Unless Someone Cares

Kaleb Elmer
Biology 1120
Instructor: Kristen Taylor
Unless Someone Cares

The Lorax
Comprehension Questions:
1. The Truffula Trees were scarce, valuable natural resources. What
made them valuable and scarce?
They were scarce because they were being rapidly cut down to make
Thneeds.
2. Why did the Once-ler chop down the first Truffula Tree?
He cut down the first tree to make a Thneed.
3. What benefit did the Thneed have for consumers?
The Thneed could be used for a shirt, sock, glove, hat, carpet, pillowcase,
sheets, curtains or covers for bicycle seats.
4. The Lorax did not think anyone would want to purchase a Thneed.
Was he correct?
No, the Lorax was not correct.
5. What new capital resource did the Once-ler invent? How did this
help his business?
The Once-ler invented the Thneed which could be used for anything, and
therefore everyone had use for one.
6. Who was harmed as more and more Truffula Trees were chopped
down and they became more scarce?
The Bar-Ba-Loots were directly harmed by the lack of trees as a food source,
and later the Swomee Swans and Humming Fish were harmed by the
environmental destruction from the factory.
7. Was it wise of the Once-ler to chop down all the trees?
No it wasnt wise, since the environment was totally destroyed and he put
himself out of business.
8. In the story, all the trees were chopped down. In the modern U.S.
economy, why would this not happen?
It would not happen because it would be bad for business. Keeping the forest
in balance while still harvesting trees would maximize the bottom line.
9. What situation or condition would promote the cutting down of all

trees or the overuse of natural resources?
The cutting down of all trees in the current economy would be promoted if
there were a more profitable potential use for the land which the trees
occupy.
10.
When a good, service, or natural resource becomes more and
more scarce, what happens to the price?
The more scarce the resource, the more valuable it becomes.
11.
Compare the Once-ler's attitude toward the environment at the
beginning of the story with his attitude at the end.
At the beginning the Once-ler only cares about business and profit, but by the
end he realizes the cost it came at, and the value of what he destroyed.
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.
The Once-ler was willing to go to any length to achieve his goals, taking swift
and forceful action. The Lorax on the other hand only showed up occasionally for
brief periods, and chastised but carried no real authority or power to punish the
Once-ler. Also the Once-ler had help, lured in by the promise of profit. It was a
battle between abstract morality and concrete capitalism.
#2: An argument was once made for protecting desert tortoises is that,
desert tortoises are important because people enjoy seeing them.
Explain why this is or is not a valid argument for the preservation of a
species (such as the Swamee-Swans in the video).
This argument is especially poignant to me as an artist. This is absolutely a valid
argument. Paintings, photographs, artful or symbolic architecture, film, television,
and even sports are all widely deemed important to Americans(enough to attract
billions in revenue in some cases), yet they serve no purpose other than aesthetic
or entertainment value. Why should a rare and beautiful creature be seen any
differently? They are a huge part of what makes the outdoors so beautiful. And as
far as entertainment value, I dont know what my girlfriend would do if she didnt
have videos of cute baby animals to watch ;)
#3: 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?
Aesthetic appreciation can absolutely be taught. There are literally classes called
art appreciation. In my experience, appreciation most often stems from empathy
and understanding. Appreciation of art comes from understanding the symbolism
and the hard work that was put into a piece. Appreciation of a mountain vista or
seashore I should think could be taught by an understanding of all the
interconnectedness of life taking place before you. The wildlife, the weather
patterns, the geography, the geology, etc. which has all found balance together to
create hundreds of unique, awe inspiring combinations.
#6: 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 dedication to his business at all costs.
He showed remorse when the Bar-ba-loots left, but not enough to stop, instead
growing his business. The only thing to change his mind was years of isolation in
the desolate environment of his own making. Its not true that everyone needs
money, money is simply a symbol to simplify the bartering process. Anyone who
can provide everything they need by making it themselves would have no need of
money. Of course its incredibly difficult to do that in modern society as one
household rarely has the space or knowledge to create everything theyd need for
themselves, so in that sense money is necessary, but only enough to live
comfortably without suffering. Its certainly not right to destroy the environment,
but greed is a very real thing and a frighteningly high percentage of people would
destroy the environment or other peoples lives if it meant they could make a profit.
#7: 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?
The Unless means that unless someone has the moral conviction to stand up for
the environment, there will be no reason for anyone to treat it with respect.
Someone like you needs to play their part in conservation. Efforts such as
recycling and using public transit will not work if only a fraction of the community
does so. Everyone needs to take responsibility for the problems that everyone
faces. Someone like you is Doctor Seuss way of saying that EVERYONE matters,
and that no contribution is too small.
Doctor Seuss is one of my biggest heroes. When I was a child Id have my

mom read one of his books to me every night, and every one of his stories fueled
my imagination to incredible worlds of fantasy. He had an unmatched talent for
teaching excellent morals in such a way that they snake past a childs
consciousness and into their hearts. I was only in fourth grade when he passed
away, but I can still remember exactly where I was when I heard and how I broke
down crying in front of my entire class. Thank you for the opportunity to dig deeper
into one of the best, if not THE best, of his legacy.

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Kaleb Elmer

Unless Someone Cares

9. What situation or condition would promote the cutting down of all

Doctor Seuss is one of my biggest heroes. When I was a child Id have my

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