Mady Osmun

I disagree that it's okay for Maria and Tom to be rude to Matt. Even though society tells you to do one thing, doesn't mean you have to do it. As you get older you have the choice to follow society or to not follow society. Even though Matt is a clone. He is also a human being. He can breath and do everything everyone else does. He is just like them, so they should treat him like another human being.

Period 8 Tabarak Abbas

Disagree: The characters Tom and Maria treat Matt poorly because he's a clone,  but still he is a human being. They believe that Matt is a beast because he is a clone. There is not excuse to treat him that way. Many people doesn't know how to treat the young people, and the kids would be scared of the others, because they would think that everybody is mean. There is a lot of ways that we can know how to treat little kids. life should be easy for them, because we should teach them how to be strong. Maria and Tom does the opposite, and they want Matt to be scared of them, because he's a clone. When Tom and Matt gets in a fight, Matt wants both of them to leave. Anyways I think young people should be treated different from the old people.  

Panda MacLeod. Period 8

I absolutely agree that Maria and Tom's society has shaped their minds to think the way they do towards Matt. Young children are easily persuaded because they are like dry sponges, soaking up any and everything they see or hear. They are raised in a society where cloning is acceptable for the rich to do, but the rest of society shuns and is repulsed by them. This is because they literally don't have brains! What I do not understand, is how the people who are surrounded by Matt cannot comprehend that he is not one of those clones. He has brains, and uses them!  Even though Maria is raised to believe clones are weird and untouchable, she still has her innocence and curiosity. She appears to be half against, half for Matt. She is his friend but she is always watching him, observing him.  Tom on the other hand is another story. He is jealous, and perhaps a little envious of Matt. He was Maria's "friend" first and feels threatened. It only appears that he is against Matt because of this. He keeps manipulating Maria and trying to "expose" Matt and how he is a clone. Matt is a threat to Tom. Tom most likely would have had all the attention of everyone before Matt came, and now Matt is always on the conversation ballet. Society and culture shapes how children treat others and different situations. You cannot blame the young for being warped into what their society thinks.

Period 8 Ala Mallah

      I agree with this statement a lot because our society today tells us what we can and can't do, or what we should look like, what should we wear and how we should act. In House of Scorpions their society tells them that clones are "beasts" and that they are not accepted in their society. All of them have learned that clones are bad creatures and should be bullied and mistreated, they have learned all of this from their society. So, I really don't blame Maria, Tom and all the others for Matt's harsh treatment. Are society has thought us to behave in some way and they have to behave in their own society ways. I think they don't know any better, they were raised this way and that's why they are treating Matt like this. No one has ever told them that clones are good people, so they have no knowledge about them.
      There can also be a different side to this, yes we are society hasn't thought us better, but we have a mind of our own. We don't have to follow everyone else, we can make our own decisions and tell us whats best for us and everyone else. So we can't only blame society for Matt getting bullied and hurt. There is people that can think differently and stop this bullying and just treat Matt like a equal human being.

period 8 brenicia andersen chapter 7

Honestly I strongly contradict the situation that is being placed because yes our environmental society today does reflect us from right and wrong although , we are ones own person and our minds think for them selves no body controls our actions or behavior except our selves. That is why I think it is unbelievable that the doctor and nurse would place judgment for Matthew being different and that they were holding him in lock down .Even though he is a clone he still has a brain that can think,a heart that can feel and emotions that shouldn't be ignored because no body is perfect and in my most deepest thought I consider most is everyone is meant to be different that is what creates beauty and individuality .

That is why Maria really caught my eye because she shows no judgment towards others of different characteristics and I like that because that is very relatable to my self I don't believe that everyone should be equal. Its the imperfections that make you who you are and that reflects the most greatest gift of all and that is individual worth and talent because if everyone were to be all the same this society and planet would only show the characteristics from the book the Giver .(:

Benji Lightner Period 8 Chapter 7

I disagree on this statement because society only show's what to do or how to live. Society does not have the right to tell you how to think. You have freedom of speech. No person or clone should be treated like an outcast or an outsider based on what society has said or showed. Matt was treated as if he was some animal. Even though he is different and looks like a human he should be treated as one. Matt was placed in very harsh conditions. He was practically  locked down for 24hrs a day. Little sunlight , no human contact and barely little food.
 In some ways Tom should feel at fault for beginning to judge him and listen to what society says. He should make his own decision and whether or not to still treat Matt like a human as he has been doing so. I don't think Maria should be because maria has done a lot to clear Matt's name so that he may be treated as a human even though she had her thoughts of Matt eating her and such. Tom didn't really care for him like Maria did. Maria felt as if he shouldn't be treated like an animal if he doesn't look like one or even act like one.

