Equalism In Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

Kurt Vonnegut’s brilliant story, “Harrison Bergeron,” takes place in the year 2081. Thanks to the 211th, 212th, and 213th amendments “Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else”(Vonnegut 1). Everyone seems to have equal looks and abilities but to make this happen; they have to limit people so they can be equal to other people. People with natural beauty, gifted intelligence, or high strength have to use handicaps so they can be average like anyone else. They give people mental radios, masks, and sashweights so no one will get jealous. Because of these visible handicaps, people can tell who is stronger, prettier, and smarter. In the story, they describe one of the

The goal of countless societies throughout human history has been to establish both complete freedom and absolute equality. However, this goal is, by its very nature, unachievable. These two ideal states cannot coexist in their most perfect forms. Also, the perfect forms of either freedom or equality represent total chaos or total oppression, respectively. In Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron,” we see the consequences of sacrificing freedom for perfect equality. Vonnegut uses the story of this utopia gone wrong to demonstrate that a society in which total equality exists is not only oppressive, but also static and inefficient. He makes this point using his futuristic

In “Harrison Bergeron”, intelligence is one of the most important things that must be made equal. If someone were more intelligent or smarter than the average person, they would get a mental transmitter to scatter their thoughts every twenty seconds. “The transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains” (Vonnegut 1). This quote is saying that the smarter people, like George, Harrison's father, are required to wear mental handicaps to keep them at the average intelligence level. The government of this “perfect” society believe that it is an unfair advantage to be smart and use one’s brain. When the author says, “he began to think glimmering about his son who was now in jail, about Harrison, but a twenty-one-gun salute stopped that” (Vonnegut 2). This shows that the mental transmitters not only limit George’s intelligence, but also his memory. George wears handicap weights to lower his strength, but almost

“THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everybody was finally equal.” these are the first words read in the short story, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. The story is about a future where everyone in the world is, “not only equal in front of God and the law”, but also equal in every which way. Knowledge and looks and physical ability, etc. In the story, a couple is watching tv and witness their arrested son break into a ballet and dance a wonderful dance then shot dead by the handicapper general herself. That leaves a question, what the reader can easily tell from the story is that the author believes that equality is a bad thing that will corrupt our world, but is equality as bad or as good as everyone thinks? To finish, equality is not what we should need one hundred percent, but give everyone an equal chance and see where they take it.

Complete equality has taken the world as we know it. Brilliant people are forced into median level thinking. Athletic people are required to restrict their robust abilities. Gorgeous people are demanded to conceal their nature beauty. This is Kurt Vonnegut’s future prediction of life in 2081. The government and the, “Handicap General” have conformed every person into complete equals by restricting their natural abilities.

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

We can never attain true equality. Everyone is born different. When I think about equality I think about equal rights and opportunity, however, in Kurt Vonnegut’s story, Harrison Bergeron, equality is being pushed to its limits. By forcing everyone to wear torture devices that makes their appearance, talents, and physical attributes no better than anyone else the government believes they’re achieving a perfect world, but it just turns out to be a terrible dystopia. It’s impossible to have physical and intellectual equality. Humans aren't clones. If those traits were to be controlled then there is no freedom. The story gives readers a clearer understanding whether pursuing this goal is really worth it.

Everyone wants to be equal. But not everyone can be as good as the next at something. The story “Harrison Bergeron,” written by Kurt Vonnegut in 1961, is about the USA in 2081, everyone is finally equal due to laws passed to protect the average citizen which give the stronger, smarter, and more talented people handicaps to bring them down to the level of the average. Being equal is what everyone wants, there have always been many problems with equality in all time periods, and in 2011 a film company called izzit.com created a new version of the story as a short film called “2081.” The more recent story starts with Vonnegut’s characters but makes the plot more exciting because today’s audiences are used to a much faster pace.

In “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., we are shown a dark satire world where equality is law. In this world, everyone is stupid thanks to a little radio in the ear, no one is prettier than anyone else thanks to masks to hide beauty. Everyone’s physical abilities are equalized thanks to weights that are permanently affixed to them and all that matters is that one is trying their very best at whatever they do, forget about talent or ability. This is the world shown to us illustrating the dangers and impossibility of everyone being equal and the same in all things.

Is equality everything we think it to be? Or is it simply something that is impossible to achieve without consequences. If everyone was equal in society what would happen to the world as whole. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. explores this idea in his story, “Harrison Bergeron”, where everybody is finally equal. “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 194). The story takes place in the year 2081 where the government creates a society in which everyone is equal. In order for such a society everyone with

The theme related in Kurt Vonnegut, Jr’s story Harrison Bergeron is that there is no such

Harrison Bergeron is about the future and how equality takes a role today and how it might affect the future. The story was written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. The story starts of where everyone is equal in the year 2081. The story is about the Bergeron family who live in the 21st century

Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” entails the story of the quest of equality in the future, which is spreading all around in many nations. This story is very powerful; it describes how equality can have negative impacts on society and people’s individuality. The entire story revolves around Harrison Bergeron, who throughout the story is the symbol for defiance and individuality. He represents the citizens who will stand up and rebel against the government. Through the characterization of Harrison and the other supporting characters, Vonnegut explains how the idea of equality can go rogue.

Equality is often taken in the wrong context. Total equality should never be a desirable aim, however equal and ample opportunities should be the norm. Every person should have the same opportunity for success and growth, but not every person should have to lessen themselves to be equal to another person. In Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron”, the author illustrates the undesirable goal of absolute equality through the society generated fixed, dull, and inefficient lifestyle resulting in lack of diversity, progress, and humanity.

Kurt Vonnegut's short story "Harrison Bergeron" exposes the harmful effects of total equality. Suggesting that equality is not always the ideal path, Vonnegut loosens the truth. For example, George Bergeron wears a "little mental handicap radio in his ear" since he is smart. His wife (Hazel) doesn't have one because she cannot realize what the government is up to. A radio transmitter that keeps on buzzing every twenty seconds is annoying and unbelievable. Yet, Vonnegut has mentioned this idea to warn us about the darkness of equality. Furthermore, George wears "forty-seven pounds of birdshot in a canvas bag." Everyone (except Diana Moon Glampers and maybe her officers) must wear this handicap. This handicap prevents them from doing hardcore