Why The Outcasts Judge People

In the story, it states, "THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everybody was finally equal. 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 1). A utopian society is a "place, state, or condition that is ideally perfect in respect of politics, laws, customs, and conditions" and this community fits into this category. Equality expectations from the world were met, although it created a disaster. In addition, the laws were stringent and freedom was taken away due to the concept of 'equality'. Citizens did not realize the negative aspects of the dystopian world. As the readers/audience members, we see their lifestyles as a locked cage or a prison. Finally, citizens were under constant surveillance by the government. Residents of the short story, Harrison Bergeron, "had a little mental handicap radio in [their] ear[s] [because they were] required by law to wear it at all times" (Vonnegut 1) because of the ideal thought of having

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

Society should not be equal because we are all different even if they did put use in groups based on are similarities there still would be some difference. In the story ”Harrison Bergeron” the main characters has a son and he is different and they want him to be equal so they lock him up and but all these device on him to make him just like everyone else. “. He is a genius and an athlete, is under-handicapped, and should be regarded as extremely dangerous.” “ Harrison Bergeron single the ones that look or talk different or dance better “She must have been extraordinarily beautiful, because the mask she wore was hideous. And it was easy to see that she was the strongest and most graceful of all the dancers, for her handicap bags were as big as those worn by two-hundred pound men”.They want everyone to be the same so they make the special people handicap so they won't be different.

Vonnegut sets his story in 2081, where everyone is equal. No one is smarter, more talented, stronger, or better looking. The government in his story controlled everyone and how they acted and thought with machines. Those who were smarter had a mental handicap radio’s in their ear that made a noise every so often throwing them off the train of thought. The stronger ones had to carry around weight at all times, to make them equal to the weak. Those who were beautiful had to wear mask, or were made to look less beautiful. All competition was gone. However, Vonnegut shows that trying to control everyone, so all are equal is impossible, and can lead to disastrous things. In the story, Harrison Bergeron was arrested for suspicion of overthrowing the government. He escaped jail and on the TV episode of the ballerinas, people watched him take over. He allowed himself and others to take off the equipment controlling them and everyone became an individual again. Until, the leader came in and killed Harrison and the beautiful ballerina as they were dancing. Things became equal again, but not perfect.

If you are born with a gift in that society, you are limited to your full capability, so you will be like everyone else. However, in today’s society, being more intelligent and having a gift is praised and is rewarded. In the text it said, “ George while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap in his ear.” This proves that George, while being above average, is punished and his gift is hidden so he will not be above anyone else in this “equal” society. It can also show that being tall or more visually appealing will be punished so you are equivalent to everyone else and that striving for total equality is not as beneficial as it might

Continuing with the idea of people believing that it is unfair how the upper class has more advantages in life, this bring us to the “meritocratic model” which is the model that “recognizes inequities and tries to correct for socioeconomic disadvantages” says Arora (Arora 87). This is the system that is related with the United States (Arora 87) and the reason that most people believe that this model is fair is because people with low incomes or with fewer benefits are offered programs such as the Headstart program and subsidized healthcare. Doing this would help out the needy and put everyone at somewhat of an equal place in life. However thinking deeply into the idea of these programs, they are not entirely fair from everyone’s point of view. For example, some people are born with something that Arora refers to as the “natural lottery” which is described as “people who are born with certain talents and attributes- for instance, oratory, musical acumen, physical beauty and health, athleticism, good memory and

If someone is different than others it doesn't mean they're not equal. Many people treat others by first impressions, by what they're told, how they, and or even how they dress. It's sad, people never get to know another person before judging them, but in the story “Raymond’s Run,” by Toni Cade Bambara, Hazel learns that everyone should be treated equally and with respect.

