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Similarities Between Harrison Bergeron And Anthem

609 Words3 Pages

Autumn Bileen
Mrs. Greer
Sophomore English Period 4
05 October 2017
Harrison Bergeron and Anthem Is collectivism worth the suffering? “Harrison Bergeron” is the story of an equal society where people that are above the norm are handicapped. One person named Harrison Bergeron tries to fix that problem and rebels but he eventually fails tragically. Anthem is the story of Equality 7-2521, an above average man that lives in a collective society and how he escapes from it. “Harrison Bergeron” and Anthem have the similar theme of taking away one’s individuality is the same as killing the person. In the story “Harrison Bergeron”, George is suffering from his handicaps and his wife Hazel can see that. Not being able to be yourself can take a toll …show more content…

George cannot live his life and cannot do anything about it. When Hazel was talking to George she says, “I mean you don’t compete with anybody around here. You just sit around” (Vonnegut 2). This shows that George is just sitting around because he is limited to what he can do and cannot enjoy his life to the fullest. What else can he do but slowly except it and watch his life gradually come to an end. The collectivist society is not a place to live but to die. While examining everyone Equality 7-2521 says, “The heads of our brothers are bowed. The eyes of our brothers are dull, and never do they look one another in the eyes. The shoulders of our brothers are hunched, and their muscles are drawn, as if their bodies were shrinking and wished to shrink out of sight” (Rand 46). This quote shows that the condition of the men make them look lifeless because they too are not allowed to do things on their own such as think for themselves. The men are just living corpses. Therefore, in terms of the way their lives are liven, “Harrison Bergeron” and Anthem are similar. In conclusion, “Harrison Bergeron” and Anthem are alike in terms of the theme of when individuality is taken, one dies. George suffers from his handicaps making him look tired. In Anthem the people live for others and not for them and struggle with it. Harrison Bergeron and Anthem are alike within the effects of the people because of a collective society. No, collectivism is not worth it because one would want their whole life planned out for them without having a say in it. They would just slowly die living a life not meant for

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