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Olivia Franklin

Olivia Franklin

Mrs. Weaver

LNG 312

February 15, 2011

The Societies of No Individuality

Could you imagine in a world where there is no equality, no personality and most importantly, no

what makes you, you? In Harrisons, Equalitys, and Vincents world you cant be who you want to be,

you cant think what you want to think, and you cant even show how your feeling towards other people!

In Harrison Bergeron, Kurt Vonnegut describes the life of a 14-year -old boy going through a change

that would affect his strength, knowledge, and beauty. In Anthem, Ayn Rand describes Equalitys life that

doesnt allow the word I to be heard, said or to be even thought. In Gattaca, Niccol shows that in order

to succeed in Vincents society, you need to be made genetically engineered. A common theme in the

stories Harrison Beregon, Anthem and Gattaca is that they all challenge and overcome their societys

beliefs.

Harrisons societys beliefs are that if you are too smart, strong, or incredibly handsome, you are

a threat to the society so the government puts handicaps on you. Harrison challenges his societys belief

by being different. He challenged his societys beliefs by running away from jail even though he knew

that he would face extreme charges from the government. "Harrison Bergeron, age fourteen," she said in a

grackle squawk, "has just escaped from jail, where he was held on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the

government. He is a genius and an athlete, is under-handicapped, and should be regarded as extremely

dangerous." He escaped from jail when he was held on suspicion to overthrow the government. Despite

the fact that Harrison was different from the others, he was still a human being even though he had

unimaginable strength, was smarter than the average smart person, and was very attractive. Harrison tore

the scraps of his handicaps harness like wet tissue paperscrap-iron handicaps crashed to the floor

Harrison was a very strong person and just wanted to show the audience who he is even though he was a

strong, smart, and handsome criminal. He chooses an empress to dance with at the ballet. During that

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time, he removes the weights that weigh her down from dancing her fullest, removes her mask and sees

her beauty and dances with her. I shall now select my Empress! he said, looking down on the cowering

people. Let the first woman who dares rise to her feet claim her mate and her throne The girl steps

forward and tells him he wants to dance without the weights weighing her down and dance with people

seeing her beautiful face! As we move onto the book Anthem, Equality is restricted like Harrison in many

ways for example, not being able to say the word I.

Equalitys society believes that in order to succeed, you need to have other people other than

yourself to live the correct way. Equality challenges his society beliefs by explaining his background,

the society around him, and his emigration. Even though his society wont allow him and his brothers

to even think or imagine about freedom, Equality will do whatever it takes to protect his thought, will and

freedom. I guard my treasures: my thought, my will and the greatest of these is freedom (95-96). He

discovers about the Unmentionable Time and he will do whatever it takes to protect them. He definitely

challenges his society by thinking and discovering something that will help their society even though no

one would have even dared to try it. We can give our brothers a new light, cleaner and brighter than any

they have ever known. The power of the sky can be made to do men's bidding. There are no limits to its

secrets and its might, and it can be made to grant us anything if we but choose to ask. He discovers light

in a tunnel which he also discovers even though his society doesnt believe in creating/discovering things

like that. In addition to challenging his society, he overcomes it by running away and observing what it

absolutely means to be a me and not an us. I am. I think. I will. My hands . . . My spirit . . . My sky . .

. My forest . . . This earth of mine. . . . He finds out about the word I and figures out the meaning about

it and understands the word and uses it all the time instead of we. In the next story Gattaca, to survive in

this society, you not only have to be book smart but you have to be genetically engineered.

In Gattaca, Vincent is not genetically engineered so he cannot go onto the rocket he has always

dreamt to be on since he was a kid. His societys belief is that if you want to succeed, you have to be

genetically engineered. It doesnt matter about your test score; it matters about your blood test Once

again, you have to be made genetically and not be created by love to live in this society. Vincent

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challenges his societys beliefs by becoming a new person through using Jeromes blood and urine for

random tests in Gattaca. German: Theres still the matter of your height. Vincent: How tall are you?

Jerome: 46 Vincent: I meant before your accident. He then describes how he is going to become

Jerome even though he was that short. He overcomes his society system and rules by going onto the

rocket and going to see the moon Titan. When Jerome says 'I only gave you my body. You gave me your

dreams This is another example for how he lets other people overcome his society. Jerome also feels that

he has accomplished something when Vincent goes up to space.

The common theme in the stories, Harrison Beregon, Anthem, and Gattaca, is that they all

challenge and overcome their society belief. What we should do so that the world doesnt come to an end

like this is to make sure that we (the people) agree on what the government says and make sure that it

doesnt change to a society where there is no personality and no individuality.