Kaiser 1!

Katherine Kaiser
Dr. Sterling
ENGL 1301
November 15, 2016
Social Satisfaction: Equality for All
Throughout history many civilizations have risen and fallen. The successes and failures
of each society throughout history created a blueprint of sorts for societies to come. Each
community, from the Mayans to the Mongols, instituted a different mix of social, political, and
economic structures. Each small difference could contribute to thousands of years of success.
The prosperity of all societies boils down to the construction of their social environment. The
success of the social system corresponds to the success of the civilization. Unrest and
dissatisfaction among the people is the primary cause of revolts, uprisings, and social instability.
For a social structure to prosper, it must follow the three main ideals of: no hierarchy in the
social class system, racial equality, and religious freedom for the citizens. Through the novels,
Utopia and The Sleeper Awakes, and Martin Luther King Jr.s I Have a Dream speech, the
importance of these three values shows. Without these values, social dissension will rise among
the mistreated and the society will fail.
Many societies in the past established a class system or hierarchy of some sort. These
systems appeared functional- according to the higher classes. In no case were the people on the
bottom satisfied with their position. From a young age they are taught that they remain in their
position in society as a result of the more socially privileged. This idea shaped the rest of their
lives and, for the most part, laced it with dissension and resentment for those ranked higher. In

Kaiser 2!
the novel The Sleeper Awakes, the social structure has been constructed around a hierarchy. The
White Council, or leaders of society, control the entirety of the social system without even
consulting the lower class people that toil all day to sustain their beloved society. The Councils
disregard for the lower class people demonstrate the flaws that come with social inequality. Wells
writes that, any man, woman or child who comes to be hungry and weary and with neither
home nor friend nor resort, must go to the Department in the endor seek some way of
death. (Wells 148) The lower classes have become dependent entirely on the Department, or
the government, and are stuck in a never ending cycle of destitution. The unchangeable
difference in the classes results in only one solution for the lower class: survive as a slave or die.
The only way to fix this problem is the White Councils intervention. However, the White
Council cannot grasp the working peoples unhappiness because they do not experiencing it
themselves. Their disregard for these people make it impossible for the lower classes to ever rise
out of their state of destitution. When equality is instituted in a community, dissatisfaction and
resentment are eliminated throughout the society.
Racism also sparks dissension among the community. This problem continues to terrorize
nations today and remains one of the most controversial topics, seeing as racial injustice lives in
even the most developed societies. If a community formulates with the idea that one race exceeds
another, then the society will go up in smoke as the scorned rebel against this injustice. People
today speak out on this issue all the time but Martin Luther King Jr. said it best in his I Have a
Dream speech. He explores the idea of a society to come without racism and believes that one
day his kids, will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their
character. (King) Throughout his speech he continues to describe the nation that he sees for his

Kaiser 3!
children, one without hate and discrimination against their race. People of all colors can
contribute immensely to communities, yet racism persistently poisons societies today. Even the
great United States of America could not remain united while this great evil plagued their
country. Americas collapse over this issue teaches future societies many things, including the
instability of a society with racism. When a society comes into being with the idea that some
races are superior to others, resentment develops in the scrutinized people. Unjust racism only
breaks societies as shown throughout history.
Everyday people die for their religion. If they had been given freedom of choice, this
self-sacrifice would not be called for. Religion plays a major role in a persons view of the
society. Communities with oppressive governments will only allow certain religions that do not
undermine the peoples thinking of their leaders while a government that trusts its people will
allow them to practice their religion freely. An important value when creating the social structure
of a society is to allow people to practice the religion of their choice. Though conflict may arise
between people of different religions, it is part of a humans natural rights to have their own
beliefs. Thomas Mores book, Utopia, demonstrates this ideal of freedom of religion. More
states, Though they be in diverse opinions, yet in this point they agree altogether with the wisest
sort in believing that there is one chief and principal God. (More 188) Utopias society allows
the people to choose how they practice their religion, but not in whom they worship. All the
civilians must worship the one god, Mithras, in some way, shape, or form. Disguised as freedom,
the government actually oppresses the peoples choice of religion. Unlike Utopia, citizens should
have freedom of choice over who or what they worship and even have the choice to practice no

Kaiser 4!
religion at all. Freedom of religion would instill a sense of equality among the people and would
contribute a feeling of self control, unity and respect among the people.
In order for a civilization to endure the challenges of survival, it must institute three main
policies when constructing its social order: no social hierarchy, no discrimination of race, and the
tolerance of different religions. Without these qualities, civilians will grow restless and unhappy
with the life they have been given. This dissatisfaction will lead to many riots and the
overturning of the society and its leaders. In communities with a social hierarchy, people from
the lower classes remain with no way to escape from the position to which they were born. Also,
the leaders grow ignorant of the needs of the people and this stops the society from growing. In
communities that permit racism, distrust grows among the people. Racial equality among
neighbors is crucial to the societys survival. People of color are judged based on prejudices that
are untrue and this inhibits the societys ability to flourish. Societies must also institute a policy
of religious tolerance in order to stop resentment among the people. Without free choice, the
people will fight for what they believe in, even if it means ruining their community. If a society
does not abide these three ideas, then they will fail as many civilizations before them have.
Whether due to the unrest in the lower class, people of color, or oppression of citizens through
religion, the civilization will break. Nations will continue to fall until one rises with these
priorities and implicates them among their society.

Kaiser 5!
Works Cited

!
More, Thomas. Utopia. 1515. Feedbooks, 22 Nov. 2016, www.feedbooks.com/book/188/utopia

!
Wells, H. G. The Sleeper Awakes. 1910. Feedbooks, 22 Nov. 2016, www.feedbooks.com/book/
148/the-sleeper-awakes.

!
King, Martin L. I Have a Dream. 28 Aug. 1963, Washington, D. C., Lincoln Memorial,
American Rhetoric.