Harrison Bergeron, by Kurt Vonnegut Essay

In Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron," Vonnegut unfolds through various literary devices, such as foreshadowing, allegory, irony, and juxtaposition to deliver to the reader a message of the dangers of forced equality and handicapping. Through subtle hints, Vonnegut utilizes foreshadowing to establish to the reader the effects of a society forced into equality. Vonnegut further uses the rhetorical device of allegory to symbolize what oppression would be like as a whole in the rest of the story through the essential suppression of free will in society. Irony in sections sets up the overall message of oppression in this narrative, while also furthering the use of foreshadowing as they work in tandem. The juxtaposition that the reader can conclude between the story and life as it is today allows

Set in a futuristic timeline where extreme equality is enforced at all costs, Kurt Vonnegut, the author of "Harrison Bergeron'', presents a dystopian society governed by the Handicapper General, who ensures that no individual excels beyond societal norms. Throughout his story "Harrison Bergeron," Kurt Vonnegut takes advantage of irony and symbolism to express the idea that pursuing equality in society can lead to the suppression of individuality and freedom. To begin with, Vonnegut employs irony to highlight the absurdity of enforced equality. One example of this irony is evident in the character of Harrison Bergeron.

How can a society run off of an unlawful government while seeking equality? In Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron” the setting takes place in a dystopian society where everyone is allegedly equal. In this dystopian society’s constitution the 211th, 212th, and 213th amendments were at fault for all of the “equality”. Although many people believed it was a fair and equal society, it wasn’t. The government makes people who are considered vastly superior to others by the amendments of the constitution wear handicaps such as weights, masks, and mental handicap radios, the government made it to where no one in the society questioned them or there would be consequences, in my opinion there is too much government interference.

Vonnegut's story “Harrison Bergeron” discusses the theme equality of results, but through his satirical circumstances there is an ambiguous theme targeting Socialism and Capitalism that shines through.

Vonnegut’s real point behind “Harrison Bergeron” is a serious attack on the idea of enforced equality (Mowery). At the end of the story, Vonnegut seems to say that there is no government capable of suppressing the individual completely. Rather, the inner strength of human nature at its finest is more powerful that ill-conceived laws (Mowery). In a criticism, Stanley Schatt describes when Harrison is dies, “It is the lost beauty, grace, and wisdom.” In summary, Today American society can

The use of literary devices is seen in Kurt Vonnegut’s story ‘Harrison Bergeron’. Vonnegut uses symbolism to help to explore the themes and deepen the understanding of the dystopian society in which the story takes place. An example of this can be highlighted through the handicaps that the government had placed before people in order to suppress individuality and promote equality. The handicaps would be given to anyone who shows signs of above average intelligence, talents or beauty in order for everyone to be equal. The handicaps help to serve as a vivid representation of the government’s control over everyone.

Equality in “Harrison Bergeron” is achieved through mediocrity. Kurt Vonnegut exaggerates equality to an extreme to show how equality is truly hard to achieve without oppressing. Kurt Vonnegut wrote “Harrison Bergeron” during the civil rights movement when a fight for freedom and equality was at a high. Vonnegut’s goal was to show a fight for equality and how the fight for equality can be dangerous with government intervention. The use of satire helped create a view of equality by showing how ridiculous full equality in every way was. The use of irony is used to show to gives the story a humorous spin. He wrote “Harrison Bergeron” as a satire using the characters, the government, and the interaction of the citizens with the media to exaggerate what life would be like if everyone was completely equal. In “Harrison Bergeron” Kurt Vonnegut uses satire and irony to express the incapability to reach full equality.

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.

The story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut is120 years in the future, which allows us to more easily accept some of the bizarre events that happen in the story such as when the character Harrison Bergeron is dancing with a ballerina and there is no law of gravity and motion, so they can almost touch the studio ceiling which is thirty feet high. The author emphasizes in his work themes such as freedom, mind manipulation, the American dream, and media influence, also the opposition between strength and weakness and knowledge and ignorance. The story illustrates that being equal to one another is not always the best way to live because everyone is different for a reason. Also, this is what makes everyone special in your particular way.

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

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

This literary study will argue against the theme of absolute equality in the story story, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. The theme of “George Bergeron” is based around an authoritarian government that forces all individuals to mediate their “gifts” in society by demeaning them in different ways. This form of social control forces people with greater talents than others to be wrongfully mitigated, which prevents them from fulfilling their best potential. George must wear a heavy radio around his neck (much like a yoke) to prevent him from discovering the reasons for the kidnapping of his son, Harrison, by the government. Therefore, the propaganda of absolute equality is impossible, since it is actually preventing human beings from realizing their own talents over those with lesser abilities. In essence, an argument against the premise of absolute equality will be defined in this literary analysis of “George Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

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.

The idea of equality is one that has been entrenched into the hearts and minds of the citizens of the United States since the days of the founding fathers. The thought that one person is better than another is an ideal that as a nation, the founding fathers strove to overcome. They believed that each person should have the identical rights and opportunities of every other person in our society. This sentiment becomes grossly perverted in Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron”. In the tale, the American government has taken the idea of equality to an extreme that is not only inhumane, but in essence takes away our freedom and individuality, the very fabric of what we consider American.

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.