Summary Of Harrison Bergeron By Kurt Vonnegut

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The author of “Harrison Bergeron” is Kurt Vonnegut. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on November 11, 1922. Vonnegut is well known for his satirical literary style, as well as the science-fiction elements in much of his work. He first published “Harrison Bergeron” in October 1961. This short story is mainly about equality for everyone and it’s a Utopian society that becomes a Dystopian society. A Utopian society is, “an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its citizens”(“Utopia”). On the other hand, a Dystopian society is, “an imaginary society that is as dehumanizing and as unpleasant as possible”(Dystopian). The setting of “Harrison Bergeron” is incredibly futuristic, as it is timed …show more content…

Although rules can be helpful when it comes to keeping people in line, too many rules can cause an uproar from the people who are forced to follow them. Harrison is an example of how people may react when they are feeling overpowered and like they don’t have the slightest bit of control over their lives. Harrison came into the studio and said, "I am the Emperor! Do you hear? I am the Emperor! Everybody must do what I say at once! Even as I stand here crippled, hobbled, sickened - I am a greater ruler than any man who ever lived! Now watch me become what I can become!" At this point, Harrison removes all the handicap harnesses that he is forced to wear, like so many others, to make him seem equal to everyone else. These harnesses are another way the government controls the people within the story and Harrison is trying to rip free of them to unbind himself from the …show more content…

I feel as if this is an act to pull more people into his plan to upstage the government, but it didn’t quite work the way I believe Harrison hoped it would. One of the ballerinas stood with Harrison and removed her mask to reveal the beauty that the government forced her to hide so she would seem equal to those who aren’t as stunning as she. Although the scene in which the ballerina and Harrison dance together may seem like the climax of this story and it may seem like at any moment all the other people around them will begin to strip off their harnesses to dance alongside them, that would not make of an interesting story. Harrison and his ballerina are shot in front of everyone in the studio, for what reason, maybe because the government knew that this would only be the beginning of Harrison’s actions to overthrow them. As you’re reading the story, you feel some sort of hope that the government will fall, and all the rules will come crashing down, but we can’t live in that fairytale forever so Harrison and his ballerina are shot dead and your hope

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