Harrison Bergeron Essay Theme

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.

Everyone was forced to follow rules and he just wanted everyone to be free. As it explains, “The were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody.” () Harrison did not like that and wanted change. He planned to show what they could really do if they were free he showed it. As it states, “And then, in an explosion of joy and grace, into the air they sprang! Not only were the laws of the land abandoned, but the laws of motion as well. Bergeron did what he wanted to show the people the right way to be living. Harrison Bergeron was a hero to society by showing them the benefits of being free in life. The society they lived in was made to keep everyone equal no one could be better than anyone in any way. Harrison Bergeron tried to be a hero but failed letting anger control his gree. Harrison could also be seen as a hero to guide people to see the good in freedom. Harrison wan a danger to society by misguiding the idea of freedom and showing a sense of fear of a different

Author Kurt Vonnegut suggests that total equality is not something worth striving for. To obtain physical and mental equality among all citizens, the government makes beautiful people wear masks, intelligent people listen to noises that block their abilities to think, and graceful and strong people wear weights around their necks at all times. While equality may be achieved, freedom is the price to pay.

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

Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if everyone was legally forced into the governments opinion of equality? In Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s short story "Harrison Bergeron", it is the year 2081 and the government has altered society to be mentally, physically and socially equal. The beautiful people are covered with hideous masks, the intelligent people wear ear pieces that let off loud obnoxious sounds at random to throw off there thought process and the strong people wear weights to be equal to the weaker people. The society is not equal because no one can truly be changed unless they want to be. Putting a handicap on an intelligent person does not make him or her equal to an average person,

This story suggests that total equality amongst one another is not something worth striving for, suggesting that it implantation is dangerous and will have unintentional outcomes. This is true because in the story in order to achieve equality physically and mentally the citizens were treated inhumanly by the government. The beautiful were forced to hide their beauty under masks, the strong forced to wear hundred pound weights around their necks, and the intellectual suffered unbearable noises making it impossible for them to concentrate. Citizens dumb themselves down and hide their talents fearing government punishment. Equality is achieved in a sense but at the expense of freedom and personal achievement.

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

“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is a story literally exaggerated to its limit by showing, in the near future, what it means to be equal in every way by having people not being able to show any form of intelligence or creativity whatsoever. When Harrison Bergeron breaks the chains of government oppression, he dies for his failed cause. He dies because he chooses not to conform to the rest of his oppressive society. His parents, George and Hazel, who are nothing more than two bodies under the government’s mind control, can do nothing to save their son or seek justice for his death. The story is not only a reflection of the author’s concern with controlling the masses through

In “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, a society set in the future is controlled by a government who claims to make all people equal, when in reality, they are filled with corruption. Harrison Bergeron, an elite young teenager, sees the malfeasance in the government, and decides to stand up for the greater good of the nation. In order to do this, Harrison removes all of the handicaps placed on him by the government and reveals it to the world on live television, eventually being shot and killed. Many people may see Harrison as a threat to his society due to the unnecessary chaos he caused. However, because he sparked the idea of rebellion in a civilization desperate for freedom, Harrison Bergeron can be considered a hero to society.

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

Imagine a place where there are no decisions to make throughout the day. In this place, everyone’s career gets chosen for them, and their hopes, dreams, and aspirations are given to them. There are none of those difficult life decisions to make because they will be made for everybody. Now despite all these seemingly terrible things, we do get something great from all the sacrifices: equality. In this world everyone is equal; no one person smarter, more athletic, more talented, or better than any other. Everyone in this place completely equal, and all thanks to the government, the authorities, the higher-ups, “the man,” or whatever these enforcers’ wish to be called. The world of Harrison Bergeron functions like this. Now while it may seem

Would you rebel for something you believe in, but everyone else does not? Would you die for the cause of something good and helpful to the world? This is exactly what Harrison did. In Chandler Tuttle’ 2081 and Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron,” Harrison's appearances, beliefs, the equipment used on him, and the responses he receives and produces are important aspects to both medias. Though, the short story and film both have its own unique features that help us connect to his personality. Harrison from “Harrison Bergeron” is a considerate, ignored hero, but also an outsider to the people for his beliefs; since he uses the threatening and self-centered words to express his bitterness and words, many feel he is egocentric, but he has only said this to get his word across, although, in 2081, Harrison is a wise, intellectual, mature, and a Christ-like figure, who appeals to our senses in a better way than Harrison from the short story does explaining why the current system is not effective.

When you look at it, the perfect society is what Russia was looking to achieve

When people think of heroes, they often think of muscle bound men in spandex with unrealistic powers of flight, strength, or x-ray vision. But in real life, heroes are often determined based on the smallest of situations and their outcomes. In both of the stories I have chosen (A&P and Harrison Bergeron), the main characters are classified as heroes because of their willingness to defy the authoritive forces around them, whether it be the store manager Lengel in A&P or the Handicapper General in Harrison Bergeron, as well as their willingness to strike out on their own instead of adhering to social norms. In Harrison Bergeron, the main character Harrison

In a dystopian universe, “The year was 2081 and everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law. They were equal in every which way.” The government has passed the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the constitution and diversity between people was taken out of society. Anyone who is different or better in any way will be given a handicap to be made equal again. Like Harrison, the son of George and Hazel. He exemplifies perfectly the type of abnormally special individuals the government is trying to take out of the community.