Brayden Berrett, Period 8, Chapter 7

I do agree that society has an effect on how we look at things and how we act around certain things also. Maria and Tom have been taught that “Clones” are evil and will bite you if you get to close to them. You can tell they have been taught because at the beginning of the book they discover Matt. Maria and Tom treat Matt like a normal kid talking, playing, and having fun with each other. Everything is normal between them until he cuts his foot and rushed to the Mansion. They are worried about him until they find out that he is a clone their whole perspective change about Matt. The maids in the Mansion explained that Clones are evil and bad people. Just like that they throw Matt out and leave him to suffer from his injuries. Just in seconds Maria and Tom’s minds are played with by society and turned against Matt for the time being. So I do believe that society has a big impact on how we view things. For example when they find out that Matt is El Patrons Clone and he tells everyone in the Mansion that they must be nice and treat Matt like a normal boy people start to listen. In conclusion powerful people have a big impact on Society.

Lesley Olson, Period 8, Chapter 7

I agree with this statement because if you really think about it society is what controls how we think, how we want to look, and what is right and what is wrong. The society in House of the Scorpion taught that clones are beasts and have no knowledge. Society taught people that clones are not people and are not equal to everyone else so they are treated like animals. Parents would teach their children that clones are bad so they would start to think that and eventually have generations who have a mindset that clones are bad. For example, the servants of the house treated Matt like an animal and put him in a cell with hay and so once the children saw this they were thinking almost as if Matt were an animal. Their society somehow manipulated their minds into thinking that clones should be treated poorly. Characters like Tom and Maria are not to blame for treating Matt poorly because society has not only taught them, but everyone else to do so. If the society were to be different and say that there was nothing wrong with clones then, clones like Matt would be treated equally and with more respect.

Jorgia Gomez Period 8 Chapter 7

I disagree I believe that just because you are brought up a certain way doesn't mean you can’t change or learn to accept something.  In this chapter you see Tom be very rude and get away with it in some ways.  Tom doesn't know better though, he still can’t treat Matt correctly because he has this idea embedded in his head that all clones are bad.  This may be the only way they know but that’s because their parents, people in the Big House, and their society have told them since they were born that clones are beasts.  Matt is not a beast though, he has real human feelings.  When Matt and Tom fight, he gets upset and his feelings get hurt showing that he is just like all the other people when others are rude.  At the beginning when he first meet the kids from the Big House they could not tell the difference they thought he was human, because he acted like one, but the second they found the lettering on his foot they automatically treated him terrible, especially Rosa.  That shows that they are taught to be rude to all clones no matter what the circumstance.  I believe that it is not the kids fault for being rude or disrespectful because as soon as they see a clone they go into “eejit” mode.  It’s like the society has “programmed” their minds.

Thalia Valdez Period 6 Chapter 7

I disagree with the statement that the characters are not to blame for Matt's harsh treatment. Rosa was the one who personally treat Matt badly and made him feel as if he was an animal after finding out that he was a clone because it was known to no treat clones like people. Same with Steven and Emilina, their whole perspective of Matt changed after they had found out. They called him an animal and said that he was filthy. Even after El Patron told them to treat him with respect they didn't call him names but still ignored him whenever he came around. Tom still messed with.  But then there was Maria, Cecilia, and Tam Lin who did the opposite. Cecilia took care of him his whole life and seemed to consider him to be her son and made sure to get him out of the prison they kept him in. Then Maria, who even after finding out what he was, wouldn't treat him badly. She had brought him food when he was locked in that, told Cecilia where to find Matt, and acknowledged Matt when he was around instead of ignoring him like the others did. Then there is Tam Lin who was to stay behind and look over Matt, even if it was his job, he too never looked at Matt as being an animal, though never really talking to him, he still made sure Matt was alright. So its not based off of how people are raised its based on what kind of person they are.      

Micall Johnson period 6 chapter 7

Disagree: Even though their society has taught them clones aren't the "normal" person, they still have a decision to make on how they treat him.  It's hard to pick if I disagree or agree with this because there is two sides to this question.  If you go against what you have been taught you feel like people will look down on you, but it's hard to stand up to people even if it's not right.  Overall, even if they were taught to treat clones like crap, no one should be treated that way. 

