Today, we finished a book that we've come to love, and we have seen many characters in this book make bad decisions. The issues of greed and selfishness discussed in The City of Ember make this a book that has not only a good plot but also a good message. We see Lizzie, Looper, and Mayor Cole allow greed to take hold of them, but there is a “price to pay” for greediness. This message is made clear in “Button, Button,” the science fiction short story we discussed in class this week. What I like about “Button, Button” is that it forces us to think more deeply about ethics (morals and values). As middle school students, you are now at a time in your life when you are especially starting to consider what’s right and what’s wrong. In “Button, Button,” Arthur clearly has better morals than Norma. This husband and wife seem to have very different views, causing Mr. Steward to comment to Norma at the end that she must never have really known her husband.
One of my favorite television shows is What Would You Do?, a hidden camera show that focuses on how random people deal with ethical dilemmas when they don’t know they’re being watched. We'll watch one of these clips in class next week. The host John Quiñones asks viewers the same question every episode, and I’ll ask you it now too: “When you think no one is watching, do you step in, step up, or step away?”
Have a safe, splendid, and sweet weekend!
-Ms. Sanford