Harrison Bergeron

Envy and love are two primary factors that contribute to the emotion of a

society. Without love, and ultimately envy, a society is not in equilibrium. This

then creates a dystopia, rather than a well sought after utopia. Envy is the

strong desire to possess what another person has. In love, the two people that

are in love with each other own each other, which is why envy is a natural

consequence of love. Dystopian societies are created by the rulers in the novels

1984 and Brave New World, and also in the movie, “Harrison Bergeron,” where

love and envy were removed from society in an attempt to create a utopian

society.

In the society created in 1984, envy was excluded from the society and so

too was love. The Party, the ruling power of Airstrip One, had a strict uniform of

blue overalls which all members were to wear at all times. Thus, people could

not wear fancy clothing to show their wealth or beauty. With this elimin...