Duvall 1

Logan Duvall

Mrs. Field

LNG322

16 February 2011

My Analysis

Equality is like an outcast who goes against everybody’s rules to do what he want he is

kind of a ideal to me. Niccol, Rand, and Vonnegut send very similar messages about what is lost

when a society engages the challenges people face to stay the same; Equality, strives to find the

true meaning of happiness, like Vincent from Gattaca, he struggles to reach his dreams, and

Harrison Vonnegut’s 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 their

told.

The jobs the societies gives the characters are Janitor 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 had

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, makes 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. Anthems repetition of the word

“We” replaces “I” which is shown throughout the book. Quote 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, quote “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 on remarks give to humans, 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” Equality
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confirms that he finally understands the truth of the individual. Vincent says “maybe I’m not

leaving, maybe I’m finally coming to me” 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.

Each character has potential Harrison, a 17 year old genius, Equality understanding the

individual, and Vincent finally going into space. If you set your mind to it you can do anything.