Themes In Harrison Bergeron

Picture a society, far in the future, where everyone, by government control, must be on the same level. Would this be Hell or a utopia? This is the subject of Kurt Vonnegut’s short story, “Harrison Bergeron”. In this society, the gifted, strong, and beautiful are required to wear multiple handicaps of earphones, heavy weights, and hideous masks. In turn, these constraints leave the world equal, or arguably devoid of, from brains to brawn to beauty. With the constant push for equality among all people, Vonnegut reveals a world that society is diligently working toward. “Harrison Bergeron” is written as a form of satire with heavy irony, to demonstrate the clear difference between equity and equality in society. “Harrison Bergeron” is

Imagine a world where an oppressive government captures what many call diversity. Where ugly is known as beauty and intelligence is insignificant. “They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else.” (Vonnegut) This is the future that Harrison experiences, in the short story “Harrison Bergeron,” by Kurt Vonnegut. It is the year 2081 and the government handicaps every citizen with make up or weights to create equality. Where there are over than 200 amendments and the government has full control of all citizens, this is indeed against what America had been

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.

One of the themes of this book is that equality is difficult to achieve. The author tells readers that it is difficult for everyone to be equal by demonstrating that American society where everyone is equal. Mr.Bergeron is not average and so does some special people in the United States. The agents of the United States Handicapper General had to force to make them equal by putting them in the handicap. The author shows to reader Harrison protest to Vonnegut in the television show that system will be collapsed by more people who are intelligent and stronger. Failure of systems and individuals what author wanted to tell readers.

In America everyone is free, there are laws. Nevertheless, no one is a burden because of these laws. Everyone isn’t equal, however, they aren’t treated differently by the government. Those who are different get treated differently by society. The First Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for redress of grievances”. The difference between today and the society in Harrison Bergeron is that those in society treat each other equally. George, Harrison’s father, is intelligent except he was also handicapped by the government. He is handicapped with objects used to make him equal with the rest of the society. “They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else.” The narrator of Harrison Bergeron states. Forcing those who are above average to be like everyone else is not equality. In today’s society, those above or below average are treated differently by society, this era is not perfect, although equality has been severely needed. As a result of non-equality in both worlds, both are a dystopia. This era is a free yet society does not treat one another equally. In the Harrison Bergeron era the intelligent plebeians of the society are a burden of the government yet,

The short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut is thought out in the not so distant future of 2081. Vonnegut introduces us to a whole new world in which all people are to be created equal entirely, by altering their looks, strength and intelligence. The character George is forced upon by the government to wear handicaps that keep him from being able to function beyond an average IQ, while his wife Hazel displays a perfect picture of average intelligence. Their son Harrison Bergeron on the other hand is a rebel towards the laws and ends up being labeled as a dangerous fugitive on the run trying to rise up against the government. Harrison Bergeron is quickly put to his death when the handicapper general, Diana Moon shoots him down for not complying with the laws. Through the characters, language styles and conflict, Vonnegut’s story

The book, Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., conveys a theme social issues, in which everyone is equal. The government made sure nobody had an advantage over another. In the story, Vonnegut Jr., writes, ¨She was referring to the forty-seven pounds of birdshot in a canvas bag, which was padlocked around George’s neck” (2). The picture depicts how having an advantage over other people caused George pain by having to carry around bags and wear a mental handicap radio in his ears. He was forced to wear this bag because the government wanted complete equality throughout the country. This government's view of societal ideals had clouded their path.

The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else.(Vonnegut 1) The story of "Harrison Bergeron" is the type of fantasy, but sad type, and the setting is in the future nearly 2081, the writer Vonnegut offers the society that don't allowed people have thinking and the equality is enforced by law, and Vonnegut use the title character Harrison Bergeron, also several characters and symbol of handicaps to reflect the society and how danger could be if people were total equaled. In the story Vonnegut suggests that total equality is not an ideal worth striving for, as many people believe, but a mistaken goal that is dangerous in both

In Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron”, a society is being controlled by the government through handicaps. Throughout the story, several examples are displayed that show how effective the government’s power is towards the people. It was 2081 and a time that most thought was finally equal. The government wanted power, control and all intelligence to be equal, therefore forcing the people to wear handicaps. Although the people believe they are wearing handicaps to make them all equal, they fail to realize that the handicaps’ real purpose is to control the people.

This story entertains many concepts and ideas. Most prominent of all was the idea of equality. I feel that the author was, in some ways, trying to convey that absolute equality is and can only ever be an illusion. “-and pretty soon, we’d be right back to the dark ages, with everyone competing against everyone else.” I feel that the actual handicaps themselves had opportunity to be a competition: Those with more handicaps could argue that they were better because they required more handicaps to make them equal. It seemed too, that they knew this, as it was hinted by the narrator; “She must have been extraordinarily beautiful, because the mask she wore was hideous.” If not for Harrison, this, along with other things, might have

“Harrison Bergeron” is short story by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. , it’s a dystopia that takes place

Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s short story, “Harrison Bergeron”, takes place in a dystopian society where everyone is brought down to a low equal with handicaps. Harrison, an incredibly smart and handsome boy, does something that ends in tragedy. One of the lessons in the story could be that when everyone is the same, everyone is miserable.

Freedom has always been a very important aspect in American culture, it allows people to have the opportunity to speak, act and pursue happiness without having any restrictions forced upon us. In Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” freedom is no longer known as one of the most important foundation to American culture, like it has been for generations. But now in this futuristic society depicted by Vonnegut, enforcing the law that makes those who are “above normal” equal to those who are “normal” has become one of the main priorities. In this society, all living people are equal in every which way. This type of equality is only focused on altering beauty, strength and intelligence instead of concentrating on the main problems of race, religion, and sex, the true issues we face as a society. Although many people believe total equality is something that we should all strive for, it is just a misguided goal that is both dangerous in execution and outcome. To accomplish physical and mental equality among all Americans, the government forces its citizens to wear handicaps so everyone can meet this certain standard the government and the United States Handicapper General has set out for them to follow. Kurt Vonnegut illustrates the theme of freedom in “Harrison Bergeron”

During the 20th century, authors utilized realistic problems in which humanity was facing in regards to technology, control, and the concept of dystopia. The story Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, foreshadows the potential future of humanity by using themes resembling the oppression and abolition of civilian rights and freedoms in order to give insight towards the future of humanity. The story displays society of mankind with no differences and limited potential that is controlled by a government deadset on keeping the status quo. Vonnegut exemplifies traits of communism in his dystopian society, as he states, ”They weren’t only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way” (Vonnegut 1). Ultimately, freedom and civil rights are restricted, resulting in, a lack of privacy and minimal self autonomy.

In Harrison Bergeron society forces people to be average. People that are below average are given handicaps to force them to be average. Most people though are handicapped to a below average state and can’t do many normal things. Harrison Bergeron, the main character, is extremely above average which caused him to go against the norm of his society. “Harrison Bergeron, age fourteen ... is a genius and an athlete, is under-handicapped, and should be regarded as extremely dangerous” (Vonnegut 104-107). He makes people better than they were by inspiring them with his greatness. In the end of the story he even defied gravity and broke the laws of the world making him different than all people before him. He was killed because of his abnormality which showed society throwing him away because they feared him. “It was then that Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun. She fired twice, and the Emperor and the Empress were dead before they hit the floor”(Vonnegut 189-191). Harrison Bergeron took a chance to be better but society saw him as a threat because he was better than normal.