“Harrison Bergeron” and Anthem- Similarities and Differences Two societies where everyone is finally equal. Sounds like the perfect utopia, right? These two societies were created in Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” and in Ayn Rand’s Anthem. “Harrison Bergeron” takes place in a very strict and controlling society, while Anthem takes place in a collective society. Both stories take place in the future, after the society we know today has fallen. These societies are similar in that they both go to great lengths to make everyone equal. However, they are different because of how they are controlled. “Harrison Bergeron” and Anthem are similar because they both strive for unrealistic equality. In the very first paragraph of “Harrison Bergeron,” …show more content…
“Harrison Bergeron” illustrates a place where physical handicaps are used to limit people’s abilities. “And George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear… Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains” (Vonnegut 3). By having this transmitter in his ear, George is unable to think properly, because someone who is smart is not allowed to use their brains more than others. Anthem, however, is different because they use punishment and fear to control their people. “And we stood in the great square… sent to behold the burning. They brought the transgressor out into the square and led him to the pyre. They had torn out the tongue of the transgressor so that they could speak no longer” (Rand 50). Equality explained how he witnessed a man burned at the stake because he had said the “Unspeakable Word.” This is like a warning to anyone who would think to disobey. This is different from “Harrison Bergeron” because the people in “Harrison Bergeron” just have to wear physical and mental handicaps. They way these societies are controlled are what make them different. Although both societies from “Harrison Bergeron” and Anthem both strive for equality, the methods on keeping equality are different. Harrison’s society and