Paul Trimor

Field

LNG 322

15 February 2011

Rebels of Society
When society falls and obeys unfair precautions, what would you do? Are
you will to go the

distant to become something greater than what your society wants you to be?
Niccol, Rand, and

Vonnegut are three authors who have three very similar messages about what
happens when a society

changes and the challenges people face to stay the same. In Anthem, Equality
strives to find the true

meaning of happiness and independence while Vincent from Gattace struggles to

reach his dream and

Harrison from “Harrison Bergeron” desperately needs break free from the
government. All

three characters believe that they are greater than what they are labeled as. And
while living in a

society where their ambitions are thought as crimes, they travel a long voyage
and overcome their

society.

A janitor, a street sweeper, a prisoner -- Vincent, Equality, and Harrison

know in their

hearts that they are smarter, stronger, and better then what they are told. Niccol
shows Vincent

as someone who is determined and hard working, when he says, “I don’t know if it
was my love for the

other planets or my hate from this one, but ever since I was little I had always
wanted to travel into
space.” Vincent loathes his own world due to their prejudice actions towards him.
Vincent’s dream is to

travel into space; however, being born with a 99% chance of failure, Vincent is
given no chance of

success. And in Anthem, Equality is a street sweeper who loves “the science of
things” when he was

living under the home of students he already had a goal to become a “scholar.”
Equality projects

someone who is born gifted and has a mindset that he could, one day, be great.
This is why his

society gives him such a meaningless job. Fortunately, Equality is stubborn and
doesn’t give into his

society’s words easily- just like Harrison. Harrison has metals and masks covering
his body. The government marks his as a disgrace. However, when Harrison
breaks free he transforms into a

“god of thunder, beautiful,” Vonnegut describes him. Even when the government
covers him with

many handicaps, Harrison is truthful to his real beauty and strength and
overcomes his restrictions. “I

am the emperor!” Harrison cried, knowing he is going to be executed. Having a

moment of freedom

and glory, Harrison felt as thou he was a god and he needed to show everyone
what the government

has taken away from them. These characters are born with the desire to
become something greater

then what they are now, however, they are marked as unruly because of the
society's unfair judgments.

All three characters live in a society where your future is planned out by
birth, a society that

denies your opinions and goes through extreme changes in attempt to become a
utopia.. “The year was

2081 and everyone was equal … due to the 212th, 213th, and 214th amendment.” In
the world of Harrison
 Bergeron”, Vonnegut shows how the society changes from a world of competition
to a world where

everyone is equal. No one is smarter, strong, or better looking than each other.
And in Anthem, “We

are all in one,” Rand’s relation of the word “I” to “We” reveals that the society is
so attached to the

idea of collectivism that they lose even the basic self-independence. The world of
Gattace also has an

obsession, not in collectivism, but in one's genes. “I belonged to a new

underclass no longer

determined by social status… No we have discrimination down the science.”

Niccol reinforces the

idea of genetics being the new racial remarks given to humans, no longer skin-
color, religion, or

ethnicity, but the DNA in your cells. When Vincent and Irene –Vincent’s friend-
watch a pianist

perform, Irene informs Vincent that the “pianist has 12 fingers.” The pianist
represents how even

mutations can determine your place in the world and Vincent believing that it is
the skill that counts

, Irene tells him that it the piece the pianist was playing could only be played with
that advantage.

When a society undergoes dramatics and racial changes so do the people who
inhabit it. And ones who

fight for what they believe are the ones who will earn them.

After a long journey – Vincent, Equality, and Harrison achieves their goals.
When Vincent's ship finally takes off of earth Vincent thinks “Maybe I'm not
leaving, Maybe I'm coming home.” Vincent begins the realize that maybe in space
is where he always belongs , and Earth to space was just a long voyage. Like
Vincent, Equality also achieves his dream. “I am. I wall. I think,” Equality finally
realizes the true meaning of independence. Equality also beats his society when
he finally understands what “love” is. His society finds love to be one of the
greatest sins a man could ever do and Equality falling in love shows that he has
he has overcome his sociey. Harrison, dance with a ballerina, has just broken free
from his handicaps. “Neutralizing gravity with pure will and love they remained
suspended.... they kissed each other for a long time.” This scene has been
exaggerated to the point of being impossible. Harrison, moments away from
death, is finally truly free. The situation turns into an abstract one to simulate
Harrison's feelings towards his freedom.