Facing Adversity In Life Of Pi And Harrison Bergeron

Although facing adversity is punishing, we can still find great importance in experiencing hardship as it reveals our true will to survive. In the speculative texts, Life of Pi by Yann Martel and De Composition by David Benioff, the idea of gaining the strength to find purpose when their chance of survival is threatened is conveyed. In addition to this, the theme of survival through compliance when facing adversity is explored in the texts The Handmaid's Tale by Margeret Atwood and Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut. In turn, all four speculative texts exhibit how it takes characters to endure a struggle in order to find within themselves the lengths they will go to survive.

When faced with adversity, we often resort to finding purpose to

This idea is explored throughout the text, by Harrison Bergeron and Kurt Vonnegut. In this text, the characters George and Hazel live in a society where handicaps are enforced by the government to ensure equality. George faces extreme handicaps, yet when he states, “I don’t mind it. I don’t notice it anymore. It’s just a part of me,” we can see, that George chooses to endure the pain enforced on him by the government. Vonnegut makes it clear that fear can drive survival through complacency as George is not willing to make his situation easier in the fear of getting caught and suffering the consequences. George fears the noises that come with the handicaps, however he fears the consequences from the government as they pose a risk to his life. At the end of the text we are made aware of the consequences of rebellion against the government when it is said, “Diana Moon Glampers loaded the gun again.They had ten seconds to get their handicaps back on.” We are now able to understand why George is so against the idea of rebelling against the government due to the aggressive tone established in the quote. Vonnegut portrays to the reader the idea that complacency can be seen as a survival instinct in order to prioritise our safety. As a current society we

The main character, Offred, is forced into a new system of government that has decided fertile women must produce children for their assigned commander. Offred finds difficulty doing so and is offered help by a doctor as he states, “I could help you, I’ve helped others. I’ve seen your chart and you don't have a lot of time left.” Offred is proposed to have a better chance to survive, however this would mean going against rules formed by the government. The doctor's urgent tone gives the reader the sense that Offred's situation is pressing and she must take control of her own survival, yet she chooses not to. Atwood understands how fear can prevent us from recognising and pursuing opportunities to better our circumstances. However, in the text we also see just what could happen if Offred were to decide to rebel when she says, “It’s too dangerous. The penalty is death.” Although help from the doctor may increase her chances of survival, her fear of death acts as a powerful deterrent against resistance. Atwood tells the reader that staying silent and compliant can help prioritise immediate survival, even though we sacrifice agency. These texts portray the theme of choosing not to rebel when faced with adversity which can be difficult and take willpower in order to survive knowing that there is a possibility to improve living