Compare/Contrast

In the story 'The Bet', and in the story 'Harrison Bergeron', two men are given the opportunity to either be free, or live in solitude. In The Bet, the Banker challenges the Lawyer that he cannot stay in a house by himself for fifteen years. In Harrison Bergeron, the main character Harrison, is held back from being free, due to the fact his has about 4-5 extra handicaps that nobody else has. Both of these characters are underestimated by their piers and friends; but in the end they show everybody why they deserve to gain respect.

In The Bet, the Banker doesn’t think that the Lawyer has it in him to last a decade and a half in solitude confinement with no access to socializing or stepping outside the house. After a couple years, the Lawyer starts to read many books on how life can take a drastic turn, and how society in the world is today. He reads and reads until his eyes burn of fire. He begins to realize that he himself doesn’t need anybody in the world but his heart and his mind. He made it through the fifteen-year challenge, and now knows that he can do what he believes in.

In Harrison Bergeron, everybody in the future has handicaps due to the fact that they are all special in some way. Harrison on the other hand, a teenage boy named Harrison has a variety of handicaps that he must wear. A mean lady by the name of Diana Moon Glampers is in control of the society. She’s the only person in the world that doesn’t have to wear handicaps, because she is that special. After while, Harrison realizes that he’s much better than this; he takes action on everybody and himself by taking off all of his handicaps, and it seems that nobody can stop him. For once in his life he feels that freedom that only one woman has experienced, and it feels GREAT. He takes a ballerina and dances with her and floats in the sky like a feather with her. Harrison thought he was in control, until Ms. Glampers shot him down out of the sky with a ten-gauge shotgun, pummeling to the ground and THUD. Dead. Harrison thought he had reached freedom, but his life came to a sudden halt by one woman.

These two men are very sophisticated in what they do. The only difference between these two men that I saw was that the lawyer saw his life on his own and only by himself. He had no intention on hurting anybody or being better than everyone else. He knew that it only lead to more distractions and dysfunctions along the way in life. Harrison on the other hand took all action he could to show everybody that he could take control of the world. He would do anything to try and reach the top. He would kill, fight, lie, anything, just to be the leader. The Lawyer never saw that in his eyes. In the end, the Lawyer ran away from town, and Harrison was killed.

So what I’ve learned from reading these books is that if you want to succeed in life, and try to be the best that you can, think with your heart and not with your mind. It will lead you to great ideals and views.