Sacrifice In William Faulkner's Harrison Bergeron

Picture a world where ash falls from the sky like snowfall in the winter; meanwhile, the sound of military guards and rifles replace the cries of laughter that once belonged to the children. Signs stating “We are at War!” or “Curfew for all citizens at 8:00pm” cover the building walls that used to fill the city will art and color. These dark and depressing traits resemble the war referenced in “William Faulkner’s Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech” and the dystopian society represented in the short story, “Harrison Bergeron”. Both authors are trying to get across a similar and important messaged to the audience; for example, the impact of war on humans psyche, the importance of sacrifice during low social times, and the overall message behind both authors. William Faulkner wrote his speech during the time of of the bomb crisis. People all over the world were in constant fear of loosing their lives at any given time, quite similarly to the characters in “Harrison Bergeron”. Faulkner’s argument was that “There is only one question: When will I be blown up? Because of this, the young man or woman writing today has forgotten the problems of the human heart…” (1950). He believed the emotional impact of the war was causing people to see life as only a time for survival; however, the human mind and spirit is capable of far more than merely existing. In
In order for people to understand or social statuses to change, sacrifices have to be made. “…but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice, and endurance”, Faulkner stated (1950). There is no better example of sacrifice than that of the character Harrison in “Harrison Bergeron”. He knew the risk of taking a stand against the government but he did it anyway despite his near followed death. The sacrifice Harrison made reflects on the scenario that Faulkner relays in his