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Use Of Satire In Harrison Bergeron

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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. During the civil rights movement African Americans were fighting for freedom and equality to white citizens in America. Harrison himself is a …show more content…

Although hazel didn't have any, George did. The irony of handicaps looks to be oppressing some in the attempt to make them equal. At the beginning Vonnegut wrote, “The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal (Vonnegut, 40).” The irony implied is: they weren’t actually equal they were just forced to be the same. Hazel did not have to wear a handicaps and didn't have to deal with the pain of a handicap. While George stayed in pain due to 45 pound bird shot weights and a radio in his ear that kept him from thinking too much (Vonnegut, 41). In Harrison Bergeron, George never protests against them. He even comments that, “It's just a part of me. [George]” In this way they are not equal because people like Hazel did not need a handicap and never felt the pain of them while people like George are being oppressed because of

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