The short story “Harrison Bergeron”, written by Kurt Vonnegut, is an amusing essay. There are many other stories written by Vonnegut that I have personally loved reading. This specific one however, is likely to be one of my favorites. Kurt Vonnegut himself, has an interesting story of his life and how he got into writing in the first place. In this story, the author uses many different techniques on how to write the grand story that he did. Some of these techniques include: Imagery, irony, humor, and style.
Kurt Vonnegut had an interesting early life. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, Vonnegut attended Cornell University, however he dropped out in the year of 1943. After so, Vonnegut decided to enlist in the United States Army. While
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For instance, “ Harrison tore the straps of his handicap harness like wet tissue paper, tore straps guaranteed to support five thousand pounds. Harrisons scrap-iron handicaps crashed to the floor. Harrison thrust his thumbs under the bar of the padlock that secured his head harness. The snapped like celery. Harrison smashed his headphones and spectacles against the wall” (Vonnegut 234). An example of imagery cannot get any better than this one. While reading this part of the story, I personally could imagine everything that was happening step by step and it gave me such an amazing visual and understanding on what Kurt Vonnegut was explaining. An additional example of the many include… “ A police photograph of Harrison Bergeron was flashed on the screen upside down, then sideways, upside down again, then right side up. The picture showed the full length of Harrison against a background calibrated in feet and inches. He was exactly 7 feet tall” (Vonnegut 234). As said before, this technique that the author uses helps the reader tremendously as far as understanding and visualizing what is going on with the characters …show more content…
One example that stood out to me was the fact on how the author described the character Harrison Bergeron and how he is extremely big and tough and dangerous this character is. The part that threw me off was how Bergeron started to dance with the girl on the television show. Most readers reading this story most likely would not see someone as tough as this man was, break out his dancing shoes and tear up the floor. George Bergeron, and his wife Hazel Bergeron, are the parents of Harrison. They are actually watching the T.V. show that their son is on. Hazel, has difficulties remembering certain things. Well, while harrison is dancing with this girl, another character named Diana Moon Glampers, the General, came in and shot Harrison Bergeron and the girl for taking off all their gear with a shotgun. The reason why this is ironic is because of the fact while this was all going down, George stepped out of the room to go grab a drink and missed the whole situation. He came back in the room and noticed his wife was shocked by something but she was unable to remember on what happened. So they are unaware that their son had been shot and killed. One more example of the irony that caught my attention while reading this story was the fact on how Vonnegut explained that Harrison bergeron escaped from prison and is running free with all this heavy metal and different
Each person has different characteristics about them that give them their own identity and that should not be changed. In the story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, the main character, Harrison Bergeron is known as a threat to society. He is very intelligent, handsome, and athletic. In 2081, every person in the United States is equal. The government has taken over and has required everyone to wear handicaps to make them less smart, less pretty, less strong, and many other things. At the beginning of the story they mention a husband and wife, George and Hazel Bergeron, and they have a son, Harrison, who gets taken away because of his perfections. Later in the story, Hazel and George are watching ballerinas on television, when the program is interrupted by breaking news. They inform the viewers that Harrison has broken out of jail. The program then turns back on and Harrison appears on stage with the ballerinas. He proceeds to take off every
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
Like salt and pepper to beef, irony adds “flavor” to some of the greatest works of literature. No matter if readers look at old pieces of work like Romeo and Juliet or more modern novels like To Kill a Mockingbird, irony’s presence serve as the soul fuel that pushes stories forward. By definition, irony occurs when writers of books, plays, or movies destine for one event or choice to occur when the audiences expects the opposite; like Tom Robinson being found guilty after all evidences point other ways in To Kill a Mockingbird. These unique plot twists add mystery and enjoyability to hundreds of books. From the very beginning of The Chosen, a novel written by Chaim Potok, to the very end, irony’s presences does not leave the reader at any
Kurt Vonnegut’s history has shaped him into the modern day writer that he is now. Kurt, Jr. was born to Kurt, Sr. and Edith Vonnegut on November 11, 1922. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Kurt was the youngest child who was always fighting for attention. Being a youngest child was how he developed his rich and intelligent sense of humor (Ethridge 1-4: 970). ...
Imagery plays a big part in the success of a novel. Different writers have different styles. The good thing about imagery is it makes room for the reader to put things together. The reader is allowed to interpret the story the way that they like. "Ragged Dick", Horatio Alger, Jr. did a great thing with imagery. While reading the novel readers had a change to envision many things that were mentioned in each chapter. Algar interconnected the appearances of the main character to his living arrangement. He also connected these things with the character's attitude.
