Theme of Equality in 'Harrison Bergeron' by Kurt Vonnegut

Fourteen year old Harrison Bergeron is a passionate character that symbolizes equality in society during the year of 2081. Harrison rebels against the government in a way that shows how everyone in “Harrison Bergeron” was not absolutely equal. This community and its citizens has lost its rights after the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution. Everyone was not actually equal in the story since people could not use their own intelligence, express their true beauty, and display their strengths. The citizens were scared of the United States Handicapper General and they do not have the freedom to be themselves.

Harrison’s physical appearance by itself would overwhelm the rest of society. Just by seeing Harrison, one could sense his overwhelming amount of attributes by his impressive amount of handicaps. Harrison mental capacity is impressive as well, he is able to override his earphones that the H-G men has put on him. Vonnegut allows the reader to notice that Harrison has more to offer to the world, yet society is applying handicaps to hold him down and take away all his attributes. In this sense, Harrison represents the difference between every individual, he is the only one with the courage to stand up to his society where the government controls all aspects of total equality because everyone else is too

The main conflict of the story is between Harrison Bergeron and the government. Harrison disagrees with the government’s way of controlling and handicapping society, especially since he has been given several handicaps. Harrison does not believe one should be limited, however, he is

Point being if only some people had handicaps and some people did not society would not truly be equal because for everyone to be equal they would all have to have handicaps and have the same handicaps.

Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle once said, “The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal.” Kurt Vonnegut portrays Aristotle’s philosophy brilliantly in his short story “Harrison Bergeron.” The story depicts the American government in the future mandating physical handicaps in an attempt to make everyone equal. Vonnegut describes a world where no one is allowed to excel in the areas of intelligence, athletics, or beauty. Yet, the inequalities among the people shine even brighter. Vonnegut uses satire to explore the question of whether true equality can ever really exist.

“The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal” (Vonnegut 22). In Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s short story “Harrison Bergeron”, the author depicts a society set in the future where the gifted individuals are handicapped genetically in order to be equal among everyone. Not lifting up the ungifted individuals will prevent conflicts from occurring between the government and its citizens, this is exhibited by the forced conformity and revolting of characters.

Equality can be interpreted in many ways, as we can see throughout the history such as racial, gender, and socio-economic equality. The Civil Rights emphasize that everybody should be treated equally and another view is the one represented in the story that everybody is equal. It is a completely out of reality to have a perfect society or no competition at all because how we could make advancements if the government was allowed to impose handicaps on the naturally gifted. The great thinkers would not be able to have new ideas because of the mental

Harrison Bergeron is a valuable story that has underlying themes, which are very relevant in our current society. The theme of equality can be seen throughout the book, and it is the principle that is enshrined in America’s constitution now, whereby they claim that all men are equal. Kurt Vonnegut demonstrates the issue of equality in a Utopian society. Vonnegut in his story, cautions Americans on the dangers of creating a truly equalitarian society, whereby citizens go to an extent of sacrificing their freedom, and individuality to the state, to create a place where all people are equal. Vonnegut creates a society whereby, all people are made equal. The beautiful are forced to wear hideous masks to disfigure their beauty, those considered intelligent are to wear radio calls, and ear splitting noises that are supposed to impede their thinking, and the strong are forced to wear weights around their necks throughout the day. The author uses masks, and the weights as symbols to symbolize

Harrison Bergeron, a short story by Kurt Vonnegut, is not written for the light reader. This story of equality shows deeply of how horrid it would be to be born special, different, smarter, faster, stronger, etc, in a world where you are forced to be equal. Despite the usual connotation of the word equality, Kurt Vonnegut looks at the cost of making everyone be the same. He has shown through his words the torture you must endure in order to make you the same as everyone else, being a radio intending to scatter your thoughts, weights to weigh you down, or even a hideous, grotesque, mask used to hide your charming face. After you’ve lived with these handicaps a man, named Harrison Bergeron, trying to change how things are interrupts your show.

In the story the author form of equality will be questioned by the people many times and will eventually fail. Harrison is used in the story to show that people will work nonstop against the handicaps until the system is taken away. “Harrison tore the straps off his handicap harness like wet tissue paper, tore straps guaranteed to support fire thousand pounds,” (198). There is no competition due to the handicaps that prevent anyone from being equal. There cannot be no improvement anywhere without competition. All critical thinking will end, and all progress that requires thought will be stopped. The author form of equality will never work in any way, because it causes humans to lose confidence and hope and stops all creativity.

In the futuristic short story, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., the world is finally living up to America’s first amendment of everyone being created equal. In this society, the gifted, strong, and beautiful are required to wear handicaps of earphones, heavy weights, and hideous masks. These constraints leave the world equal from brains to strength to beauty. With the world constantly pushing for equality among people, Vonnegut reveals a world that society is rapidly working toward. Through this foreshadowing of the future, Vonnegut attempts to use Diana Moon Glampers and Harrison Bergeron as puppets to reveal and warn of the dangers of the two extremes,too equal or too unjust reality there could be ahead of us. If it was possible to do the same, but not by tearing people down, but

In the literary piece “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, we enter a futuristic dystopian society in which all citizens have been forced into equality by a government that rules with corrupt omnipotence. From the very beginning of his hauntingly prophetic tale, Vonnegut lures us in by revealing what our society has devolved into at the hands of the wrong system in power. In the name of equality, the attractive are mutilated, the strong are weakened, and the intelligent are handicapped. “The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal” (¶1) Vonnegut states in his captivating opening line. Through this dismal tale, Vonnegut reveals that forced and total equality is nothing more than a perilous fallacy. He suggests that complete equality is not as ideal as one might think; in fact, it is more dangerous than we could have ever conceived.

In the story “Harrison Bergeron,” society would have been better off if Harrison had been in charge instead of Diana Moon Glampers. Harrison shows a glimpse of how society could be better if he were in charge when he took off the handicaps from the ballerinas and musicians. The ballerinas were able to dance more freely, “The reeled, whirled, swiveled, flounced, capered, gamboled, and spun” (Vonnegut 40). When the ballerinas danced and the musicians played their instruments without the handicapped devices, there was such a big difference on how much better things could be when everyone isn’t equal. Because Harrison was the one who removed the handicapped devices and showed how much better it would be when everyone is unequal, proves the society

The subject of “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut is equality. The theme of this short story is that society should make an effort to value individuality and fairness, in which everyone receives what they need to prosper, instead of universal equality. The forms used to elevate this subject and theme are point of view, syntax, characterization, irony, and humor.

In an ideally progressive America, society should value both equality and diversity. Equality is justice. Diversity is individuality. Equality gives rights. Diversity enriches culture. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideally progressive America. As equality in our society has increased, we have viewed it as progress. However, diversity has often been a source of conflict in our society. Jealousy, confusion, anger, and so many negative emotions have arisen from our differences and slowed the progress of equality. Perhaps, diversity should just be done away with. If we can not value our diversity, should we focus entirely on equality? Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” answers that question with a solid no, we should not. Through his