Kurt Vonnegut makes use of the absurd details in the short story “Harrison Bergeron” to emphasize that equality can bring down society. In the beginning of the story, Vonnegut implies that people are restricted from performing to the best of their abilities when he states that George, a character in the story, “had a mental handicap radio in his ear” that would “send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brain”. This is bringing down society because people like George in the story who are smart are being restricted from taking advantage of their mental capabilities just to establish equality. Moreover, the ballerinas in this short story are also restricted from dancing to the best of their …show more content…
Vonnegut is explaining that the ballerinas in his story have to conceal their true beauty because of the masks they are forced to wear and their talent in dancing because of the weight that is put on them to hold them back from dancing gracefully just so everyone is equal. In addition, there was also a time where there was an announcement was supposed to be made, but the announcer had a hard time saying the first words of the announcement, so one of the ballerinas had to take over. However, when the ballerina started to speak, she had a very beautiful because her voice was a “warm, luminous timeless melody”. But then, she had to restart the announcement making her voice absolutely “uncompetitive”. In other words, Vonnegut is implying that even a woman with a naturally beautiful voice is forced to hide it just because the government is extreme about …show more content…
Even the most common characteristics causes trouble in society because in the government described in the story it’s regarded as dangerous and this is degrades everyone in society because even characteristics as simple as intelligence and athletics are restricted just so everyone is equal. Moreover, later on in the story, Harrison Bergeron and one of the ballerinas were dancing along to the music that was played by the musicians. While they were dancing, handicapper general, Diana Moon Glampers enters the scene with a “double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun” and fired twice at the ballerina and Harrison leaving them both “dead” before hitting the floor. In elaboration, Harrison and the Ballerina died for having fun and dancing because by doing that they are not equal to everyone because in this government, everyone is restricted from expressing themselves like being happy and dancing like Harrison and the ballerina did. Lastly, after Hazel witnesses the death of her son Harrison, she begins to cry. Even though she forgot what it was, what she witnessed on television was very heartbreaking to watch. But when she cries to George, explaining that she witnessed something sad on television, George tells her to
Kurt Vonnegut writes, “George was toying with the vague notion that maybe dancers shouldn’t be handicapped. But he didn’t get very far with it before another noise in his ear radio scattered his thoughts” (Vonnegut 70). This quote brings out the theme in many different ways. First, the quote mentions how the government is keeping George from thinking any deep thoughts, they do not want him to think that the handicaps are bad. To prevent the human race from overthrowing the government they just interrupt everyone's brain. The government is also doing major harm to themselves and the whole country because the brilliant people could possibly think of cures for rare diseases and other world conflicts, but they can not even think past what their own name is. Overall, every person should be able to use their brain without every single chain of thought being disconnected by the
At the first glance, an image of the society portrayed in the “Harrison Bergeron” short will put the reader at a halt. This short story depicts a nation that has made the world a place of pure equality. “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). The government had completely taken over the nation and its people. There were handicaps for those who had advantages over anyone else. Power was non-existent in this land. Mainly because all of it belonged to the government. If there was ever a time to see the imbalance of power it would be now. This story is not only a fictitious short to entertain the reader. This Short is a warning to the world providing a view of the consequences of power. “Ironically, no one really benefits from these misguided attempts to enforce equality” (Themes and Construction: "Harrison Bergeron"). Even on the television programs, beautiful women with handicaps placed on their faces. “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 a pretty face, would feel like something the cat drug in.” (Vonnegut). An elaborate handicap had been placed over the whole country and the public was fine with it! Power causes more than a hardship if not detected. It ruins lives. The people of this short will never know what it means to be
Harrison Bergeron is a short story that creates many images and feelings while using symbols and themes to critique aspects of our lives. In the story, the future US government implements a mandatory handicap for any citizens who is over their standards of normal. The goal of the program is to make everyone equal in physical capabilities, mental aptitude and even outward appearance. The story is focused around a husband and wife whose son, Harrison, was taken by the government because he is very strong and smart, and therefore too above normal not to be locked up. But, Harrison’s will is too great. He ends up breaking out of prison, and into a TV studio where he appears on TV. There, he removes the government’s equipment off of himself, and a dancer, before beginning to dance beautifully until they are both killed by the authorities. The author uses this story to satire
Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle once said, “The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal.” Kurt Vonnegut portrays Aristotle’s philosophy brilliantly in his short story “Harrison Bergeron.” The story depicts the American government in the future mandating physical handicaps in an attempt to make everyone equal. Vonnegut describes a world where no one is allowed to excel in the areas of intelligence, athletics, or beauty. Yet, the inequalities among the people shine even brighter. Vonnegut uses satire to explore the question of whether true equality can ever really exist.
