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Similarities Between Anthem And Harrison Bergeron

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Similarities Between Anthem And Harrison Bergeron
Mrs. Gomez
English 2CP
4, October, 2011

Were the struggles for individuality that Equality and Harrison had to face, as difficult as they thought it was? In the novella Anthem and the short story “Harrison Bergeron,” Rand and Vonnegut use the theme of individualism vs. collectivism to show the oppression of each society, the fear used to control its citizens and the characters that rebel. In both stories, oppression is used to make everyone equal. The government in Anthem takes away its citizens’ individuality to make a part of the group. In both stories, oppression is used to make everyone equal. “For the word ‘We’ must never be spoken, save by one’s choice and as a second thought” This shows that the word “We” was no longer used to …show more content…
The Uncharted Forrest and The Transgressor were used to scare the society in Anthem. The Transgressor was used as an example for all people who thought they could be an individual. The Uncharted Forrest made the society feel like they were trapped. “We had not thought of coming here, but our legs had carried our wisdom, and our legs had brought us to the Uncharted Forrest against our will.” Equality did not want to be in the Uncharted Forrest because he did not know what was in there. Since the whole society was afraid of the Uncharted Forrest, Equality did not want to be there when he first entered. Diana Moon Glampers filled the society with fear by assigning people handicaps and shooting Harrison and the ballerina. The punishment for taking out the lead balls on the weights was time in jail and a fine of $2000. “It was then that Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shot gun. She fired twice, and the Emperor and Empress were dead before they hit the floor. Diana Moon Glampers loaded the gun again. She aimed it at the musicians and told them they had ten seconds to get their handicaps back on. ”After shooting the Emperor and Empress, she tried to scare the musicians by aiming the gun at them. The fear of being shot like the Emperor and Empress scared the other people. Harrison made an example of what not to do because Diana Moon Glampers shot him for
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