Set one hundred and twenty years in the future, Kurt Vonnegut’s dystopian world short story “Harrison Bergeron” is about the outcome of what happens when the government takes over due to people in society pleading for equality. Ranging from physical looks to one’s intelligence, it seems that people are continually unsatisfied with themselves when compared to others. However, there is one boy who refuses to conform to the laws set in place by the Handicapper General. Harrison Bergeron is that boy. The story tells of his capture, rebellion, and his demise due to breaking free from the laws of equality. In whole, Kurt Vonnegut wants his readers to assess the issue of equality in society before the made up world of his story turns into reality. …show more content…
Mr. Vonnegut writes that “they weren’t only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way.” By this he is saying that everyone no longer has their own individual identity. Therefore, due to the 211th, 213th, and the 214th amendments, everyone had to follow rules to make them equal with others. Anyone that was more beautiful or more handsome than others had to wear masks to disguise their faces. Also, if anyone was above average intelligence they had to wear mental handicaps in their ears. And in some way the government and their people seemed to think that that made them equal between each other and with God, as well. And although this seemed to be their thinking, it is flawed. If God had wanted everyone to be equal, then why had he created everyone differently? No human being is meant to look like one another, nor are they to think and have the same IQ as each …show more content…
Vonnegut doesn’t just tell his readers that equality isn’t worth it, but rather he shows the reader how society had to, in a way, dumb itself down just so everyone would get what they wanted, an even playing field. An example of what the average person in that world is like would be Hazel Bergeron, mother of Harrison and wife of George Bergeron. While Hazel is not made to wear any mental handicaps she is, however, somewhat in a constant state of absent mindedness. She continually forgets about things that are happening right in front of her, or forgetting what she was talking about. She seems to think that having a mental handicap would be something else. She illustrates this after watching her husband wince against a new sound in his ear “I’d think it would be real interesting, hearing all the different sounds,” said Hazel, a little envious. “All the things they think up.” It seems as though she doesn’t understand the severity of not being allowed to think your own thoughts without being
To begin with, Vonnegut advises that beauty can make a better society every now and then for everyone. Kurt Vonnegut explores his main character, a young fourteen boy, Harrison considered as a handicap because of his abilities to succeed. Harrison is designated as smart, skilled, physically strong, and better looking. However the author inscribes this story based on Harrison’s mind. Vonnegut plots the conflict within Harrison’s morality because Harrison struggles with his desires of making an equal society. Vonnegut chooses to develop Harrison in order to help us readers understand the meaning of equality in his creative society, that no man or woman was supposed to be attractive or beautiful than others. Earlier in the story the government put laws on individual’s physical appearance that everyone should be equal. But Harrison and his empress were above the average of the other. Harrison had power as soon as he declared himself “emperor” and the empress was “extraordinarily beautiful” by the reason why the government killed them. “It was then ...
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
Equality appears to be the ideal factor that can perfect a society. It eliminates the need to feel envious of any human or their qualities. Nevertheless, with impartiality comes lack of diversity and ambition. Inequality is the entity that provides individuals with the passion to strive for a better life. If everyone has already reached their full potential there is no purpose for living. The short novel “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut presents a futuristic portrayal of a world where everyone is equal in every way possible. In “Harrison Bergeron,” Vonnegut displays the clear flaws in society that lead to the creation of a horrific dystopia that lacks genuine human emotions, fails to develop as a civilized community and is strictly government
“Harrison Bergeron” starts with explaining the society within the story. It begins, “The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way,” (Vonnegut 158). With this startlingly different introduction, Vonnegut explains that everyone is equal but does not include how during this time. As the story progresses, the reader begins to see exactly how the citizens are “equal.”
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
An impartial society: Utopia or Hell? What would happen to the world if the people were literally equal in every aspect of their lives? In the futuristic short story, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., the world is finally living up to America’s first amendment of everyone being created equal. In this society, the gifted, strong, and beautiful are required to wear handicaps of earphones, heavy weights, and hideous masks, respectively. Thus, these constraints leave the world equal from brains to brawn to beauty. With the world constantly pushing for equality among people, Vonnegut reveals a world that society is diligently working toward. Through this foreshadowing of the future, Vonnegut attempts to use Diana Moon Glampers and
What gives the reader the false idea of utopia in Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” is the deep social control in the form handicaps where individual’s abilities and competence and even appearance are neutralized and vilified as a form of inequality. The characteristics of equality chosen by Vonnegut; beauty, athleticism, and intelligence is important to the story’s message. The main focus of the story are the characteristics of equality that are subjective, the very same characteristics we are born with that makes us different and minimally states the objective ones, the ones that plague our society today. This not only satirizes the epitome of equality itself, but rather the people’s flawed ideals and belief of what total equality is supposed to be or should be.
