I remember reading a book (or at least a short story) in school - say 8th or 9th grade.. Trying to find the name and author so I can re-read..
The basic premise was this: Assimilating the community to achieve perfect communism. In other words, "dumbing down" the smart people so that everyone had a fair shot. I remember kids participating in a school race, the faster children being electrically shocked so that they didn't get too far ahead of the slower kids. I also remember other kids wearing shocking helmets that would lower their intelligence if they said something too smart, also to keep them level with the lower educated.
Anybody? Any ideas? I really wish I remember who wrote it ... or even more details about it...
3 comments:
I wonder... could it be Anthem by Ayn Rand? It's definitely about keeping everyone equal and the removal of anything that would make one personally unique. I think it's only at the end of the book that the main character is able to use the pronoun "I" rather than the universal "we" to describe himself. Each person is given a designation & number to be identified by - for example, the narrator is "Equality 7-2521."
The main character initially struggles to be like everyone else, but begins to strive for a sense of self and a chance to escape.
You can read the first few pages at Google Books, if that rings a bell.
FSS - I looked... it wasn't that technical.
I remember characters having real names,, of course I don't remember what they were... but I think I remember names...
Hmm - will think some more....
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