A Future Society
A Future Society
The story Harrison Bergeron shines a new perspective on the future of the government. It made me sit and think about the possible reasons of inequality and whether they are fair or not. However, I wasn’t too pleased with how the laws of equality were carried out. Were the government’s alterations of each person’s life harsh? Did they take these laws too far over the line?
The selected piece of reading is Harrison Bergeron written by Hurt Vonnegut Jr. It is a short story of a future society where all is equal. “Nobody was smarter than anybody else; nobody was better looking than anybody else; nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else.” (Vonnegut Jr. 369) The difference was that they were not born that way but altered to be that way by the government.
The leader of the government was Diana Moon Glampers also known as the Handicapper General who I assume had a big part in choosing the handicaps. Every person was given handicaps to equalize everyone’s potential ranging from ear pieces to face masks. The main family of the story is George and Hazel Bergeron whose son, Harrison, was arrested and taken into custody. Hazel and George’s son was taken into custody “on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government.” (Vonnegut Jr. 372) As sad as that was, George and Hazel were incapable of having feeling about that situation. Hazel had an average memory and was not able to think about too much “except in short bursts.” (Vonnegut Jr. 370) George had to wear an ear piece that would interrupt his thinking when the government would play a loud sound in his ear to keep him from “taking unfair advantage” of his brain. (Vonnegut Jr. 370) Many of the Bergerons’ conversations would be interrupted by George’s ear piece. He also had a handicap bag that contained “forty-seven pounds of birdshot”. (Vonnegut Jr. 371) They somehow managed to discuss the laws and the effect it had on George. Hazel felt his bag was tiring him out and even suggested making a
The story Harrison Bergeron shines a new perspective on the future of the government. It made me sit and think about the possible reasons of inequality and whether they are fair or not. However, I wasn’t too pleased with how the laws of equality were carried out. Were the government’s alterations of each person’s life harsh? Did they take these laws too far over the line?
The selected piece of reading is Harrison Bergeron written by Hurt Vonnegut Jr. It is a short story of a future society where all is equal. “Nobody was smarter than anybody else; nobody was better looking than anybody else; nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else.” (Vonnegut Jr. 369) The difference was that they were not born that way but altered to be that way by the government.
The leader of the government was Diana Moon Glampers also known as the Handicapper General who I assume had a big part in choosing the handicaps. Every person was given handicaps to equalize everyone’s potential ranging from ear pieces to face masks. The main family of the story is George and Hazel Bergeron whose son, Harrison, was arrested and taken into custody. Hazel and George’s son was taken into custody “on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government.” (Vonnegut Jr. 372) As sad as that was, George and Hazel were incapable of having feeling about that situation. Hazel had an average memory and was not able to think about too much “except in short bursts.” (Vonnegut Jr. 370) George had to wear an ear piece that would interrupt his thinking when the government would play a loud sound in his ear to keep him from “taking unfair advantage” of his brain. (Vonnegut Jr. 370) Many of the Bergerons’ conversations would be interrupted by George’s ear piece. He also had a handicap bag that contained “forty-seven pounds of birdshot”. (Vonnegut Jr. 371) They somehow managed to discuss the laws and the effect it had on George. Hazel felt his bag was tiring him out and even suggested making a
Cited: Vonnegut, Kurt. “Harrison Bergeron.” Brave New Worlds. Ed. John Joseph Adams. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Night Shade Books, 2012. Web. 1 Sept. 2013.