Sandtopia Is Where A Bird Can Fly Freely

Societies vary depending on region and culture, but. But all societies have the characteristics of strict conformity, intolerance for the unique, as well as perfect functionality. The society shown in Harrison Bergeron is as follows: “Everybody was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal in every which way. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General” (Last name 1). This is the dream of society: perfect conformity and functionality. “Everybody was finally equal” (1) shows that society had finally achieved its goal of conformity.

a) As a part of the society, it is unavoidable to enjoy the power and the privilege while

The novel of Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, contributes to controversial subjects in society that are still relevant today. Some issues addressed by Rand in her novel include: equality, social hierarchy, individuality, and government. Throughout the duration of reading Anthem the issues in which Rand makes relevant are not obvious, but more so discussed through conflicts and situations that the main character, Equality 7-2521, encounters. Although many of the altercations that present social issues are provided by either other characters singlehandedly or by a group of the characters in alliance, some of the main issues that arise in this novel are presented within the main character himself.

The collectivist society in which Equality 7-2521 lives is similar to the Nazi and Communist states of the twentieth century. It is controlled like the society in “The Giver.” The rulers of this society do not permit any individual to think freely. They must think they are nothing. “We are nothing. Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist through, by and for our brothers who are the state. Amen.”(21).

•This society is meant to be an illusion of a perfect utopian world where everyone is equal and everything is managed.

Once a society elects the government they classify as “ideal,” the government that establishes authority will have the ability to set harsh restrictions against the citizens who supported them without any knowledge on their plans. To demonstrate how sinful he has been, Equality describes the kind of life people conform

The classroom was full of children, and they were all the same except for their age and gender. They didn’t have a choice for anything that they did, it was the government that was forcing them to be what they were. They weren’t allowed to know anything more than what they were taught. There was one little girl who was a touch different. She was starting to realize that life could be different than what she had always known. She had decided to make a change for herself and not be the same anymore. Just like this little girl, Equality 7-2521 was longing for a change. He realized that there was another way of living, and that was what he wanted. Equality went about doing everything differently from what he had learned from the beginning. He took a stand and ended up being a different person overall, he wasn’t going to let anyone else control him anymore. The characterization and setting techniques employed in Ayn Rand’s dystopian novel Anthem and Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron” illustrate the theme of how those who are under authority do not change who they are on the inside just because they are controlled, resulting in rebellion and dishonesty toward those who are in charge.

Citizens of Pleasantville have certain knowledge about themselves and society, but because there is no exposure to differing ideas, individuals are stuck with the same opportunities and values. A specific example of this includes the community’s view on gender roles: men hold power as the head of society and women stay at home to cook and clean. There are no opportunities to change this structure, as the communication of ideas is restricted to what is known and not to anything new. The town leadership fears a true deviation from the accepted social order, and as a result, the citizens of Pleasantville conform to this system to prevent conflict. While this lifestyle provides harmony and order, conformity actually limits society from growing and enhancing. On the other hand, when individuals start voicing out their opinions, new ideas challenge the false peace that society had in their conformity. After Bud and Mary Sue introduce different and rather contradictory ideas, like sex, color, and individuality, people start pursuing their own passions as individuals, rather than as a whole society. With all these changes, individuals burst into color when choosing to leave “pleasant” behind for the freedom to express personal

In the first chapter of the novel, readers see that, at an early age, the citizens of the society are taught to think nothing of themselves and more of the World Council. Equality tells us of his childhood in the Home of the Students where they were required to say the following every day, “We are nothing. Mankind is all. By the

Equality is pushed upon each citizen. But with this equality, comes aforementioned characteristics: submission, hopelessness, detachedness, conformity, and isolation. Superiority is punished. As written in chapter I, "It is not good to be different from our brothers, but it is evil to be superior to them" (21). In this way, uniqueness is repressed when it should be

In a meritocracy, a person is elected into their position based on their ability and what they are able to do to positively impact the society. With this government in place, it will prevent just anyone from having too much power. By putting people in positions with their strongest abilities accentuated, it will better the country as a whole. A government like this also has a lower risk of corruption. When you ensure that only the people with the right credentials will be in office it prevents a multitude of horrible things from happening to the country. Therefore, citizens will not have to worry if their leaders are only there because of their money and how well they are able to impress people with it. When a country puts everything they have into restraining corruption, it is well on its way to being the best it can be.

Also, Bradbury provides Captain Beatty's perspective that happiness is based on human equality. During his speech to Montag, Beatty states, “We must all be alike …. everyone made equal. Each man the image of every other; then all are happy ” (58). In this context, Beatty explains that it is not equality that causes people to become happy, rather it is inequality that causes an imbalance. Throughout history, the repression of minorities have always repeated itself, a societal behavior that has been

In their minds wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice are necessary for a society to succeed, whereas forgiveness, kindness, and attentiveness to others are illogical. They would argue that if everyone is equal, there would be no one to lead or teach the rest of society. Although this idea for a society was developed by a highly credited philosopher, it is flawed because it devalues unity among its members. If a society holds some of its members in higher regard than others, it diminishes the value of welcoming all peoples and allowing them to come together as one unified body, because it now sets its basis on the preferential treatment of some over others. Despite the positive virtues that the Republic presents, it is an exclusionary society, as it bans and marginalizes its members for being different or lesser than the

Societies will not only always have over ambitious people, but also a need for law and order. A flawless society would require a leading figure or group in order for there to be order and rules, but then it would no longer be a utopia. If there was a leading body, that group or individual would have more power than the regular people, thus a misdistribution of power is seen. “The contradictions in the overall Marxist scheme were all too apparent. On a philosophical level, it displayed an inherent contradiction between its fundamentally materialist position and its underlying idealist strain, which

In a perfect world we would all live together in peace. But we don’t live in such a world. In Liliana Heker’s story "The Stolen Party" we are reminded of the real world and the thin line that separates the lower class from the upper class. In an instant we see all the discrimination and inhumane treatment some people feel they have a right to inflict on those whom they consider "not one of them."