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“They were not simple folk, you see, though they were happy. But we do not say the words of cheer, much anymore”. The authors Vonnegut and LeGuin expresses the importance of individuality in the stories “Harrison Bergeron” and “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”. “Harrison Bergeron” is about how the government makes society “equal” by using gadgets known as handicappers to stop the people from thinking freely. But there’s one person who rebels against the government and he has to face the punishment.
Knowledge is power, ignorance is surrender. Both stories serve as prime examples of the power that knowledge holds and consequently how depriving its citizens can be a weapon to counter uprising, because one who is unaware of any misconduct can not combat it. While both authors use two different approaches they achieve similar goals. In 1984 Orwell demonstrates how the government, in his dystopian society, attempts to eradicate not only individuality, but also intelligent thought process through the elimination of complex words as well as synonyms and antonyms. In “Harrison Bergeron” Vonnegut achieves the same effect by different means , mental handicap devices.
The two stories, “Harrison Bergeron” and Fahrenheit 451, both have common themes. The common themes of the stories may include; our reliance on technology can spiral out of control if we let it, knowledge is joyful and painful, and that we can be confined by our own self-censorship. All of these themes are exhibited throughout both stories frequently. Whether it is as Montag has conflict with his wife over books or as Harrison’s parents forget right from wrong in their society. In Fahrenheit 451, their technology definitely gets out of control.
In the books of 1984 and Harrison Bergeron, they share a common theme for the future. The author’s message from each of these books gives a prophecy in which our society might be headed to a utopian society. In 1984, the book was published in 1949, but George Orwell provides a predictable story of our society becoming “equal” towards one another due to the government. Also, in Harrison Bergeron, the author gives its message by the story taking place in the future of 2081, while right now it 's 2017, to predict that we the people might actually turn this democratic republic government into a more centralized bureaucracy. Although these two books share a common theme, what makes each one of them similar and different towards one another are the literary elements incorporated into the book.
Being able to gain knowledge can be enticing. Learning more, in fact, can increase matter in the brain. It is up to the person to decide whether or not if it is a benefit to know more. In general, knowing more can impact you negatively and your mood level can decrease. Although gaining more content for our knowledge in times of need can be not only is morally correct but also can create honesty for ourselves.
The meaning of life is to create it for yourself, life shouldn't have to be a cycle that is repeated, you should be able to choose your path. In the short story Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, life is shown to be slow and boring. With society being controlled by the government. When introducing the world in the story, there is a part that describes the lives people live, “and everybody was finally equal”. They weren’t equal before God and the law.
His every move is captured by hidden cameras and continuously broadcasted to the rest of the world. Everything in Truman’s life is part of a massive television set which is ultimately controlled by Christof, the creator and director of the program. The theme of manipulation is highlighted throughout
In a dystopian world, “The year was 2081 and everyone was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and law. They were equal in every which way” (1). George and Hazel Bergeron live in a society where the government enforces equality, by using ear radios and weight balls. Their son, Harrison Bergeron is imprisoned for rebelling against government rule of an equal and safe society.
People have forgotten they were watching real people, but in a different way. The people inside Seahaven were actors, besides Truman. Truman was real, but the others were living in reality. The Truman Show used multiple Elements of Fiction throughout the film.
First of all, Truman, the main character, was manipulated throughout his life by the director of the show: Christof and did not realize it until later in life. Furthermore, the director of the film “The Truman Show” used parallelism with the bible to make viewers relate to some parts of the movie. As a matter of fact the Christof made the Truman show a huge marketing success because of product placement throughout Truman's life which also manipulated the viewers of the show to purchase the products from the advertisements from the reality tv show. The Truman Show is a drama genre movie directed by Peter Weir.
In “Harrison Bergeron”, Kurt Vonnegut shows that equality is unpleasant by setting the story in the future, by using satire to exaggerate how awful equality is to persuade the reader that they should oppose equality and by using symbols such as handicaps and the media are also used to argue that total equality is undesirable. The story was being told in the third person and the narrator is an omniscient, and non-participant in the plot and setting. The setting is in the future, based in a living room, and the characters observing a live show on television. The antagonist is Harrison Bergeron and is easily noticeable in the title of the story.
In the movie The Truman Show, the idea is presented of a world similar to that experienced by Descartes. It shows the qualities that were relevant to Descartes’ development of knowledge and how he proved that the world existed, and how it allowed Truman to find the world around. Once Truman was able to prove that he existed, and that the evil genius did not, he was then able to see Christof in a more dual role as both the Evil Genius and God on his quest to finding out who he truly is. In The Truman Show there is a character named Truman Burbanks(?) who is unknowingly unaware of the world around, and if there really even is a world.
As an unwanted baby at birth, Truman Burbank was adopted by Omnicom Media Corporation and delivered into the artificial world of Sea Haven, where perfectly fictitious community with actors, sets, and props. His friends, family, coworkers, and even his wife were actors and over five thousand cameras have been focused on Truman and broadcasted to worldly audience of billions. Until he recognized that everything was predestined for him and put all pieces in a bigger picture, the illusion blinded his eyes. There were several exposed and hidden symbolisms that had emerged in this movie. First, the name of the Truman Burbank describes Truth for man and Bur, which meant prickly and bank, described money and power, so this contradictory two words made Truman as a paradoxical main character who has a possibility to be a good or bad.
“Harrison Bergeron” is a unique story, in the sense that it takes place in 2081 in a dystopian society where everyone is equal. No one could be smarter, better-looking, or more athletic than anyone else. They are made equal with mental handicap radios for those who are intelligent, hideous masks for those who are beautiful, and heavy weights for those who are strong. The main character of this story, Harrison Bergeron, has a conflict with the American society in 2081. The internal conflict in Harrison’s mind is that the mental and physical handicaps affect the people’s thoughts.
The science fiction works of “Harrison Bergeron”, by Kurt Vonnegut and “The Pedestrian”, by Ray Bradbury are sarcastic portrayals of futuristic societies that are controlled by authoritative governments that have completely made their communities equal. Each of these stories take a look at the prospect of promoting sameness and conformity among all people, and questions the effects of the forced elimination of citizens’ individuality in order to maintain equality. In “The Pedestrian” Mr. Leonard Mead faces extreme consequences for his nightly stroll in the city. In the year 2053, Mead’s society has become completely taken over by televisions and the media.