What would it be like to live life with no freedom, and be completely equal to everyone in every way? What would it be like to completely value others above you, or to have no one with whom to share your thoughts? What would it be like to live in the dark? Many of these factors are commonly found in collectivist societies, and are normally set in a utopian turned dystopian society. What would it be like to be held back from your full potential? We as people love to express our thoughts and be individuals, so when these things are taken from us we feel caged. An example of this in literacy is found in the short stories, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. In these stories, we see that blind obedience can lead to the loss of morals and faith.
In Vonnegut’s …show more content…
With the loss of individuality those in charge can gain more power over the people, which means the people become more like slaves. The government is trying to hold the people as equals by restraining their abilities that hold them apart. It also states “all this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution...” (Vonnegut 50) which also shows a large amount of the power has been taken from the people. The number two used to reference the “Amendments to the Constitution” is symbolic of a strong duality in faith, or in this case, the government. Why don’t the people rebel? Along with the rest of the things the government has taken, people do not believe it is possible to overthrow the government or disobey in a way that could ruin the government's rule. This loss of belief is a direct result of the government’s rules that strip the intelligent individuals of their talent to think. The Handicapper General (government authority) doesn’t
In Vonnegut’s …show more content…
With the loss of individuality those in charge can gain more power over the people, which means the people become more like slaves. The government is trying to hold the people as equals by restraining their abilities that hold them apart. It also states “all this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution...” (Vonnegut 50) which also shows a large amount of the power has been taken from the people. The number two used to reference the “Amendments to the Constitution” is symbolic of a strong duality in faith, or in this case, the government. Why don’t the people rebel? Along with the rest of the things the government has taken, people do not believe it is possible to overthrow the government or disobey in a way that could ruin the government's rule. This loss of belief is a direct result of the government’s rules that strip the intelligent individuals of their talent to think. The Handicapper General (government authority) doesn’t