A fulfilled life means that you are ready to die because you are satisfied with your accomplishments and your life. However the question is; can you live a fulfilled life in a supposed utopia, if you are restricted and not given the freedom of decision. In the world of The Giver there is perfect balance, but no choices and sameness is strongly enforced. In Harrison Bergeron everyone is equal but those who are beyond others are restrained. In All Summer in a Day everyone lives on an alien planet in space, but are kept isolated underground except for a few hours every seven years. One cannot live a fulfilled life in a perfect world if they are restrained, isolated, and taken away the freedom of decision. You cannot live a fulfilled life...
For instance, “They stood in the doorway of the underground tunnel for a moment until it was raining hard. Then they closed the door and heard the gigantic sound of the rain falling in tons and avalanches, forever” (p#3). In the nineteenth century European settlers had moved to the prairies and Great Plains of America. These people had migrated from the East to own land. This was very common during the exploration of the rest of America. Settlers who moved to the prairies were not near the rest of the urbanized civilization and society. Soon after moving to the prairies there was a tremendous amount of mental breakdowns among settlers. This was called “Prairie Madness” which was mental breakdowns caused to extreme isolation. Symptoms of prairie madness included depression, withdrawal, changes in character and habit, and violence. Women would suffer from excessive anxiety and crying, and withdrawal from social interactions. Men suffered from signs of depression which often manifested into violence. Settlers would move back to the East, but in extreme cases suicide happened. As shown by prairie madness there was mental breakdowns due to extreme isolation. In All Summer in a Day people live underground in an alien planet, isolated from the outside world, and the rest of civilization. The people live underground and never come out except for two hours every seven years. This is not fulfilling because…
