Literary Analysis Harrison Bergeron

In the short story, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut we are introduced to a dystopian society in the year 2081 that imposes equality on all citizens through mental and physical handicaps. In short, a couple, George and Hazel Bergeron, are sitting in their living room watching the dance of ballerinas. Towards the end of the story, the audience is presented to George and Hazel’s son, Harrison, who has been taken away for rebelling against a government led by the United States Handicapper General, Diana Moon Glampers. When reading the short story, one can recognize the pitfalls Vonnegut aims to impress on the readers through the development in the characters, George, Hazel, and Harrison Bergeron.Vonnegut crafts the characters in a purposeful

The error in bias against change occurs when one assumes change is always for the worst. “‘There you are," said George. The minute people start cheating on laws, what do you think happens to society?’" (Vonnegut). It is clear that Bergeron is a traditionalist who fully supports the government. Bergeon is a symbol of the millions of people in this society who have the same ideology and contribute to the complacency of their government. Bergeron and the rest of society lack the understanding that “total equality” is not actual equality. Moreso, with George and Hazel’s son invading the television broadcast, the society is indulged in the fearful propaganda rather than grasping the moral message purported by Harrison. In order for total equality to exist, liberties have to be sacrificed and people have to be suppressed. With that said, people resist change and reform when they feel their security is threatened, and will continue to live their day-to-day lives without questioning the authority in control. This is seen in George who is accustomed to a living situation in which he is okay to be robbed of his emotional thoughts and physical strength, and consistently narrows his mindset of following order without hesitation. Essentially, Vonnegut depicts the pitfall of bias against change to show the illusory appearance of total equality and the impact of government

Oversimplification is making complex ideas easier to grasp; thus, twisting and distorting ideas. After Hazel watches the news broadcast, she instantly forgets what she had seen but feels a sense of sadness. In response, George tells her to "forget sad things" (Vonnegut). The society is governed by Diana Moon Glampers who manipulates her power for control. George’s response shows the oversimplification of thought and knowledge that surpasses society. People in this story are not given the chance to think. Like mentioned prior, people with above-average intelligence are given radio earpieces that subdue their thoughts and reasoning. In consequence, all progress that requires thought stops and all critical thinking ends. This is dangerous in an equal society because evolution in technology and invention is important for a thriving society. The author’s oversimplification in George allows him to him illustrate a broader picture, in which society fails to see the reality that persists and continues to live in their imaginative world of equality. This can allude to George Orwell’s Animal Farm in which the ideology of “All animals are equal but some are more equal, and man is a beast animal” is believed by all the farm animals. In the novel, the animals starve and laboriously work during Napoleon's reign, convinced that