Equality is a concept that can be described as living in equilibrium, like the biology of the rate at which species are produced, which is at the same rate as species dying. Equilibrium takes adaptation to the environment, and if it is believed that everyone adapts to changes or restrictions, equality will be fair. Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” follows a place of believed equality within people's happiness and comfort, instead of the downsides and bad occurrences of the past, such as wars and tragedies. Similarly, in Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron'', equality is said to be necessary, as all people should have the same inalienable rights and knowledge of their society. If some were highly intelligent, they would bear heavier burdens, wearing …show more content…
Bradbury uses ‘books’ to explain how free people feel within society. Even under the equilibrium, some are in fear of having ‘books’ taken away because of their freedom of speech and how they feel as an individual, an equal, in society. Montag, in Bradbury’s novel, goes through a whole series of events as he proceeds through learning the true need for equality. Montag gets chased, almost dies, and experiences all because of his choice to read a book. Granger, who appears later on, simply brings Montag into a place for his safety, because all people who felt or did the same things because they could not get their place in an ‘equal’ society. Granger speaks of how “someday the load [they are] carrying [would] help someone” because they would be the only ones remembering what happened in the past and towards their future (Bradbury 156). Their humanity changes because society takes away their knowledge of books. After all, they are to be happy, even if that happiness is not true. Even Harrison Bergeron, the focus of Vonnegut’s story, stands up against the society he lives in, but he truly is a man to show how their society is not as equal as it seems. Harrison bears many restrictions that make him seem scary yet has to be one of the most intelligent and good-looking men in their society. When he walks into the theater, where he gets broadcast live, many of the “ballerinas, technicians, musicians, and announcers lowered on their knees before him, expecting to die” and even in fear because he “tore [all] of his handicap [s] like wet tissue paper, tore [items that] guaranteed to support five thousand pounds”. Harrison is feared because they deemed him a ‘criminal’ because of his differing intelligence and how he has to wear so many restrictions. He removes his restrictions all because he