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
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was born on November 11, 1922, in Indianapolis, Indiana to Kurt Vonnegut, Sr. and Edith Lieber Vonnegut. He had an older brother named Bernard and an older sister named Alice. Kurt, Sr. was a well-known architect in the city and Edith was the daughter of a wealthy local family. The Vonneguts had been in Indianapolis for several generations, and were well-off, respected members of the community. Unlike the characters in most of his books, Vonnegut's early childhood was extremely privileged. It wasn't until the stock market crash of 1929 that he experienced the type of life that he would go on to write about in the future: the middle Middle Class.
Kurt Vonnegut wrote novels and short stories with a darker tone. Vonnegut was a prisoner of war during World War II. He witnessed the firebombing of Dresden, Germany, which according to him changed his life forever. While a prisoner, he spent a few years working for Nazis in an old meat house where animals were slaughtered. That is where the basis of his novel Slaughterhouse Five came from. Due to the horrible things he took part in during World War II, many of his novels are related to wrong-doings or dysfunctional societies (Smith par 8-9). His short story “Harrison Bergeron” is about a society in the future who is more than controlled by the government. The government wants to make everyone equal and attempts to do so through changing a person’s intelligence level and other minor qualities such as strength or social class. What was interesting was that fact that rather than making the weak stronger, the stronger were made weak. It is clear this is a satirical piece of literature for the reason that when reading this, it is obvious the future was embellished and it was not going to be how the story portrayed it.
all of these works, irony plays an important role in the plot of the story.
Kurt Vonnegut’s dystopian fiction, or a type of fiction in which the society’s attempt to create a perfect world goes very wrong, “Harrison Bergeron” was first published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1961. This story is about Harrison Bergeron, who is forced to diminish his abilities because they are more enhanced than everyone else’s. This short story is an allusion of a perfect society and it is maintained through totalitarian. The author expresses his theme of the dysfunctional government of utopia through his effective use of simile, irony, and symbolism. Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most influential American writers and novelists, and his writings have left a deep influence on the American Literature of the 20th century. Vonnegut is also famous for his humanist beliefs and was the honoree of the American Humanist Association. “Harrison Bergeron” is about a fictional time in the future where everyone is forced to wear handicapping devices to ensure that everyone is equal. So can true equality ever be achieved through strict governmental control?
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was alive during a time in which he saw his parents being greatly affected by the Depression. His father lost his business and his mother would later overdose on prescription pills. Kurt was also drafted and served in World War Two. During this time he was also taken as a prisoner of war. He and his fellow inmates narrowly escaped an attack on the camp. When the camp was bombed the prisoners of war were being kept in a meat locker of a slaughterhouse that was sixty feet underground. However he along with the others had to clear the bodies of the dead away for weeks. The sad and unfortunate events of his life translate into his writings quite often. I believe after serving and having such a close call with death that Vonnegut had some distrust of governments or people in power and this is clearly evident in “Harrison Bergeron”. He uses multiple literary elements to show his distrust or simply his dislike of the government through out this
The way that Kurt Vonnegut is portraying the story “Harrison Bergeron” is almost with a sense of mockery. Take Harrison for instance, he’s pretty much super man. Seven feet tall, strong as an ox, good looking, a genius, and an amazing dancer at only fourteen years old. He's also the only person unafraid of overthrowing the government. Harrison's own father wont even take one of the heavy balls he must lug around on his neck out, in fear of getting caught, fined, and thrown into jail. Harrison on the other hand has been thrown into jail for trying to overthrow the government once already. Once escaping prison he declares himself the emperor and then sets out to find his empress. Kurt Vonnegut was trying to portray the supreme man through Harrison.
The writer uses imagery, because he wants to let the readers into his mind. By describing the scene for the readers, makes the readers fell like they were there. Therefore, it gives us a better ability to emphasize with him.
Kurt Vonnegut was one of the best known science fiction writers in America. Some of his great works are “Slaughterhouse-Five”, “Welcome to Monkey House”, “A Man Without A Country” and “Harrison Bergeron”. Indeed, all four are related by author and genre, but they are also related by topic: government. Although they are science fiction stories, readers are still able to recognize how Kurt Vonnegut feels about America and his political views. In “Slaughterhouse-Five” Vonnegut became “a hero of the anti-Vietnam War Movement” (MLM 1387). “Welcome to Monkey House”, “solidified his [Kurt Vonnegut’s] iconic status in America’s counterculture as a comic genius with an urgent moral vision” (MLM 1387). In “A Man Without A Country” Vonnegut “focuses his
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.