Equality In Harrison Bergeron And Anthem

Harrison Bergeron and Equality 7-2521

Is it possible that two different authors, writing their own dystopian pieces, make their characters alike? Anthem by Ayn Rand is a novella about a dystopian society that is in the future but their economy is not advanced like times today. Also, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut is a short story about a dystopian society where the government values equality, so they make everyone equal in every way. “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut and Anthem by Ayn Rand are both dystopian literature and their protagonists are very similar in their attractiveness and defiance.

Harrison Bergeron and Equality are both attractive men, but they are not allowed to be attractive or know what attractive is. Equality has no idea what he looks like because his society does not value looks. In Anthem it states, “Men never see their own faces and never ask their brothers about it, for it is evil to have concern for their

In Anthem, Equality says, “For men are forbidden to take notice of women, and women are forbidden to take notice of men. But we think of one among women…”(Rand 38). Equality is thinking about someone of the opposite gender, which is prohibited by law in his society. This community controls everyone but Equality is straying from the rules they have enforced. In Harrison’s community, the government keeps handicaps on people who are more advanced. These people are not meant to take them off, but Harrison does. In “Harrison Bergeron” it states, “Harrison tore the straps of his handicap harness like wet tissue paper, tore straps guaranteed to support five thousand pounds”(Vonnegut 4). Harrison is tearing off his handicaps in an act of defiance. Harrison is going against those rules because he wants to be his own person and live how he wants to live. The two protagonists both go against the rules in their society, mentally and