Imagine a society where not a single person competes with another. It has been like this for years, yet nothing has changed since the start of this new world. No new technology, no new occupations, no new discoveries. Absolutely nothing is different. Without competition no one will push themselves to be better or to achieve any goals, and without new achievements society cannot survive, let alone thrive. The short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. discusses this topic. Set in a society where anyone above average in any way is handicapped, therefore everyone is completely and totally equal. One handicapped man, George’s, son is taken away by the government at the mere age of fourteen under suspicion of rebellious intentions. Another
Aristotle said, “ The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal.” True equality is hard to come by when there are so many things that make people so different. The word equality has a very general meaning. That meaning however, can be interpreted in many different ways. To some, the interpretation can lean more towards a sense of freedom. This freedom has been something society has been fighting for throughout the entirety of history. To others, such as author Kurt Vonnegut Jr., it could mean the complete opposite. In Harrison Bergeron, Vonnegut portrays equality as a sort of societal imprisonment.
Although the tone remains constant throughout the story, we are able to read through the cracks to get a glimpse at the bigger picture. The tone is calm, however at the same time Vonnegut is using it to show us how eerily depressive and submissive life would be if total equality was implemented into society. From the beginning of the story, tone is set as neither George or Hazel appear to be all that upset that their 14-year-old son, Harrison, has been taken from them and imprisoned. In fact, the tone remains very calm, “It was tragic, all right, but George and Hazel couldn’t think about it very hard” (Vonnegut 27). Another example of tone is set when describing George’s handicap. George is forced to wear a 47-pound bag of birdshot padlocked around his neck but is unable to remove it for fear of imprisonment and fines. Rather than being upset or angry about this, George is resolved to this way of life and states,” I don’t mind it, I don’t notice it any more. It’s just a part of me.” (Vonnegut 28). Throughout the story, the reader continues to feels a depressive, submissive tone especially during the ballet and specifically when the ballerina had to “apologize at once for her voice, which was very unfair for a woman to use. Her voice was a warm, luminous, timeless melody.” (Vonnegut 29). The tone was carried to the very end, suggesting that total equality is dangerous and leads to an empty dull controlled society. Even upon Harrison’s brutal and public execution that Hazel witnesses, Hazel though she cried, she cannot even remember why she cried other than that it was “Something real sad on television.” (Vonnegut 32). This is not the reaction one would expect from a mother who witnessed her son’s death. Although tone helped carry the theme that total equality is dangerous to a society, Vonnegut also used motifs to further illustrate this
Taking a look at several of the characters in this story is a key way to see the impact that a lack of individuality can have. The first characters talked about in the story are George and Hazel Bergeron. Hazel is a very average human, but George on the other hand has several above average attributes. His intelligence is hindered by a radio that plays obnoxious sounds every few seconds. He also carried a bag of birdshot around his neck. However, the main handicap he deals with is the sounds. The transmitter destroys his ability to think and analyze events and ideas. One example is shown while they are watching the heavily handicapped and extremely average ballerinas. “George was toying with the vague notion that maybe dancers shouldn’t be handicapped. But he didn’t get very far with it before another noise in his ear radio scattered his thoughts.” (Vonnegut 193) This quotation continues to show how the government is now in an all-powerful place. Anyone with the mental power to realize that the government was wrong would have a distraction that would make them abandon the thought. George and Hazel are the biggest example in the story about the heart breaking measures the government has taken against its citizens. They watch their son get taken away, are sad for a bit, and then forget about it like it was an unimportant event that happens every day. They see their son on television, notice it for a few seconds, and then due to loud noises and incompetency they forget about it. The most heartbreaking event of the story is when Harrison is shot by the Handicap General. George returns to the kitchen and notices Hazel had been crying. He questions her about it and she does not know why she cried in the first place. Vonnegut shows here how complete equality takes people away from their humanity and their ability to be human beings. Characterization plays a key role in several of the other