Kiara Sandoval period 6 chapter 7

Matt should not be treated like a animal. He is just like everyone else. Not completely, but well everyone is different. Matt is smart, and he's aware of what he is. Just because he's a clone does not mean he should be treated differently. Matt is a normal kid, that should be treated like any other child. Maria and Tom aren't treated like animals? Why should Matt? Just because he's different. It's not fair to him, and I also feel that it's not completely fair to Maria and Tom either. Why should people have to follow a code, or a certain rule? Maria and Tom only treat Matt badly because that's how their parents raised them; to believe that clones are savages that have no mental capability and are dangerous. When in reality they had no control over that. Tom and Maria were raised on others beliefs. At least Maria tries to talk to Matt and she sees that he's not so different. Matt acts normal like everyone else. Nobody should be treated differently if they are not like most people, after all nobody is the same, and no body is perfect. Everyone is different in their own way. 

Matheus Melo Period: 06th Ch. 7

   Disagree, there's always a mirror that reflects the society in which a civilization that has by it's own foundation an idea that by some standards everyone should have it's life benefiting it or living for it.The fact that Matt is being harsh treated shouldn't be a contemplation by the other characters that without feeling let every standard that once was set up take the place of the human heart that by it's own category cannot have a DNA mutation on it's feelings but only can be understood with love. 

RJ Larsen Period 6th Ch. 7

Disagree: I do believe that society and the ideas that are commonly found have a big impact on the way young people think, but just because you are raised a certain way or are surrounded by people who have similar opinions doesn't mean that you have to grow up to keep the same values/ beliefs as those who you were surrounded by. This is a very hard subject to talk about because even if it is not about cloning, the same exact type of situation exist in the real world, poverty vs. rich, white vs. colored, and religion are all big things that people can be raised to think lopsided towards. Even though many people stick to the way they way the were raise there are the few which present hope and diversity and fairness towards the future, by showing that they can divert the long road of changing these morals they were raised with and change it for the better. It takes a big person to totally change the way they were raised in order change the world for the better. Matt's situation is a bit different because no all of the people that are treating him like crap are mature enough to even be able to think for themselves even though kids like Maria still shine some hope through to Matt.

Issachar Beh Period 6 Chapter 7

Although the characters such as Maria and Tom treat Matt poorly, it is not their fault. It isn`t their fault because you can brainwash your kids to behave the way you want them to. They are just little kids and young kids are too ignorant to understand complex concepts. It is their parents fault for teaching them all of that bad information. All bad people were taught that way by their parents, and the kids are too young to be blamed.

Cassidy Howe period 6 chapter 7

Agree: This was a hard decision for me to make because as a kid, you were always taught to do what your parents told you. Still to this day you still do the things you were taught. Sure Tom and Maria do horrible things to Matt and treat him like an animal or worse, but they were taught those things. If they were taught to treat him well and with respect I'm sure this would be a totally different story. Technically, they don't treat him badly just because, they just don't know any other way.

Katie Rugg Period 6th Chapter 7

Disagree: Just because society tells us that hunting is okay doesn't mean that I agree with it. Everyone has their choice in the decisions they make, and Tom and Maria decided to choose the wrong thing to do. Society shouldn't have an influence over your actions. Do the right thing!

Jennie LaFortune Period 2 Ch. 7 Writing Assignment

Disagree:  In chapter 7 we see some of the characters from House of the Scorpion reveal parts of their true character. Although Matt is a clone, he is still a human being. It is clear from previous chapters that the society in the land of Opium treats clones like beasts. They believe they are less human and even "remove their intelligence" at birth, which is inhumane. In this chapter Matt doesn't even want to leave the apartment because how poorly he is treated by other people living in the Big House.  Tom visits Matt along with Maria, but when Matt and Tom get in a fight Matt wants them both to leave. This shows that Matt has feeling and is just as "real" as any of the other people.  There is no excuse to treat him like a beast even if the characters grew up believing clones weren't equal.  Just like in our world today, there is never any excuse to demean others regardless of their outward or inward differences.  Another example is Tam Lin.  He lives in the same society and has been "taught" the same things but is kind to Matt and defends him against his "eejit" teacher, which proves there is no excuse for the horrible treatment of Matt.