The Different Ones By Harrison Bergeron

Society is not better when it strives for sameness because citizens who are different will end up punished for their uniqueness. In “The Different Ones”, after contacting the government office in hopes for finding a home for his son,Victor, who was born with a deformity and is constantly being bullied, an official tells Mr. Koch that “[killing him] would be in the nature of a medieval value judgment. Hardly applicable in this day and age. To mercifully put someone to sleep for humanitarian reasons is certainly not an act of murder” (4). In other words, Mr. Koch is told that the best solution is to kill his son for his uniqueness, because it would be good for humanity. Victor, who is different from the rest of society is reprimanded and constantly put down for his uniquenesses and his own father is told “putting him to sleep” is the greatest solution.
Similarly, in “Harrison Bergeron”, a citizen named George had “intelligence which was way above normal, [a little transmitter] in his ear would send out some sharp noise” which caused George to turn “white and tremble, while tears stood on the rims of his red eyes” because of the noises. (2). Because of his unique intelligence level, George wears a handicap so that he will be equal to the rest of society. He is forced to suffer through the painfully sharp and loud noises because of his difference, his higher intellect. Society’s ways to strive for sameness hurt and punish the people who are different. Their ways towards equality are flawed and unfair, which is in no way better than