Jackson 1

Jonice Jackson

Mrs. Field

LNG 322

15 February 2011

No True Perfection

Who defines perfection, the individual, or the collective? Perfect is something

most strive to be, but what happens when there is only one definition of perfection?

When a person willingly allows another to define him, he submits himself to

oppression; however, when he goes against his society, he will be able to find a

truth that society tries to hide. The society’s in Rand’s novel, Anthem, Niccol’s

movie, Gattaca, and Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron” all try to be what

they think is perfect. This causes conflict for the main characters Equality, Vincent,

and Harrison because the vision they have of perfection is different then there

society’s.

In order for a society to reach “perfection” certain things about the individual

has to be taken away. For Harrison and Equality everyone is suppose to be as “…

good as anybody else…” However that is not true because some people are favored

over others, and Harrison and Equality aren’t one of the favored. Society holds them

back from reaching their full potential. In worlds like these “no one exceeds his

potential,” but for Vincent and Equality boundaries are set for them, by society, so

they won’t go on and be more than is expected of them. How can a society claim to

be perfect but it deprives the people within it from being happy? Those few people

who realize that he is deprived has no choice but rebel against society, and do what

he thinks is right.
 Jackson 2

When pushed far enough into oppression, the oppressed will realize what is

happening and will do whatever it takes to find happiness. “[He] saved nothing for

the swim back,” this state holds true in the lives of all three characters. Each one of

them did not care what happened to them after their goal, because they only

planned up to their goal. “…What I can become…” for these three men there is an

endless possibility, once they got past the obstacle of society. Harrison, Equality,

and Vincent start to “… [follow] preference…” (53). By doing this, they all realized

there is a deeper meaning to life than there society wants them to know

Life means more than anyone realizes, but what happens if society takes

away, the small part man understands. After Harrison, Equality and Vincent all find

that they do not want to be the only one who knows that society is wrong for what

they are doing to people. They all want to “... [lend their] dream. ” Harrison,

Equality, and Vincent are “The Unconquered” (56), meaning that society hasn’t

changed their beliefs and they are able to see past the happy charade of their

society