Kurt Vonnegut's Eight Rules Of Harrison Bergeron

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Recommended: Harrison bergeron by kurt vonnegut jr. Critical Response

Authors in the 1900s created short stories by writing short books that they could sell for quick cash. This is how the genre of short stories came about. As more and more stories were published, shorts became very popular because they were so short. Many people loved the idea that they could finish an entire story in one sitting. As the stories became more popular, Kurt Vonnegut, a short story writer, developed a list of 8 rules that make a perfect short story. He executes his rules in his short stories giving many examples of what the standard for short story writing should be. Vonnegut's first rule states that one should "use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted." Harrison Bergeron is a story for anyone who lives in today's uptight and busy society. With a total length of 8 pages, the story of Harrison Bergeron explores the issues of equality and cultural issues. The story begins with "The year …show more content…

To heck with suspense. Readers should have a full and complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves should cockroaches eat the last few pages". Everyone hates to be out of the loop or not be get in on an inside joke. Vonnegut is saying that when writing short stories, the reader should always be in the loop. In The Euphio Question, right away the audience is introduced to the main plot point of the entire story. "Lew, Fred, and I found peace of mind by sitting in easy chairs and turning on a gadget the size of a table model television set" (189). The quote provides the reader with everything they need to know up front and once the action begins, it would be very easy for any reader to finish the story in their own. As I began to read, about halfway through it I was already predicting the ending. As it turned out, my predictions were

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