In "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut he represents to society in which everyone is mentally, socially, and physically equal. But imagine a world where a cruel government handicaps every citizen with make up or weights to create equality. Where ugly is known as beauty and intelligence is irrelevant. “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). In making the grade by Kurt Wiesenfild, professor he is upset due to some of his students slacking off on study in class. Should these students be held responsible at the end of semester for the grades they receive? Who should be held responsible to take the blame, the students or their professor? What is the comparison and contrast between these two stories?
In Harrison Bergeron, George intelligence was above normal people, but he had a mental
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handicap radio in his ear. And that radio was required by the law to wear it at all time. After every twenty second, the radio transmitter would send out loud noise to keep George away from taking unfair advantage of his brain and cause him distraction so he can never able to think too hard. George still tries to makes an effort to use his brain but the beep keeps on distracting him because it’s so loud. "Even as I stand here" he bellowed, "crippled, hobbled, sickened - I am a greater ruler than any man who ever lived! Now watch me become what I can become!"(Vonnegut). This quote is showing us that Harrison has the courage to be something else and he will do anything to achieve succeed with his plan. Another quote that will show us the cruel government face. “She must have been extremely beautiful, because the mask she wore was hideous..."(Vonnegut). As This quote clearly showing us that the Government doesn't want anyone to be better than one another. They will do whatever it takes to create equality, they will consider ugly as beauty and intelligence is irrelevant. Comparing to making the grade, professor Wiesenfild is upset because his student (some of students) Don’t even make an effort for their grades (basically slack off) and then in the end beg him to at least give them a passing grade so they can pass the class and move on like it’s not a big deal.
I believe Students should accept their own responsibilities and be responsible for their own failures. If a student believes that the professor has made an error, or if you don’t understand something from what he is teaching in class ask questions, tell the professor you did not understand you need help, that’s what they are there for to help students succeed in their education. If you make a choice not to ask for help or ask question then don’t go to your professor and beg him to at least give the passing grade. It’s going to be your fault if you don’t pass the class because you didn’t ask questions nor for help. Its student job to bring it to the professor attention if they need help or have
question. Reason behind for most students who fail the class are most likely not doing their work as requested by the professor. "Many, when pressed about why they think they deserve a better grade, admit they don't deserve one but would like one anyway"(kurt Wiesenfeld). I would totally agree with kurt wiesenfeld words that “they don’t deserv one but like one anyway”. I believe this is not justice to the other students in class who actually did their work as requested by the professor and also the professors who puts out the effort to make sure students understand and succeed in their education and pass the class with good grade. The contrast between the two short stories are that they are both in different eras. The comparison between the stories as well are that in the end taking the easy way out, you won’t achieve anything and you won’t get anywhere in life. "Time was, when you received a grade, that was it. You might moan and groan, but you accepted it as the outcome of your efforts or lack of (and, yes, sometimes a tough grader)" kurt wiesenfeld. In conclusion The Contrast is that in making the grade if the students weren’t serious about their education then in the long run their futures and careers aren’t going to be good therefore if they don’t make the effort to learn then they won’t achieve anything. Another contrast is that in Harrison Bergeron everybody was equal and that no one was better than anybody else. Even if someone made the effort of being smarter or trying to do something, in the end they still were considered equal.
Living in a space ship would be cool, and living in a more equal world would be beneficial, but when portrayed in “Wall-E” and “Harrison Bergerson,” only pain and suffering can come of it. The two societies compare because they are set off in the distant future; filled with advance technology of robots and intricate machinery involved in day to day lives. Both of these tales have the same back bone of their different types of dystopia: break down.
Kurt Vonnegut, a modern American writer, composed stories about fictional situations that occurred in futuristic versions of today’s world. His stories included violence, both upon oneself and one another, and characters who sought out revenge. In “2BR02B” and “Harrison Bergeron”, Vonnegut conveys physical violence most likely experienced while a prisoner of World War 2, as a way to show how war brings pain and destruction.
In all aspects a utopian society is a society that is place to achieve perfection, and that is the society that both the “Uglies”, by Scott Westfield and “Harrison Bergeron”, by Kurt Vonnegut, was striving for. In both of these stories, the government had control over the people’s choices, freedoms, and their natural abilities. Yet both government strive for a perfect society, the methods they use to achieve this goal were different from each other.
