Book Title: Walden Two
Author: B.F. Skinner
Pages: 301

I. SETTING:

     A. Time: mid 1940’s (after the end of WWII)

     B. Place: Walden Two, R.D. I, Canton

     C. Detailed description of the opening scene:

          Rogers and Steve just returning from war, and looking for a new      beginning read an article on a man named Frazier who was planning to      begin an experimental utopian society. They immediately become intrigued      by the idea. Their interest brought them to the office of Professor Burris,           one their former teachers to ask if he knew anything about Frazier, or about      the new society Frazier is trying to build. Burris remembers Frazier as a      classmate at his graduate school; he recalls his extremist ideas and his      dislike for the institution. He also recalls discussions the two had shared      about this "Utopian society." Reluctantly Burris agrees to contact Frazier,      and sends him a letter. Immediately and enthusiastically he replies inviting      Burris’ and his friends to visit the new community he has developed. Burris      meets with the two men to inform them of the invitation, and agrees to take      time off, to accompany Rogers and Steve on a visit to "Walden Two,"      Frazier’s community. Rodger’s girlfriend Barbara, Steve’s girlfriend Mary,      and Burris's colleague Castle also accompany them on the visit.

II. THEME: a one-sentence statement of the theme of your novel

          Walden Two was Skinner’s attempt to portray what would occur if      behaviorism were used to curve our society, he depicted a solution to the      problems of modern life that involved a new beginning, an flee from our
     current society, and a dismissal of our political and economic solutions.

III. CHARACTERS: Write a one or two sentence description of each
major character.

     A. Main Character:

          Professor Burris is a professor of psychology, the central character of      the novel, and the man through whose eyes we view the many aspects of      Walden Two. He is very intelligent, and initially doubtful of the operations      of Walden Two, but is more and more fanatical about it over the course of      his visit.

     B. Supporting Character:

          T.E. Frazier is a former classmate of Burris' at his graduate school,      and is one of the founding members of Walden Two.

     C. Supporting Character:

          Augustine Castle is a philosopher and a colleague of Burris at the           university. He is equally as intelligent as Burris and a gifted debater, but he      is rather closed-minded; he debates with Frazier his whole visit to Walden      Two, trying to find some practical reason why it shouldn’t work.

     D. Supporting Character:

          Rogers is a former classmate of Burris. After returning from World      War II, he attempts to find a better life than the standard "American Dream"      by exploring Walden Two with Burris’ group.

     E. Supporting Character:

          Steve Jamnik and Rogers became friends during the war. He is a      quiet man, like Rogers he is looking for a better life.

IV. PLOT STRUCTURE: (one or two sentences for each will be sufficient)

     A. Central Conflict or Main Problem:

          Castle finds Walden Two repulsive, and spends the greater part of      the visit arguing with Frazier about the practicability and popularity of a      community like Walden Two. He is extremely skeptical and his debates      with Frazier are highlighted throughout the novel.


     B. Important Incident:

          There were few "important" incidents throughout this novel, there      weren’t even any key incidents it was just a series of dialogue, and      description.

     D. Climax of the Story

          The climax occurs toward the end of the novel, in the last few      chapters where each visitor makes his or her decision to either stay or leave      Walden Two, based on the opinions they have formed throughout their      three-day stay. Not surprisingly Castle decides to leave this society, he is      strongly opposed to it. Rogers and Steve decide that they like it, but Rogers      doesn’t stay because his girlfriend Barbara disliked the whole idea. Burris      decides that he is fascinated by the whole idea, but plans to return to his job      as a professor.

     E. Resolution or Outcome:

          Although Burris finds himself being skeptical that such a utopia      could succeed, but he finds it gripping, and he cannot disregard the      evidence of success in front of him. Burris’ fascination gets the better of      him and at the last minute, while waiting to board the he train he decides to      try life at Walden Two.


V.     BOOK REVIEW: Write a good two to four paragraph critique of the book on which you point out its strengths and its weaknesses, giving examples to support your evaluation.

          If you are looking for a good novel, with a compelling plot, and      subtle character development, or any character development, for that matter,      go to the library and get another book. This book is more or less a series of      dialogues, conveniently placed into a cohesive order. The main characters      visiting the Utopian society of Walden Two engage in an abundance of      dialogue, in order to discover the spirit and the principles behind this new      community of Walden Two. Set speeches by main characters illustrate the      points that Skinner wishes to make to the reader.
          Don't get me wrong, the ideas are challenging and the reading is not      painful; there is even some dramatic tension. The thought of a society like      Walden Two is intriguing, and the detail used by Skinner gives the reader a      clear picture of what this society may look like, and how it operates. Overall      the book was good, it was an enjoyable read, and wasn’t like other novels, it      was individual. I would recommend this book to anyone who is open-     minded, and is intrigued by the operations and possibility of alternate      societies.