Ever since the beginning of time, Americans have been struggling to obtain equality. The main goal is to have a country where everyone can be considered equal, and no one is judged or discriminated against because of things out of their control. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Plays with this idea of total equality in his futuristic short story, Harrison Bergeron. The setting is in 2081, where everyone is equal. No one is allowed to be better than anybody else. The government makes anyone who would be considered above average wear a transmitting device to limit their thoughts to twenty seconds at a time, which is considered average in this day. They also must wear bags of buckshot shackled to their necks to ensure no one can be stronger than anybody
What would actually happen if everyone was forced to be equal? Kurt Vonnegut envisioned the fatal outcome in his masterpiece, “Harrison Bergeron.” The story illustrates “what would happen if a government or some other power takes this notion serious” (Mowery). The protagonist, Harrison, who is arrest for “exuberant individuality,” escapes from prison and goes on national television station to declare himself emperor, only later to be killed by the handicap general Diane Moon. In “Harrison Bergeron,” Kurt Vonnegut satirizes the movement toward egalitarianism and the effect of television on people.
……………Most of the numerous and very disparate urban utopias imagined since antiquity, claim more or less a social justice combining equality, fairness, and freedom. However the methods invented to reach this social justice often lead to more binding law, sometimes up to the absurd, that limited the abilities and capacities of the citizens. Thus, behind the mask of an ideal equality, is concealed in fact, a tremendous social injustice. In “Harrison Bergeron”, Kurt Vonnegut’s shows us the consequences of sacrificing freedom for perfect equality by using the story of an excessive utopia to demonstrate that a society in which total equality exists, is not only oppressive, but also static and inefficient. Vonnegut exemplifies the image of fairness
Never would I thought that we have a dystopian-like society in our world. Don’t know what a dystopia is? It is a society set in the future, typically portrayed in movies and books in, which everything is unpleasant. The novel Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut is a dystopian story of a fourteen-year-old boy named Harrison who grows up in a society that limits people’s individuality. When he is taken away from his parents, because of his strong idiosyncrasy, his parents do not even recall his presence because of the “mental handicaps” that the government forces onto them. Harrison eventually escapes from his imprisonment and tries to show others that they can get rid of the handicaps and be free. Though the government official, or Handicapper
What would happen to the world if everyone in our society was equal in every aspect? Would this create utopia or hell? In this short story "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. America has finally achieved full social equality, and living up to the first amendment fully. In this futuristic society, handicaps force this equality, the strong, the beautiful, the intelligent are forced to wear weights, masks, and headphones. These constraints force equality among the American people from beauty and brains, to strength. Harrison is the symbol of defiance and individuality, and represents the aspects of the American people that still want to try hard, out do their peers, and show off their attributes. The story criticizes the policy of equality
Being unique is a necessary part of life. People are told starting as children that they need to be themselves. They are told to do what they love and love what they do. What if the world didn’t allow this? Kurt Vonnegut ponders the idea of a life in which the government enforces complete equality. “Harrison Bergeron” takes place in a future society that hinders people with skills to make everyone equal. This society makes everyone worse instead of better. Complete equality has too many issues for it to be viable. Equality should be for all in the eyes of the law. However, complete equality should not be pursued because taking away the differences between people is a clear mistake.
When a person or group of people join a distinct opposition towards someone or something, it is discrimination. People are inadequately affected through hate and criticism because of the unique differences we each hold as human beings. In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, he presents us with the mental vision of Tall Poppy Syndrome. These circumstances could negatively attribute to our government being detrimental to our future society by indoctrinating equality within the nation.
The story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut is120 years in the future, which allows us to more easily accept some of the bizarre events that happen in the story such as when the character Harrison Bergeron is dancing with a ballerina and there is no law of gravity and motion, so they can almost touch the studio ceiling which is thirty feet high. The author emphasizes in his work themes such as freedom, mind manipulation, the American dream, and media influence, also the opposition between strength and weakness and knowledge and ignorance. The story illustrates that being equal to one another is not always the best way to live because everyone is different for a reason. Also, this is what makes everyone special in your particular way.