The theme of the “meaning of freedom” is a common theme between the two stories “A&P” by Updike, and Harrison Bergeron by Vonnegut. In both stories, the characters are take different routes to rebel from the standards of society. In A&P, gender roles are heavy, and Sammy is expected to conform, but he does otherwise by leaving his job. Harrison Bergeron takes place during a time where the human population is expected to be equal, but Harrison steps beyond these limits. These characters show that conforming to society truly does not make you free, in fact it holds you back from your full potential.
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.
Society has developed throughout history into a seemingly equal; however, segregated commonwealth. In general, humanity may seem to have broken the nineteenth century class structure, nonetheless, there are situations today that still have deep roots in discrimination and apartheid. Advancement in both extremes can result in a catastrophe, therefore, it is inevitable that a balance must be reached. In the short stories “Totem” by Thomas King, and “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, the theme of overdeveloped social beliefs have proven to be the most significant. In both stories, the author is trying to say that society is either too equal, such as in “Harrison Bergeron” or too contrasting such as in “Totem.”
“Harrison Bergeron” is a short fiction written by Kurt Vonnegut, the story is set in the year 2081, and it talks about a futuristic society where all individuals are equal. No one is cleverer, beautiful or stronger than the other, and if somebody is better than the others, they find themselves compelled by The United States Handicapper General to put on what they call “handicaps” to bring down their abilities to the most basic levels as the others. Throughout the story, Vonnegut expresses a bold and vigorous political and social criticism of some historical events in the US during the 1960s such as the Cold War and Communism, television and American Culture and Civil Rights Movement.
Have you ever wondered what life would be if everyone was equal? Well, in the year 2081, the government made everyone equal with handicaps. In the story “Harrison Bergeron”, the government makes people with special talents or abilities wear handicaps. I agree with the claim,”Everyone was not truly equal in “Harrison Bergeron”. Some reasons why I believe that this statement wasn’t true is that the handicaps don’t take away your abilities, handicaps are not useful, and it is not fair for the people with abilities to wear handicaps. Everyone is truly equal in “Harrison Bergeron” because it made average people and below average people feel equal to the higher and better people.
Our education system is failing and in his essay “What Our Education System Needs Is More F’s” Carl Singleton writes that nothing else will right the ship or fix this issue except for his proposed solution which is to simply fail more students. As a matter of fact “by the dozens, hundreds, thousands, even millions” (Singleton 1) is how he describes the failing grades should be distributed. He claims that illegitimately passing students has existed for the past two decades and even implies that it stems further back than that with many teachers in the school system today “who never should have been certified in the first place.”(Singleton 1).
The short story "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut epitomizes what solid convictions can make people do and where this, thusly, can lead society to. The inventors of this general public firmly trust that the fundamental driver of friction is contrast among individuals. This solid conviction makes them take great measures to make everybody in the general public equivalent. As indicated by them, a definitive perfect world is the place each individual is equivalent. Be that as it may, as demonstrated further in the paper, their error of the expressions "fairness" and "joy" drives the general public well on a descending way to being an oppressed world.
Harrison Bergeron is a hero to society. He is a hero because he was the only person willing to take off his handicap. Bergeron was a brave person. No one else was brave enough to try to be unique. Everyone was following what they were told to never questioning it, but Bergeron wasn't. He wants to discover new things. Yes he might have been scaring people, but they had no reason to be scared. They could have been helping and joining instead of being scared and rebelling from him.
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.
“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).
“We must never speak of the times before the Great Rebirth” (Rand 19) This is said by Equality as he describes the words over the portal of the Palace of the World Council which is about the great “We”. Anthem is about a man named Equality 7-2521 who is different than the ideal citizen, which is illegal. In Anthem’s society they all are not allowed to use first person personal pronouns. Harrison Bergeron is about the son of the Bergeron’s and the dystopian society they live in; however, they don’t realize it. In their society everyone is forced to where handicaps so everyone is equal. Although Harrison Bergeron and Anthem are both dystopian literature, they differ in their portrayal of the ideas of family and technology.
Science fiction is a genre of literature that specifically discusses possibilities for Earth and Mankind, by advancing the technologies we currently have. Two examples of this genre are the short stories “Harrison Bergeron” and “Old Glory”. “Harrison Bergeron” is a story set in a future United States, where everyone is exactly equal. It tells the story of 14-year-old Harrison Bergeron, who goes on television and renounces the restrictive ways of the government, and is then shot and killed. “Old Glory” is similar, also set in a futuristic United States, where a newly enacted law, called SOS, has sent Duncan’s (The main character) great-grandfather into a frenzy. Duncan watches his grandfather renounce the new law and attempt to burn the new