Equality's Dark Side in In Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron Essay example
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 …show more content…
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Kurt Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron and Shirley Jackson's The Lottery
1629 Words | 7 Pagesthese freedoms are only dreamt of. When society draws such attitudes and lifestyles upon its citizens, one adapts and accepts these requests, but not without a compromise. In Shirley Jackson’s masterpiece ‘The Lottery’ and Kurt Vonnegut’s exceptional story ‘Harrison Bergeron’, human life is so often sacrificed and withdrawn that is becomes a norm in society. Forcing people to agree with someone else’s ideology of harmony and success cannot be achieved without discarding the non-believers. Both dystopian…
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`` Harrison Bergeron `` By Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
1184 Words | 5 Pages“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. gives the world a glance at the horrors of enforced equality through its simplistic and blunt storytelling. Stephen Moore and Peter Ferrara discussed in The American Spectator how “Harrison Bergeron” shows how “a society that puts equality ahead of freedom and prosperity will be in the end an unhappy one” (30). Therefore, it is easy to reason that any attempt to craft a utopia through government enforcement will end in only brutality and absurdity. Vonnegut…
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Essay on Communism and Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron
977 Words | 4 PagesThe structure of communism and its main concepts heavily relate to “Harrison Bergeron”. Communisms main idea is to keep the corporations from having too much power; as well as making everything equal. Communisms structure differs from “Harrison Bergeron”, but they both share a lot of characteristics. In “Harrison Bergeron” the government is given way to much power and forces everyone to become equal. Communism also differs greatly from our U.S. government and acts in many different…
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Harrison Bergeron, by Kurt Vonnegut Essay
1565 Words | 7 PagesHarrison Bergeron is a story written by Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut’s story is a warning to the world about the quest of equality, which is spreading all round in many nations with America on the lead. The story shows the reader how the equality issue can have negative impacts on people’s individuality, and the society. The story revolves around the protagonist, Harrison Bergeron who is an archetypical symbol that represents defiance, and individuality. He is used to represent the people who will…
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Hume's Ideas Present In Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron
444 Words | 2 PagesUpon analysis of Kurt Vonnegut's, "Harrison Bergeron", evidence suggests that the story imitates the basic structure of the monomyth. However, unlike the sequence and obvious events presented in a monomyth Vonnegut cleverly applies his own unique play on the iconic structure. What is to be noted first is the definition of amonomyth. Joseph Campbell defines the term, "monomyth", as the standard cycle of events that occur to which the hero endures during the progression of the story (kfjakhfakjf).…
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The Subject Of `` Harrison Bergeron ' By Kurt Vonnegut
1507 Words | 7 PagesThe 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. The point of view in “Harrison Bergeron” is third person with limited insight. The focal character is George Bergeron, the titular character’s…
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Essay on Kurt Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron: A Picture of Inequality
651 Words | 3 Pages2081, and everybody was finally equal" (208). This in a nutshell is the premise of Kurt Vonnegut’s short story "Harrison Bergeron". Vonnegut’s title character Harrison Bergeron is a picture perfect human being: very tall, handsome and intelligent. Although our society would deem these desirable attributes, in this story’s 2081 AD setting they are highly objectionable. Kurt Vonnegut uses the character Harrison Bergeron to illustrate the danger of imposing total equality on a diversified population.…
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Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Essay
522 Words | 3 Pages"Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut In "Harrison Bergeron" Kurt Vonnegut depicts a society in which everyone is mentally, physically, and socially equal. Throughout the history of our country, Americans have sought racial, gender, and socio-economic equality. On paper such a society seems ideal. Through the story one might infer that Vonnegut views the concept of total equality as ludicrous. Equality can be interpreted many ways. One point of view is the American belief that everybody…
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`` Harrison Bergeron `` By Kurt Vonnegut
1875 Words | 8 Pagesand everybody was finally equal in 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 864). In the futuristic short story, “Harrison Bergeron” written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. illustrates a government implemented law of equality forced upon a society. Vonnegut a social commentator utilizes satirical events in the story to illustrate irrational thoughts and ideas from society. Satire is a special…
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Unequality in Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut
849 Words | 4 PagesAncient 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…
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