Within the story of Harrison Bergeron, there are many different aspects that Kurt Vonnegut wrote about. However, some are easier to identify compared to others. Some of the things and aspects that Vonnegut wrote about in Harrison Bergeron can be clearly identified by the words stated whereas other aspects written about take a bit of thinking about. Beginning with what was directly stated. In the year of 2081, everyone was required to be equal by the government. If some citizens were more better in ways such as stronger, more beautiful, or more intelligent, the government prevented equality by having those citizens to wear “handicaps”. An example of how we can obviously see this is when George and Hazel are watching T.V.. It is stated that,…
“Equality response tp Harrison Bergeron” Theme of the story was equality. The theme of the story is equality and it’s the way people was treated fair and all the handicaps made everyone equal and the way harrison bergeron and Kurt Vonnegut approached it in the story. They all had handicaps in the story. Nobody was smarter than anyone else. They was all equal.…
Aristotle once said “The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal.” It is hard to try to picture a world where every human being is completely equal. A world where that every human being is forced by any means to has equal wealth, equal intelligence and equal physical beauty. Kurt Vonnegut’s Jr. wrote about such a world in his 1961 short story “Harrison Bergeron”. Vonnegut makes a good use of irony to show how creating absolute equality would require an absurdly oppressive society. Vonnegut uses the characterization of the Bergeron family members, Harrison, Hazel, and George to demonstrate how absolute equality destroys Individuality and also to show the two-facedness of that idealistic society and the danger of total…
In "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, the author creates a short story about a Dystopian society where any form of "unequal advantage" is frowned upon and dealt with by a method known as “Handicapping” a person. Handicapping was given based off the “advantage” that a person had, a few examples being the ballerinas forced to cover their faces to keep their beauty hidden or an overly intelligent person being forced to wear a mental radio within his/her own ear.…
The short story “Harrison Bergeron” written by Kurt Vonnegut in late 1960s, depicts a teenage boy challenging the rules and laws of an oppressive government to enforce equality among the society. In 2081, the government has finally made all Americans physically and mentally equal, when Harrison Bergeron criticizes this handicap system and defines it as cruel and dangerous for the sake of the humanity. For example, Kurt Vonnegut states, “Harrison tore the straps of his handicap harness like wet tissue paper, tore straps guaranteed to support five thousand pounds.”(Vonnegut 4). With the rebellion of Harrison, the author urges people to protest against the handicaps as this brutal system make them weak and miserable. In addition, Mr. Vonnegut…
Do you believe that everyone in “Harrison Bergeron” was equal? Being equal wasn’t true in “Harrison Bergeron”, because their are multiple examples of everyone not being truly equal. Everyone wasn’t equal in “Harrison Bergeron”, because the general wasn’t wearing any handicaps when she was powerful, the handicaps weren’t an answer since you can easily take them off, and when someone has a handicap and someone doesn’t, that wasn’t equal. First of all, everyone in “Harrison Bergeron” wasn’t equal, because the general doesn’t have any handicaps, even when she was powerful. For example, in the text it said nothing about her wearing any handicaps or being equal to the citizens.…
In the short story, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, life is extremely different. Set in the futuristic time period of 2081, Vonnegut gives you a peek at a dystopian world, much different than what life is like now. In the story, everyone must be equal. No one is smarter, prettier, or stronger than anybody else. The new government punishes people who act on their own and gives handicaps to those who have “unfair advantages”.…
When you picture equality, do you see people carrying around heavy bags of birdshot on their necks with the reasoning that they are “stronger than the average person”? No, I didn’t think so. The point I’m trying to get at, is in the short story “Harrison Bergeron” the matter of equality is taken far out of proportion. Total equality is absolutely impossible. It doesn’t matter how many restrictions you put on people, there will always be people who are superior to others.…
By crafting the dystopian message of ultimate equality in “Harrison Bergeron,” Vonnegut expresses his perspective on total equality; it is not an ideal concept. He does so by showing a possible consequences of total equality. In the narrative, the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendment was enacted— a set of rules that establishes full equality— all under the control of the Handicapper General, Diana Moon Glampers. To the Handicapper General, being equal didn’t only mean “before God and the law,” it also meant in “every which way” (Vonnegut 1). This meant that while everyone had the same rights, everyone’s abilities and characteristics were regulated.…
In "Harrison Bergeron," Vonnegut proposes that overall equality is not a striving idea, as many believe, but a false goal that risks both execution and results. To obtain physical and mental equality among all Americans, the government in the story of Vonnegut tortures its citizens. Angels must wear ugly masks or despise themselves, intelligent people must listen to the obstructive noise that hinders their ability to think, and the brave and powerful must wear the weight around his neck. They are at every hour of the day. Emphasis requires equality to enter into citizens who begin to mute themselves or hide their unique features. Some behave this way because they have accomplished the goal of the government and others they're fear of the government…
Vonnegut is attempting to illustrate that equality if taken to an extreme point, can no longer benefit society, but destroy it. Harrison Bergeron lives in a “truly equal” society that puts…
Have you ever forgot something very important that could’ve changed your life? In Kurt Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron, equality is forced upon the citizens by the government. Everyone is forced to wear handicaps that make everyone “equal”. The government, strictly enforces these handicaps. If someone were to take a handicap off, such as a lead ball hanging from their neck, it would be 2 years in prison and a $2,000 fine. In Kurt Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron, he shows the government is so corrupt that they will do anything to keep their power.…
The ideas surrounding utopian and dystopian societies are popular because people are very passionate about topics that can only be solved or dealt with in the future. One example of this is that people feel extremely passionate about total equality, but that can’t be achieved today due to sexism and racism in America. For example, both Harrison Bergeron and The Giver focus on humanity striving for ‘total equality,’ a topic that authors are highly passionate about. In the story Harrison Bergeron, the government uses handicaps to lower the qualities of above-average people to create equality. Likewise, in The Giver, everyone looks the same and the government has very strict laws to prevent inequalities. Both examples show total equality, a very…
People in Harrison Bergeron are forced into wearing excessive handicaps to make everyone’s skill sets equal, identical; one is left to question how this affects the productivity of society. In the text, a dialogue is shared between George and Hazel, the topic regarding what would occur if everyone removed their handicaps. Hazel reckons “it’d fall apart.” To which George replies, “What would?” This shows that George simply forgot about what Hazel and he were…
“The worst form of inequality is the try to make unequal things equal”(Aristotle). In simpler words, the worst form of inequality is when someone tries to make something equal, that is not meant to be equal. In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” the government sought out to make a completely equal society. Consequently, when they do this, they limit the people’s abilities so everyone is completely equal. In this short story, the government succeeds in making an “equal” society by handicapping the people who are strong with weights, handicapping the people who are beautiful with disguises, and handicapping the people who are intelligent by limiting their ability to think.…