Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

This new futuristic society help us understand that unlike George, there are people who have lower intelligence levels. Vonnegut, explains to us that the character in this science fiction, Hazel is not to be worry about since she is quietly within the average level of intelligence. Meaning that her way of thinking is not necessary for her to wear a handicap radio. It is stated in the article “Only, if I was Handicapper General, you know what I would do?” said Hazel …. “If I was Diana Moon Glampers, said Hazel, I’d have chimes on Sunday-just chimes. Kind of in honor of religion.” (Vonnegut 2) This means that she is open to the ideas of this new society because she would like to be a handicapper general herself to also have better sounds playing in others mind. However, we still see an inference at times about her thinking in the government because she is not okay

Beauty is seen as an unfair attribute so it is countered by beautiful people being required to wear ugly masks. This is an example of the satirical nature of the story because it is still obvious to tell who is beautiful and who is not since the more beautiful, the uglier the mask. This is evidenced during the scene where Hazel and George are watching the ballet. In reference to one of the ballerinas, “She must have been extraordinarily beautiful, because the mask she wore was hideous” Vonnegut wrote this story in the midst of 1961, during the Cold War and at the beginning of the anti-establishment 60s. Knowing the historical significance of this time period offers context. This provides insight into the thought processes and emotions behind creating the story, or what it could be written as a response to. Once analyzed, it is clear to see that it is filled with various social and political critiques of 1960s America. It’s safe to say that he aimed to shed some light

Harrison 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 stand up, and protest against cruel laws imposed by the state on equality, and encourage others to protest with him. Through the characterization of Harrison, George and Hazel, Vonnegut shows how the equality idea can go to the extreme. The

To achieve equality, the government denies it’s citizens their freedom and expression while torturing them in the process. The intelligent, strong, and beautiful are forced to hinder their attributes by wearing handicaps. Since George is considered one of the bright, he is required to wear a handicap radio in his ear: “Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains” (Vonnegut 1). Meanwhile, the athletic and attractive are paying for having an upper hand as well: “They were burdened with sash weights and bags of birdshot, and their faces were masked, so that no one, … something the cat drug in” (Vonnegut 1). Having an advantage is the opposite because the government realizes it is more attainable to

In the short story, “Harrison Bergeron,” Kurt Vonnegut reveals Hazel’s incognizant tone towards society through detail and syntax. One instance in which Hazel’s incognizant tone is revealed is through a conversation between George and Hazel about handicaps. George, who has an exceptional intelligence level, is required by law to wear a mental handicap in his ear at all times. Absent-minded and inarticulate, lagging and sluggish, ditzy and flustered all define Hazel’s personality, which is why she is not required to wear any handicaps. Hazel displays her feelings of envy to George by stating, “I’d think it would be real interesting, hearing all the different sounds,...” (2). Because Vonnegut used this diction choice, because it ironically displays

The government forced the people to have handicaps for the very same reason that firefighters in Fahrenheit 451 burned books; to make sure everybody was equal so that the people are happy. “If I tried to get away with it,” said George, “then other people’d get

Since people have handicaps, it is hard for them to be their self and good at something. When the television program was interrupted the announcer “like all announcers, he had a serious speech impediment”(Vonnegut 3). The announcer eventually gave up speaking on the announcement because his handicap was making it hard for him to speak, so he gave it to a ballerina to read. And when George watches the ballerinas dance he realizes that “they weren’t really very good- no better than anybody else would have been, anyway. They were burdened with sashweights and bags of birdshot, and their faces were masked”(Vonnegut 1). This quote shows that they were just as good as anyone else would have been since they were weighted down by birdshot and their beautiful faces were masked so no one would be jealous of them.

The stories “Old Glory” and “Harrison Bergeron” use several futuristic details to develop the similar themes of totalitarian governments. Both stories use science fiction inventions to display what happens. Each story portrays the U.S. in the future as a totalitarian type of government. And finally, each story shows the government depicting themselves as good in conjunction with making laws that the citizens don’t perceive as “bad”. Both stories use details like these to develop their similar themes.

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

The point of view in “Harrison Bergeron” is third person with limited insight. The focal character is George Bergeron, the titular character’s father. The story is written to show two settings: the living room of George and Hazel Bergeron, and the scene they are watching on their television. This point of view helps to develop the theme by showing what we assume to be an average couple in a futuristic setting, and by establishing a societal norm for the dystopian setting. The mundane point of view contrasts nicely with the very outrageous personality of Harrison Bergeron and his theatrical antics. This point of view also gives the reader a relatively objective look into the conflict between Harrison and the United States Handicapper General. The use of George as the focal character gives the reader insight into the mind of a man who wears a mental and a physical handicap. This allows the reader to see into George’s thoughts and how they process with the mental handicap in place, “every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking advantage of their

From the very beginning, the description and details in the story show the couples disability - George not being able to think hard, without him hearing sharp noises every 20 seconds. Hazel, on the other hand, had an average intelligence, She still can’t think about anything, except in short burst. The couple’s son, Harrison Bergeron got taken away by H-G men. It was sad alright, but they can't think about it very hard, even if they tried to help them. It’ll be useless. But Harrison Bergeron decided to step up

Harrison Bergeron, a fourteen year old teenager believes that he can change this cruel new world into the world it used to be, but, the question is, is Harrison a hero or just another imposter like Diana Moon Glampers. In the short story, “Harrison Bergeron”, the author, Kurt Vonnegut Jr, discusses the year 2081 and the hardships everyone goes through just to be equal and fair to the less gifted folk. When Harrison Bergeron is first introduced, he seems like a hero to the people and the reader, but as the story progresses, the reader begins to see that all Harrison is trying to do is get the people’s attention and love so that they will rebel for him and soon he will gain control and become a dictator over the society.

The government creates equality by enforcing laws, giving them complete control over the person’s day to day life. This is seen when the government prohibits George from taking off his handicap radio. The radio prevents George from thinking intellectually. As Georges watches the ballerinas on the television, he analyzes the performance and then “George winces and so did two of the eight ballerinas.” George winced because the government set off his radio due to his thinking of the performance. The ballerinas also wince because they too have

Another form of satire in “Harrison Bergeron” was the Handicap General, Diana Moon Glampers, because she is an average person that has power over everyone's handicaps. One of the few descriptions of her implies that she is not “above average”(Akers and Moore). Vonnegut’s use of satire in this story provide a look into an odd future.

Moreover, Philip K. Dick’s “The Eyes Have It” also displays the type of control the American Dream had on society. With this advantage over the American people, the U.S. government almost had free reign to do what they pleased due to society unknowingly being controlled and diverted. The narrator exemplifies being diverted and cowardice once reading about the alien