Perfection
For thousands of years, ancient civilizations developed social systems in order to ensure a
prosperous future. Social systems control relationships within a society and ensure populations
function harmoniously. Utopia, by Thomas More, demonstrates a successful egalitarian society
with equal rights, and a classless social system. Societies run by corruption, oppress individuals
and causes conflict. The Sleeper Awakes, by H. G. Wells, exemplifies the downfall of a tyrannical
society run by greed. Both literary works include constructive and harmful aspects of a social
system. The ultimate social system contains an educated population, communities based on
teamwork, happiness, and equality.
Education plays a major role in developing an ideal social system. Knowledgeable
citizens reason rationally, solve problems logically and make wise decisions. Education not only
promotes a successful life but inspires valuable moral values as well. Utopians believe that poor
education leads to poor choices in the future, so each Utopian therefore has the right to receive
an education. Developing an educated society reduces crime and other conflicts. Hythloday, a
character who travels to the island of Utopia, states that only uneducated people steal from the
community. Criminals steal because no one educates them better, but by educating each
individual from birth, criminals will not possess the motives to steal and crime will cease to
exist. Utopians who receive an education prove less likely to harm other fellow citizens.
Education creates model citizens and improves the relationships within society. Compared to

Elez 2
Utopia, fellow citizens in The Sleeper Awakes receive government-controlled education through
hypnotic speakers. Citizens do not possess educational freedom. The White Council feeds
information to the population in order to control citizens. As a result, citizens cannot think for
themselves and make their own decisions. Lack of education increases conflict within the society
of The Sleeper Awakes, which explains the necessity of education.
Strong communities based on generosity and teamwork create better functioning social
systems. Through teamwork, bonds form amongst individuals in society. In Utopia, each citizen
participates in some form of manual labor, so the entire community survives. Citizens farm,
weave, fish, cook, or clean. Equal distribution of products and services enables citizens within
the community to benefit. Among them virtue has its reward, yet everything is shared equally
and all men live plenty (More 1.38). Because each individual works, the entire Utopian
population lives happily and adequately. In order for a communal market to work, laziness
cannot occur. Each citizen works the same amount of hours and acquires equal payment in
return. Citizens understand that their entire community benefits from hard work, so they have the
motivation to contribute effort. However, in The Sleeper Awakes, the elite lives lavishly while the
majority barely survives in poverty. The elite continues to exhaust the population by forcing
citizens into extended periods of harsh labor. A poor population feeds the mouths of a minority
and in return remains starving. Poverty creates tension between the rich and poor. Teamwork and
generosity eliminates tension, improves the well-being of the entire population, and teaches
citizens how to rely on one another for the success of their society.
With the perfect society built on the foundation of teamwork, people have no need for a
medium of exchange like money. The entire Utopian population works, eats, and lives an overall
happier life without money. Utopian citizens focus less on materialism and more on community

Elez 3
and love. Money causes greed, hunger for power, and selfishness. In The Sleeper Awakes,
Graham wakes up to an eerie future London where the White Council uses wealth to oppress
most of the population. The White Council uses Grahams money to institute an immense
political and economic world order. Sadly the elites quest for power makes it difficult to guide
citizens. As a result, citizens of a gloomy society grow hopeless and poor. Money causes conflict
between Graham and Ostrog as well. Ostrog pretends to care about helping lower class workers,
but in the end, he only cares about obtaining the White Councils power for himself. Revolution
fails to improve the quality of life and shows how money manipulates people. Eliminating the
concept of money enables citizens to focus on family, love, and community. Relationships within
the social system improve and citizens live a happier life.
Equality plays a key role in developing a model social system. Equal social classes,
wealth, and rights greatly diminish discrimination. Utopians live peacefully amongst one another
because they respect each other. Divisions do not exist within Utopia, which makes all
individuals equally important. Through an agricultural policy, the entire island of Utopia contains
surplus goods. An equal distribution of wealth accelerates population growth and promotes
economic development. Women are viewed as equal to men and help with agricultural duties as
well. The article, Gender Equality and the Developing World, by Daniel Bonasso, explains that
gender equality enhances economic development, improves prospects for future generations
and strengthens political and social systems. Though women now comprise more than 40 percent
of the worlds labor force, they still lag behind men in terms of earnings and productivity.
Utopia appreciates women and as a result develops a prosperous society where equality improves
economic, political, and social development.

Elez 4
Utopia, The Sleeper Awakes, and Gender Equality and the Developing World prove that
the ultimate social system contains an educated population, communities based on teamwork,
happiness, and equality. Education creates knowledgeable citizens who reason rationally, solve
problems logically, and make wise decisions. Strong communities based on generosity and
teamwork unite citizens together and creates better functioning social systems. Teamwork proves
the concept of money unnecessary. Eliminating the concept of money enables citizens to focus
on family, love, and community. As a result, relationships within a social system improves and
citizens live happier lives. Happiness and equality promotes peace amongst society and creates
effective social systems. The ideal social system ensures prosperous futures for civilizations to
come.

Elez 5
Works Cited
"Gender Equality and the Developing World." The Borgen Project. N.p., 2013. Web. 23 Nov.
2016.
More, Thomas. Utopia. 1515. Feedbooks, 22 Nov. 2016, www.feedbooks.com/book/198/utopia.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Utopia Society and Class Quotes." Shmoop. Shmoop University, Inc.,
11 Nov. 2008. Web. 23 Nov. 2016.
Wells, H. G. The Sleeper Awakes. 1910. Feedbooks, 22 Nov. 2016,
www.feedbooks.com/book/593/the-sleeper-awakes.