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BOOKREVIEW CPE262 | GEETH01X Bucao, Vic Louie E. Submitted By:
Introduction The School for Good and Evil written by Soman Chainani is a fantasy book about two girls named Sophie and Agatha. Throughout the narrative, Sophie wants to be a princess ever since. It's completely the antagonistic with how the whole village views Agatha, someone scary and strange. Later on, the two of them are taken to the School for Good and Evil, and unexpectedly, they're put in opposite schools than they thought. This story explores questions of ethics and asks where do morals actually originate. Do they stem from appearance and reputation, or are they based from the intentions and the actions itself? By reading this, readers are encouraged to reconsider how they form their judgments. The book also fosters the importance of freedom, responsibility, justice, and good character.
Summary of the Story Sophie and Agatha are taken from their village of Gavaldon to the School for Good and Evil, where children are trained to become either fairytale heroes or villains. Sophie anticipates to attend the School for Good as she's been wanting that her whole life, but instead, she is assigned to the School for Evil. Agatha, who believes that she will be sent to the School for Evil, had her expectations reversed. Both struggled to accept their unexpected situations. Sophie did everything to prove that she really belongs in the School for Good, while Agatha faces the expectations of a school where she does not feel she belongs. As their their friendship was tested by their desires and aspirations, the girls begin to question the meaning of good and evil. Their journey shows that appearances and labels do not always reveal a person's true character.
Ethical Dilemma 1 Sophie thinks she deserves to be a princess because she is beautiful and wishes for it. Agatha was judged solely on her looks and for that, she was teased and called awful names. The story shows how quickly people jump to conclusions on how others look without paying attention to their actions. Kantian Ethics says that all humans are worthy of respect and that people shouldn’t judge others on their appearances. Judging Sophie or Agatha solely on their outer beauty goes against their dignity as humans. Instead of looking at how they look, we should be judging by their actions and how they choose to behave.
Ethical Dilemma 2 The girls are placed in schools that are contrary to their expectations, thus putting them in a dilemma about who they really are. This prompts one to ask the question about whether society is supposed to define people or allow them to prove their character through the decisions they make.Based on Virtue Ethics, a person's character is defined by the deeds he does and virtues that he embodies, such as bravery, truthfulness, kindness, and modesty. For Sophie, being a virtuous person should not only mean being a princess in terms of her appearance. On the other hand, Agatha shows that being virtuous is not something that can be decided by just looking at someone. It means that people should be given the chance to make decisions but still be accountable for them.
Ethical Dilemma 3 Another example of the ethical dilemma presented in the story is the dilemma of Sophie wanting to be a princess at any cost while maintaining her friendship with Agatha. The ambitions of Sophie and her desire to have her perfect ending in the fairytale affect the decisions she makes, while Agatha takes care of their relationship. This situation shows how personal ambitions can change relationships since people do not take into account the feelings of others. Utilitarianism claims that an action should be assessed by its consequences and impact on people's welfare. Thus, when following one's dream causes unnecessary harm to the welfare of a friend, this action cannot be considered moral. Consequently, having ambitions is not something unethical, but causing harm and manipulating other people for personal purposes is hard to accept.
Character Analysis Sophie is a determined girl who desires to become a princess and lead a perfect fairytale life. She loves beauty, recognition, and the feeling of being considered a good person by other people. Yet, her desire to realize her dreams negatively influences her ability to make a decision and it affected her friendship with Agatha. Her character reveals how the moral weaknesses of pride, vanity, and the need for recognition arise from putting personal desires above the emotions of other people.Sophie
Character Analysis As far as freedom and responsibility go, Sophie is free in the pursuit of her goals and desires but she should take responsibility for the consequences of her decisions. According to Virtue Ethics, the girl should work on such virtues as humility, honesty, and compassion to improve herself as a person.Sophie
Character Analysis Agatha is an independent character, who is not always understood due to her dark nature and peculiar personality. Although others do not understand her, Agatha cares about her friend Sophie and appreciates their relationship. By helping her friend, she proves to have such positive traits of her character as empathy, loyalty, and courage. Speaking about freedom and responsibility, Agatha learns to make her own decisions regardless of the labels imposed by others.Agatha
Character Analysis From the standpoint of Kantian Ethics, respecting others and acknowledging their dignity is the main moral obligation. Agatha's attitude towards Sophie is an example of how others should be treated as people who need care and respect. The characters of Agatha prove that it is impossible to define one's good intentions only by the way people look like.Agatha
Personal ReflectionThrough the novel The School for Good and Evil, I have learned that the distinction between good and evil cannot be based on the appearance of the individual or on how they are perceived by society. I understood that the person who appears beautiful or looks perfect does not necessarily make correct decisions and the person who is not considered as the best one according to his or her appearance may be kind and have good intentions. I learned that being good does not mean pleasing everyone or earning praises.If I were in Agatha's shoes, I’d make sure not to succumb to other peoples' perceptions and try to stay myself regardless of how others perceive me. Also, I’ll try to save my friendship with Sophie since any healthy relationship is based on mutual understanding, trust, and respect for one another. According to the principles of Kantian Ethics, I’d show my respect and dignity to other people and refrain from treating them as mere tools for realizing my own goals. I would say that there is nothing more valuable than someone else's trust and happiness.
Personal Reflection I could use the knowledge gained from the story to evaluate people without judging them by their looks, status in society, and reputation. From the perspective of Utilitarianism, I could learn to weigh the consequences of each action and make decisions that will lead to positive outcomes only. To conclude, this story has taught me that true goodness lies in actions and intentions of people. Each individual makes mistakes and it is essential to realize and correct them in order to become better and grow. For me, being good means being responsible and kind to others.
Conclusion In summary, The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani provides valuable insights into the concepts of ethics, morality, responsibility, freedom, justice, and true good. Through the adventures of Sophie and Agatha, the readers get to see how one's outward appearance, reputation, and social standing do not necessarily say anything about the person's moral being. Moreover, through the difficulties these characters encounter, the readers sees how a person is supposed to accept their weakness, know the consequences of the decision, and be responsible for their actions. In this book review, various ethical theories have been used to explain why our decisions matter. Among other things, it include the Kantian Ethics, which helps us respect other people and see their dignity, Utilitarianism, which shows us the need to look at the consequences of our actions, and Virtue Ethics, which urges us to become honest, compassionate, courageous, and humble.
Conclusion Overall, I think that The School for Good and Evil is a worthwhile read for an Ethics course, since it makes the reader think beyond appearance and re-evaluate the concept of good and evil from the society's perspective. It makes the reader realize that while we cannot do anything about the way people will judge us, we can always choose our behavior and reactions to different situations. Ultimately, one can be considered good not just by society's standards, but by his or her own efforts to behave responsibly and morally.
References:Chainani, S. (2013). The school for good and evil. HarperCollins. https://www.overdrive.com/media/1085409/the-school-for-good-and-evil Cracking the Cover. (n.d.). The School for Good and Evil book cover [Image]. https://www.crackingthecover.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/SGE-Cover.jpg Feig, P. (Director). (2022). The school for good and evil [Film]. Netflix. https://www.netflix.com/title/80218885 Pinterest. (n.d.). [Image related to The School for Good and Evil]. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/73/6d/fb/736dfb3cde7dbdc622bd387b771fea39.png Pinterest. (n.d.). [Image related to The School for Good and Evil]. https://pin.it/W5xhwZdvQ
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