How do 'like' and 'equal' differ in A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle?
Alike and equal are not the same, because people should have equal rights without being forced to be like everyone else.
On Camazotz, conformity is the rule. The kids should all bounce the ball the same way. Anyone who does not do things exactly like everyone else is re-educated. The populace is controlled by fear.
When Meg is trying to prevent herself from being brainwashed by IT, she tries reciting nursery rhymes, and when that doesn't work, the “Declaration of Independence.” The concept of people being equal appeals to IT, and Meg ends up arguing with IT about the difference between “equal” and “alike.”
"But that's exactly what we have on Camazotz. Complete equality. Everybody exactly alike."
For a moment her brain reeled with confusion. Then came a moment of blazing truth. "No!" she cried triumphantly. "Like and equal are not the same thing at all!" (Ch. 9)
If people...
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have equal rights, that means they can make their own choices. On Camazotz, people have no rights at all. If they do not want to do things like everyone else, they are out of luck. You can have different concepts that are equal, but still different. For example, if someone wanted to bounce a ball on the ground, and someone else wanted to bounce it off a wall, both of these are equally good ways to use a ball. They are not the same.
The concept of uniqueness is an important one in this book. Before her journey, Meg was frustrated because she felt that she did not fit in. As she went along, she came to see how her unique skills and personality traits made her special. On Camazotz, being strong-willed and independent saved her from IT. Charles Wallace was not so lucky. He was more easily taken in by the seductive nature of IT's message.
What does Meg mean when she says, "Like and equal are not the same," in A Wrinkle in Time?
These are such great books!
I'll go further by clarifying the semantics of Meg's comment and expounding on the answer you first received. The words "like" and "equal" do not have the same meanings. For instance, in the 1960's in America, black students went to school "like" white students, the had public water fountains "like" everyone else, and they could ride public transportation "like" everyone else. However, these were not "equal" circumstances. Black schools lacked needed supplies and resources like books and qualified teachers, water fountains for blacks in public were only for blacks--they may not always be serviced or working properly or kept clean, and blacks were expected to ride in the back of public buses and even give up their seats when the bus was overcrowded to white passengers. "Like", yes, but "equal"?--absolutely not.
Now, go back and read the section where Meg makes her comment and see if you follow better.
Good Luck!
Meg is explaining a core concept in rights theory, one that is still very active in today's politics. The idea that everyone is equal is that everyone has the same rights, and the same opportunities within the legal and social structure. No one is preferred, and no one has special rights. The idea that everyone is the same imposes a set of shared characteristics and outcomes. Everyone eats the same food, wears the same clothes, etc. They are the different definitions of equality used by a republic (like America) and a totalitarian state.