Duvall 1

Logan Duvall

Mrs. Field

LNG322

16 February 2011

My Analysis

People who go against everybody’s rules they are the ones who are deemed outcasts.

Niccol, Rand, and Vonnegut send very similar messages about what is lost when a society

engages the challenges people face to stay the same; like in Gattaca he wasn’t given a fair

chance at birth for success. Equality, strives to find the true meaning of happiness, like Vincent

from Gattaca, he struggles to reach his dreams, and Harrison Vonnegut’s creates H.B to

desperately needs to send a message to his people. That all the characters believe that they are

greater than what they are labeled as. While living in a world where their ambitions are

considered crimes, they take pride in their beliefs and overcome their societies. Harrison,

Equality, and Vincent are better than that; they are smarter and stronger than what they are told.

The jobs the societies gives the characters are Janitor in Gattaca, Street Sweeper in

Anthem, and prisoner in “Harrison Bergeron.” Harrison, Equality, and Vincent are better than

that; they are smarter and stronger than what they are told. Vincent shows that someone who is

hardworking and determined can be successful. He reveals his true desire when he says, “I don’t

know if it’s my love for the other planets or my hate for this one, “but ever since I was little I

have always wanted to go into space. However he is born with a 99.9% of heart failure. He is

given a chance for greatness. Equality is stubborn and doesn’t give into his society’s words that

easily, like Harrison who is a 17 year old boy who is above his society, a protégé in some words.

Equality loves “the science of things” Ever since he was young, he wanted to become a scholar.
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He projects someone who is born gifted and has a mindset that he could become great. That’s

why his society gives him a worthless job. Harrison cries, “I am the Emperor” knowing he would

be executed. The society covers him with many devices to hide what he really is. His true

strength , beauty, and message will overcome his restrictions. With metal and mask covering his

body, society labels him as a disgrace, when he breaks free he becomes a “god of thunder,

beautiful.” The amount of freedom and glory make him feel as if he is a “god” who needs to

show everyone what society has taken away from them. These characters are born with a desire

to become something better than what they are now, and these qualities make them different to

their societies.

All the characters live in a society where their future is planned out for them at birth, a

society that denies their opinion and ridicules their folly for it. Anthem’s repetition of the word

“We” replaces “I.” The brothers believe “We are one in all, indivisible and forever.” This

supports the claim that the individual doesn’t exist by using “We” and not “I”. “We stand in the

yard”, “We admire her” are quotes from the story. The replacement of “I” to “We” shows that

the society is attached to collectivism. They lose even the basic personal independence that they

should have. Niccol uses obsession but not in a collective but in one genes. Vincent says, “I

belong to a new underclass no longer determined by societies statures, we have discrimination

down to a science. “Niccol reinforces the idea a genetics being the new biased no longer skin

color, religion, or ethnicity but the DNA of your cells. When Vincent and Irene watched the

piano performances Irene tells Vincent that she has 12-fingers Vincent replied “12 fingers or

one, it’s how you play it”.

The characters strongly believe with pride when they reach their dreams/goals. Equality

is what one of their characters says, “I am, I think, I will.” When going from “We” to “I”
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Equality confirms that he finally understands the truth of the individual. Vincent says “Maybe

I’m not leaving, maybe I’m finally going home”, when Vincent reaches his goal, he wonders if

he really reached his goal the way he wanted to. He was excited and very thrilled to finally go up

into space for the first time ever.

If you set your mind to it you can do anything. Each character has potential, Harrison, a

17 year old genius, Equality understanding the individual, and Vincent finally going into space.

Dreams really do come true just read Anthem, Harrison Bergeron, and watch Gattaca. Even if

your given a small likelihood of success if you take a chance you could make it happen.