Insanity

 Imagine life without true love and happiness. Existing is the way of living.  No voice, no opinions and no  triumph. However, it takes one brave citizen to attempt to revolutionize the ways of the buttress society.  How about Guy Montag, for example a firefighter who initiates fires instead of putting them out, or Harrison Bergeron, a boy born with god-given talents, but without the ability to use them, they are worthless. Even though these characters share many similarities, they have their differences as well.  Throughout Fahrenheit 451 and Harrison Bergeron the main characters are frequently affected by their inhumane and dystopian societies; but nevertheless, they continue to fight for what they believe is right.

  In both stories, the effects of the unruly society are more than obvious.  There are various signs of brainwashing within their communities.  It is an understatement to say, that Guy Montag enjoys fires, and lives in a world where reading is illegal. The evidence of severe brainwash is on the very first page. “It was a pleasure to burn, to see things blackened and changed.”  Only people filled with sickening thoughts speak that way. Like Montag, Harrison experienced the brainwashing as well.  He was a perfectly normal boy, a natural athlete and intelligent, yet was in jail at only fourteen. The society forces him to believe he is just like everybody else, but deep down he knows he isn’t.  Even his own parents think he is an outcast to society.   Unfortunately for these two main characters, the society was an everlasting challenge.

 Although each character is negatively affected by their government, each rise above the system and their beliefs and opinions slowly change. At first, Guy Montag was just like every other firefighter in his station. He took to burning books and houses with immense pleasure. He never questioned the way he lived, until he met Clarisse, an outcast to society. Given a new perspective, he realizes how horrible of a person he is being and his beliefs and dreams soon transform. Therefore, he becomes a dynamic character. Before Harrison went to jail, he followed what everybody else did. That is until he outgrew the ways of his chosen life and realized his talents. Eventually his thoughts and perspectives quickly change, after he finds the courage to believe in himself.  Consequently, he is also a dynamic character. After putting his skills to the test, his disorderly government takes him away, puts him in jail and accuses him for the most foolish of reasons. Luckily Guy Montag and Harrison Bergeron found ways to alter their lives within an already damaged world.

Seeing that each character has their similarities, there is also one trivial difference, and that is between their destinies. When Montag lived the way society wanted him to. He had a house, a wife and the job of his dreams. After he met Clarisse, his feelings and ideas were altered about the world. Following that, he lost his home, his career, and his caring wife. However he gained more knowledge on the world and a newfound happiness; reading,that is ironically. Meanwhile Harrison never got to fulfill his destiny; his escape from jail is short lived and he was shot at the age of fourteen.  Harrison never gives up on what he believes, even though no one believes in him. He believes in himself and that is a true act of courage.

    Overall, living in any dystopian civilization isn’t simple or amusing especially when humans realize how putrid the world is. And for those who reach recognition like Harrison Bergeron and Guy Montag, eventually they will change for the better.  After everything is over, they can venture into  the unknown with their own original thoughts and dreams.