As time moves ever so fast, history has seen it share of equality movements. From women’s rights activists to Martin Luther King Jr., many believe that happiness is achieved through equality. But what these protesters may not understand is that the equality that they are risking life and limb for has a dark side. Through the works of Kurt Vonnegut, we learn that total equality doesn’t bring the Utopian world of sunshine and lollipops that we would expect.
As “Harrison Bergeron” begins, we find that everyone is equal in every way possible. As a starting statement, many may think that this world would be a great place because with equality there would be no acts of bullying due to everyone being the same to each other. This idea of happily living in this world is completely destroyed after a few sentences about how the leaders of this world keep every citizen equal. To achieve physical and mental equality among all Americans, the government in Vonnegut’s story tortures its citizens. The beautiful must wear hideous masks or disfigure themselves, the intelligent must listen to earsplitting noises that impede their ability to think, and the graceful and strong must wear weights around their necks at all hours of the day. The insistence on total equality seeps into the citizens, who begin to dumb themselves down or hide their special attributes. Some behave this way because they have internalized the government’s goals and others because they fear that the government will punish them severely if they display any remarkable abilities.
As many read this shockingly horrific tale, many may see that the story is against the rise of government like many other famous tales. One example of this would be Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. In this story we find that the government breeds humans to specific standards as though they were livestock. While higher grades of humans were treated with the highest of education and became teachers and scientists, the lower grades are taught that books and education were evil and they became construction workers and other degrading workers. As the story ends we see that the outcome of this quest for equality is disastrous and equality is more or less achieved, but at the cost of freedom as well as individual achievement. America becomes a land of cowed, stupid, slow people. Government officials murder the extremely gifted with no fear of reprisal.
As many read this shockingly horrific tale, many may see that the story is against the rise of government like many other famous tales. One example of this would be Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. In this story we find that the government breeds humans to specific standards as though they were livestock. While higher grades of humans were treated with the highest of education and became teachers and scientists, the lower grades are taught that books and education were evil and they became construction workers and other degrading workers. As the story ends we see that the outcome of this quest for equality is disastrous and equality is more or less achieved, but at the cost of freedom as well as individual achievement. America becomes a land of cowed, stupid, slow people. Government officials murder the extremely gifted with no fear of reprisal.
From generation to generation, humanity has spoken its mind on the subject of equality. The hate crimes, they would stop; the happiness, it would create. To an extent, equality is a good thing, but not total equality. Without individuals, the world wouldn’t be as creative and artistic as today. In hopes that the world doesn’t succumbs to total equilibrium, for those who protest for equal rights, please end the fight so that humanity avoids Kurt Vonnegut’s dystopian idea of society.
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