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Dystopia in Harrison Bergeron and Searching for Summer
Dystopia in Harrison Bergeron and Searching for Summer
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In two completely different short stories Harrison Bergeron and Searching for Summer have many similarities. First off, Harrison Bergeron, like Searching for Summer, is a story of a dystopian society that oppresses its people, although one is by the government, and the other is by the environment. The strong carry weights, the smart have earpieces, and the beautiful wear masks. The sun never shines due to the clouds that always cover the earth. Likewise, both stories search for this beauty in the world but only had this beauty for a short time. They know that this beauty does not last long, but both characters choose to seek it anyways. Both stories take place in the future, but in two different and horrifying realities.
Harrison Bergeron is a short story that has a deep meaning to it. To begin with, the short story Harrison Bergeron was made in 1961 and is written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. The whole short story is set in the far future of 2081. 2081 is a time where everybody is finally equal and when the government finally has full control over everyone. If you aren't equal you would have to wear handicaps to limit your extraordinary strength and smarts. As the story progresses, Harrison Bergeron is trying to send a message about society.
The future entails breakthrough technology and unknown leadership. The harsh rules of the government in, Harrison Bergeron, causes the protagonist, Harrison Bergeron, to come up with the dangerous idea to overthrow the government which leads to the violent behavior of the antagonist Diana Moon Glampers. The author, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., uses character development to show the theme of the harsh government through the eyes of the protagonist, antagonist, and the foil characters Hazel and George Bergeron in this futuristic society.
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
The world is divided up into numerous things: Countries, states, cities, communities, etc. However, when looking at the big scope of things, one can group the vast amount of people into a society. This society is where the majority lie in the scheme of things - in other words, the common people. Individuals do exist in this society, but they are scarce in a world of conformism. Society’s standards demands an individual to conform, and if the individual refuses they are pushed down by society.
Society had almost the same roles for men and women in both stories. In 1984, men and women were both treated the same, as mindless members of the party. They both had the same jobs and duties, and they both had the same rules. In Harrison
The handicaps are to people as the cage is to the bird. This simile describes how Caged Bird and Harrison Bergeron are alike. Harrison Bergeron and Caged Bird are very alike in many reasons. They both reference limitations on freedom. In Caged Bird the limitation is that the bird is in the cage and cannot fly or go wherever it pleases. In Harrison Bergeron the limitations are all the handicaps. In Harrison Bergeron there are limitations to the citizens. These are called handicaps. When you are more capable at something then other people are then you receive handicaps that limit your abilities so that everyone is equal. Some handicaps are earpieces that stop you from thinking with a ringing sound, masks for those that have superior beauty, and
Harrison Bergeron is a story about what happens in an attempt to create equality. Equality, media influence, fear and technology are themes used in both stories to change and create devastation in the future. The
“Harrison Bergeron,” by Kurt Vonnegut is the story about a young boy, Harrison, rebelling against the government that requires everyone to be equal. Diana Moon Glampers, Handicapper General, enforces equality by making citizens wear handicaps, and the author is attempting to convey to the reader that in order to overthrow a Communist government there must be participation from all parties. However, he does this discretely by using symbolism throughout his story, and by the end the reader can assess the problem with complete equality in communist societies. The symbology in “Harrison Bergeron,” not only foreshadows later events in the story, but it also suggests that the story is an allegory to the effects of communism.
“Harrison Bergeron” a short story by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., takes place in a totalitarian society where everyone is equal. A man who tries to play the savior, but ultimately fails in his endeavors to change the world. Vonnegut short story showed political views on communism, which is that total equality is not good (and that equity might be better).
Would a regular citizen enjoy being as skilled of a dancer as a ballerina? Or as intelligent as the next guy? In Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.’s story of Harrison Bergeron, handicaps, such as small radio’s that blast sharp sounds are used to prevent individuals from having more intellectual thoughts than others. The year is 2081 and everyone is equal in every which way. Handicapped George and his wife Hazel are watching a ballerina performance. The show is interrupted by an announcement to watch out for their son, Harrison Bergeron as he is under-handicapped and dangerous. The conflict begins when Harrison enters the studio and declares he is Emperor. He finds his ballerina Empress, and dances with her before being shot and killed by Handicapper General Diana, resolving the conflict. This event is a more specific account of Harrison’s conflict with the current society as a whole, which is reflected through the use of theme, symbolism, and point of view.
A future where everyone is completely equal in every aspect may sound like an amazing idea to implement into society, but an interpretation about how this may work out reveals a frightening future. The short story Harrison Bergeron and the film 2081 both depict a futuristic society obsessed with equality and consequently extracting individuality from almost every citizen. One significant difference was how Harrison’s speech to the audience was constructed after he broke into the show within the film- as a result making Harrison appear stronger and giving the film a more serious tone.
First of all, the story makes it quite clear that complete equality should not be pursued and that every person should be able to possess their own abilities and attributes. The setting of this story is key to the theme. The first few lines of “Harrison Bergeron” makes it extremely clear how the setting will be a defining part of the story: “The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law.
On the off chance that one modifies the arrangement of God and tries to change the world to be totally equivalent, then the world will go to pieces. Kurt Vonnegut composes this story to help us understand that equity is intended to improve no man or lady than another man or lady. The real subject in "Harrison Bergeron" is that balance is for rights and not for properties like magnificence, quality, and
Although the comparisons are well hidden, both today’s society and the story ‘Harrison Bergeron’ share similar qualities. They both deal with equality, which leads to problems and consequences. A second similarity is the struggle of competition and trying to prevent it from occurring, which also leads to problems. Lastly, both struggle with normality, and the fact that it’s hard to accept that different is okay now.
A small glimmer of hope in an imperialistic world is only taken away in order to ensure equivalence in an imperfect society. Harrison Bergeron is a classic sociological tale written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. that is based on the sociological aspect of everyone being equal - not one individual could be above another. This short story focuses on the idea of symbolism by using masks and handicaps to force the social norm of being the same while foreshadowing the courage of being unique in a seemingly perfect world, all while displaying irony through the way in which our society runs today. This story relates to today’s society in that both are alike in that individuals want to break free from societies constraints of social norms.