Comparing Handmaid's Tale, The Lucifer Effect, And Harrison Bergeron
Anzle Chavez
Ms. Tonello
ENG3DE
19 Jan 2023
Threats on Individuality Within the Societies of The Handmaid’s Tale, The Stanford Prison Experiment, The Lucifer Effect, and Harrison Bergeron
Humankind is inherently moral, but one turns to evil when one's individuality is compromised by external forces in society. Works such as Atwood’s "The Handmaid's Tale," Zimbardo’s "The Stanford Prison Experiment and the Lucifer Effect," and Vonnegut’s "Harrison Bergeron" all illustrate how situations of suppression and loss of freedom can lead to the corruption of one's morality as individuals struggle to regain control and assert power over their lives. The Handmaid's Tale shows how the loss of freedom under an oppressive regime can lead to the corruption
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When individuals cannot act on their own and instead conform to any evil values presented without challenging them, they can become complicit in evil acts. This can be seen in the character of Serena Joy in The Handmaid's Tale. Initially, she is portrayed as a moral character who is supportive of Offred. However, as the story progresses, she must conform to the hierarchy created in Gilead and becomes complicit in the subjugation of other women. This example illustrates how even a moral person can turn to evil when their individuality is compromised by societal pressure to conform. Offred in the Handmaid's Tale also illustrates this phenomenon. As she is forced to conform to the oppressive society of Gilead, she feels like she is turning evil. Her inability to act on her own and resist the societal pressures to conform leads to her becoming complicit in the subjugation of other women. The Stanford Prison Experiment also provides insight into how conformity can lead to evil. In this experiment, college students were randomly assigned roles as prisoners or guards in a simulated prison environment. Over time, the guards began to blindly follow their instructions, even if they were dehumanizing and mistreating the prisoners. The prisoners, in turn, became passive and resigned to their mistreatment. This experiment illustrates how even seemingly normal individuals can turn to evil when their individuality is compromised by societal pressure to
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