Comparison Of Harrison Bergeron And Anthem

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Follow Yourself “We think that there are many mysteries in the sky and under the water and in the plants which grow.” (Rand 23). The societies of whom George and Hazel as well as Equality are apart of a collective society where nobody can be different, but in a typical society people are allowed to be smart. Although “ Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr and Anthem by Ayn Rand are both pieces of dystopian literature, their portreyal of family differs greatly. “George and Hazel were watching televison. There were tears on Hazel’s cheeks, but she’d forgotten for the moment what they were about.” (Vonnegut 1). George and Hazel are allowed to live with each other under security. The laws required for George and Hazel’s conditions are …show more content…

The short story “Harrison Bergeron” has families that are able to have marriage. “Go on and rest the bag for a little while” she said. “I don’t care if you’re not equal to me for a while.” (Vonnegut 2). Since George is a handicap, Hazel cares about her husband and therefore allows him to step out of equality for a bit to rest from the weights. It portreys that people can still care for their loved ones even if the society is tragic. In the story Anthem, the novella illustrates marriage as a crule action to take upon. The society in Anthem has strict laws that if acted, the person could be punished. “For men are forbidden to take notice of women, and women are forbidden to take notice of men.” (Rand 38). Anthem’s society is not free to have marriage and could lead to punishments. The novella explains that to keep everyone equal, they must not look to others. In conclusion, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr and Anthem by Ayn Rand concludes that love and marriage are not similar in both dystopian societies. Although “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr and Anthem by Ayn Rand are both pieces of dystopian literature, thier portreyal of family differs greatly. George and Hazel can live with each other, their society has restrictions for people to be equal but not with marriage nor love. The novella Anthem has people being scared to fall out of line with society, therefore Equality is required to live in groups with his brothers and is not allowed to have he option to marry or to love someone. Following yourself is important in today’s envronment because you are taught to be yourself and not someone who you’re