“Tears stood on the rims of his red eyes.” George hears a sharp painful buzzer go off in his headset handicap, which makes him inevitable cry and tremble. This noise is meant to break up George’s mind so he cannot think properly. This restriction enforced by the government allows the government to control it’s citizen’s thoughts. Although it brings pain and misery to George, it does prevent him from forming rebellious thoughts against the government and its system. George, as well as the people imprisoned by these handicaps are incapable of experiencing normal daily activities such as dancing, which is something the ballerinas have trouble doing in this story due to the handicaps. George’s reaction to the painful buzzer results in him to “turn white and tremble” which shows the level of misery the handicaps can impose on someone. Instead of equalizing the society, the handicaps mainly take away the people’s freedom and free will which causes their happiness to dwindle. The handicaps not only restrict the people’s thoughts and actions but also their emotional, physical, and mental
Vonnegut’s structure of total equality would never work in any way, because it debilitates the human race and stops all creativity. Kurt Vonnegut writes this story to help us realize that equality is meant to make no man or woman better than another. The major theme in this story is that equality is for rights and not for attributes like beauty, strength, and intelligence. Individuality is considered a threat to the Handicap General. Government social control is used to collectivize and penalize anyone who is above average.
In “Harrison Bergeron”, the author shows us that the people wear handicaps to make them equal to everybody else. Set in the future, the story reveals that the protagonist, Harrison, breaks out of his handicaps and dances with the dotted ballerina. He exposes that he and other people should not have to wear those ugly and heavy handicaps to be equal. This part of the story relates to the critical lense because presently, we do not have to wear handicaps to be equal. In our society, nobody is equal because of a handicap. In this story, the author uses the literary element of man versus society conflict
Unfortunately for them, the government took him away when he was fourteen years old. The Bergeron 's are sitting in front of the TV watching ballet (with ballerinas wearing masks to hide their beauty and weights to limit their grace and strength) The Ballet is interrupted when one of the ballerinas has an urgent government news announcement to make. Harrison Bergeron has escaped! Just then Harrison himself rips off the door to the stage and storms on screen. He declares himself Emperor and takes one of the ballerinas as his Empress. The two of them dance, fly through the air, kiss the ceiling, and then kiss each other. Then Handicapper General, Diana Moon Glampers then shoots them both dead with a shotgun. The Bergeron 's television blows out and goes dark. George had gone to get a beer, so it appears he missed the whole thing. Hazel cries, but soon can 't remember why. With this their life goes back to normal right after their son has been shot right before
The most important theme that we can easily notice in the story is the lack of freedom, which is extremely significant to the American ideals, and Harrison demonstrates it as his escapes from jail, remove his handicaps, and influence others around him. In order to have a completely equal society in Harrison Bergeron’s world, people cannot choose what they want to take part in or what they are good at because if a person is above average in anything, even appearance, they are handicapped. These brain and body devices are implanted in an effort to make everyone equal. However, instead of raising everyone up to the better level, the government chooses instead to lower people to the lowest common level of human thought and action, which means that people with beautiful faces wear masks. Also, people with above average intelligence wear a device that gives a soul-shattering piercing noise directly into the ear to destroy any train of thought. Larger and stronger people have bags of buckshot padlocked a...
In both Harrison Bergeron and today’s society, people struggle with equality. As shown in Harrison Bergeron the pushing of equality causes consequences. Equality is being pushed onto everyone by having handicaps to make them sure that no one person is better than another. Equality can also cause any type of hurt, both physical and mental. Physical hurt is what occurs with George. George is
There are many gender stereotypes in this world and how women are treated less than men. Women are shown as weak, dumb, and helpless while men are shown as strong, smart, and leaders. People try to be in an equal society but are not truly equal. Through the portrayal of gender equality shown in Kurt Vonnegut’s short story, “Harrison Bergeron,” the leader create an unequal gender society. Where people are unable to be who they are and losing their voice, resulting in a society where equality rules. Vonnegut’s short story suggests that people strive for equality and diversity is a necessity. People want to be in a society where they can be free to express their emotions and their personality.