http://www.rijnlandmodel.nl/english/general_semantics/hayakawa/alfa_town.htm PLE
ID: 470412 • Letter: H
Question
http://www.rijnlandmodel.nl/english/general_semantics/hayakawa/alfa_town.htm
PLEASE HELP ME !!!!
Answer the following questions based on your reading of "A-Town and B-Ville":
Why are the city fathers of A-town faced with only two choices – letting the unemployed starve or destroying their moral character?
What is their solution to this dilemma?
What effect does B-ville’s “insurance policy” have on the town’s sense of community?
Why does it have this effect? Over what, exactly, are the Social Worker and the Advertising Man arguing at the end of the story?
What role does language play in service or giving?
How does what we call something influence the effect it creates?
What responsibilities do you believe we have to our community in times of great need?
Explanation / Answer
1. Why are the city fathers of A-town faced with only two choices – letting the unemployed starve or destroying their moral character? : Because of recession in A-town, a lot of heads of families were unemployed and they were finding a tough time to find gainful employment. Even though the unemployed tried hard, but the situation did not improve. The city fathers did feel the need to help the unployed, but, their principles told them, nevertheless, that if people were given something for nothing, it would demoralize their character. Hence, the city fathers were left with only two choices as metioned above.
2. What is their solution to this dilemma? The city fathers decided to give the unemployed families "relief payments" of two hundred dollars a month. To make sure that the unemployed would not take their unearned payments too much for granted, however, they decided that the "relief" was to be accompanied by a moral lesson; to wit: the obtaining of the assistance would be made so difficult, humiliating, and disagreeable that there would be no temptation for anyone to go through the process unless it was absolutely necessary; the moral disapproval of the community would be turned upon the recipients of the money at all times in such a way that they would try hard to get "off relief" and "regain their self-respect."
3. What effect does B-ville’s “insurance policy” have on the town’s sense of community?- The insurance policy promoted cohesion and oneness in the community. Ever receipient felt personally honoured and that he could face his unemployment with greater courage and assurance, since his community was back of him.
4. Why does it have this effect? Over what, exactly, are the Social Worker and the Advertising Man arguing at the end of the story? : The scheme had this effect because it did not affect their moral character or pride as in case of A-town. The citizens were considered as policy holders and they were paid insurance more as a token of gratitude for the works they had done for the community in their previous years. Social Worker and the Advertising Man were "only arguing about different names for the same thing," While the advertising man was suggesting that just because they called the relief work as insurance, it became a big hit, the social worker was suggesting that at the end of the day it was relief work only.
5. What role does language play in service or giving? language can play a major role in service or giving. As seen in case of B-Ville, what good promotional work can do. Both A-Town and B-Ville did the same thing, but B-Ville projected it as inusrance rather than a relief grant and became a big hit. Disgusing relief as insurance can make people more content.
6. How does what we call something influence the effect it creates? : What we call something is important. The Advertiser quotes an interesting example in the excerpt : "as soon as we called horse-mackerel tuna-fish, we developed a big market for it.". Any business becomes a success only when it is marketed properly.
7. What responsibilities do you believe we have to our community in times of great need? In times of great need it is important to be with fellow community men and women, to help and support each other to come out of it. One should ensure that no one in the community should feel infereior to one another.
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