This is included In Anthem by everyone has to be like there brothers when growing up and that it is a sin not to be. “We strive to be like our brothers for all men must be alike… we are six feet tall and this is a burden” (Rand 18-19). This shows how there society doesn’t want to be different but the same and the way Equality also knowing that being six feet tall unlike his brothers is a sin shows the way the people in there society were brainwashed to believe that being different is against there government there for against everyone else. In “Harrison Bergeron” this is shown in the way of giving people handicaps so that they are lowered in intelligence like everyone else. “All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th amendments…George, his intelligence above average and had a Handicap Radio in his ear”(Vonnegut 2). This shows how in “Harrison Bergeron” they want people like George not to exceed his intelligence level so he is equal and does not think much. Both of these pieces of information shows the main similarity in the governments and how it is having everyone equal and not enough intelligence to over think

The setting of this book has to be set in the future and in the United States.The setting must be set in the future because now we have serious equality issues and no one is that equal, especially in America.In this story, the goal was for everyone to be equal, “Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else”. However, for people like George, who had a “way above normal intelligence”, you were required to wear a little handicap radio that sent out loud noises every 20 or so seconds, which made it hard to use his intelligence to his advantage.It has to be in America because of the new amendments. All of this equality is “due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution.”The general

In America everyone is free, there are laws. Nevertheless, no one is a burden because of these laws. Everyone isn’t equal, however, they aren’t treated differently by the government. Those who are different get treated differently by society. The First Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for redress of grievances”. The difference between today and the society in Harrison Bergeron is that those in society treat each other equally. George, Harrison’s father, is intelligent except he was also handicapped by the government. He is handicapped with objects used to make him equal with the rest of the society. “They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else.” The narrator of Harrison Bergeron states. Forcing those who are above average to be like everyone else is not equality. In today’s society, those above or below average are treated differently by society, this era is not perfect, although equality has been severely needed. As a result of non-equality in both worlds, both are a dystopia. This era is a free yet society does not treat one another equally. In the Harrison Bergeron era the intelligent plebeians of the society are a burden of the government yet,

One of the main reasons that supports this theme is that If you abandon your differences for a life of total equality it diminishes individuality. We see this constantly throughout the story with the only up front example being on page 2 when Hazel tells George to take off some of his handicaps. But to that he response by saying “I don’t mind it,” “I don’t notice it any more. It’s just a part of me.” The reader now can clearly see the burden that many face in this society that dwells on normality rather than individuality. Another example of this is on page 1 where George and Hazel are watching a rather dull ballet they see how the ballerinas are forced to wear degrading items that only mask their differences. And they have come to accept it

Since the genesis of time people have strived to achieve complete equality. We have tried to give people “equal rights” nonetheless it has failed to create perfect uniformity. Now imagine a world where government has created rules and regulations that bring people down to the same level. Imagine what would happen if the government decided to create equality through regulating publics’ intelligence, wealth, power and attractiveness. It might sound like a perfect place for residing until we don’t go in its dept. Imagine how a government would accomplish this mission. Answer to that question can be found in a short dystopian fiction story called Harrison Bergeron written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. The story sets the plot in 2081. Keeping in mind the story was first

Further into the story, fear is evoked by foreign action as the character Hazel states, ”I’d hate it,” (Vonnegut 3), to the character george’s statement “then other people’d get away with it-and pretty soon we’d be right back to the dark ages again, with everybody competing against everybody else…” (Vonnegut 3). This Suggest that they are so used to what is viewed as societal norms, forcing them demonize and reject others who act outside of the standard. In this dystopia, Vonnegut incorporates real life aspects of fame and popularity as he writes ”He tried to think a little about the ballerinas. 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, so that no one, seeing a free and graceful gesture or pretty face…” (Vonnegut 1). Exemplified in the Vonnegut portrayal of the ballerinas shown on television he showcases the ballerinas as an image for the rest of the world to follow and

Beauty is in diversity. Meeting other people, discovering other cultures and seeing things from a different perspective is the best way to learn, because others can give a person what he doesn’t have. In the story, laws are trying to make all people equal, not competing and not jealous, but when Hazel says “I’d think it would be real interesting, hearing all the different sounds” (Vonnegut 40) talking about the radio George has in his ear, it sounds like he has something she wants. It seems that the main intention is not equality of people but more to have people that are not able to think for themselves so the government will not have anyone opposing. For society today it is obviously not a good solution for equality of people, but George,

What makes you unique? Your looks? Your opinions? Your wisdom? Now, imagine living in a society where you are not allowed to stand out and you are forced to be like everyone else. The short story Harrison Bergeron, by Kurt Vonnegut, displays a society in which people have to adapt their qualities, such as appearance and intelligence, to fit equal standards. The reader experiences a day in the lives of George Bergeron, a man with an above average intelligence, who is forced to lower his mental capacity to the level of average people like his wife, Hazel Bergeron. The laws and standards in this society are created and controlled by an association called The United States Handicapper General. The author’s message in the book is that total equality