Karley Hellums

Y. Garza
English II 5th period
November 20, 2014
What is Equality?
Equality is the act of being treated as an equal. Because the United States is known as the
land of the free, it suggests that individuals are free to do what they please. We all know that not
everyone is equal because they have different ideas, talents, characteristics, personalities, and
features. The different societies in the stories, Anthem by Ayn Rand and Harrison Bergeron by
Kurt Vonnegut, along with the words written in the famous document of the Declaration of
Independence portray that all men are created equal, but the American principle of equality states
that all men are to be treated equally under the law.
According to the American principle of equality, equality is not always about treating
people the same, it is about treating people in a way to where the outcome of each person could
be the same. Equality is about ensuring that each individual has an equal opportunity to make the
most of their lives. The Declaration of Independence asserts that, We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal. The Declaration speaks about equality in the legal
sense. But you see, we are all of equal value as human beings, but we are not created to be the
same as everyone else. Everyones right to an equal chance in life is balanced by your personal
obligation to extend equality.
Everyone is different from one another; each of us is a unique blend of diverse qualities,
skills, background, and many other characteristics. As said by Equality in the novella, Anthem,
There is nothing to take a mans freedom away from him, save other men. To be free, a man

must be free of his brothers. That is freedom. This and nothing else. Equality felt trapped when
he couldnt think or act as an individual. Now that equality has found what being an individual is
like, he feels free. Equal opportunities is interpreted by being judges by ability. May
knowledge come to us! What is the secret our heart has understood and yet will not reveal to us,
although it seems to beat as if it were endeavoring to tell it? Although it is good to have
equality, diversity is also main factor we should consider.
Social equality is a state of affairs in which all people within a society have the same
status in certain respects. In Harrison Bergeron, their society was equal in every way. They
were equal in every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better
looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. In that society,
no one had their own civil rights. Civil rights are a class of rights that protect an individuals
freedom. Civil rights include the ensuring of peoples physical and mental integrity, life, and
safety. Because the collectivist society that Harrison lived in didnt give him any rights, his
safety wasnt ensured and he was shot for being different and more powerful. They werent
allowed to have talents that were better than anyone else. They simply werent allowed to be
better than anyone. Harrison stood up for what was right and he was murdered.
Equality is the state of being equal, which is great to have unless it is taken out of
context. Both stories explain how equality can be interpreted in a negative sense. The famous
document gives ideas on how equality should be brought upon us. Equality can be interpreted
many ways by many different people. Equality could mean anything among the lines of being
treated equally or being equal in value among a number of people, it just depends on how you
see it.