Equality In Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

In “Harrison Bergeron,” the author tells the tale of a generation that is equal in both mental and physical abilities. The major idea of the story is to show readers that total equality can be dangerous if they are interpreted too literally, as we are born each with our own individual mental and physical capabilities, and achieving total equality can be torture and unrealistic. To achieve physical and mental equality among all citizens, the government in Vonnegut’s story sets equality as a principle set in America’s Declaration of Independence, where the beautiful must wear hideous masks or disfigure themselves, the intelligent must listen to earsplitting noises that impede their ability to think, and the graceful and strong must wear weights

around their necks at all hours of the day to diminish their body strength. Citizens begin to dumb themselves down or hide their special abilities.
The idea that total equality is not possible can be understood from the title itself when we read and understand the story of Harrison Bergeron, he represents the part of the people that still longs to try hard, show off their qualities, and improve themselves.

At age fourteen, Harrison is a physical sculpture “A man that would have awed Thor, the god of thunder.” The government does everything in its power to censor Harrison, forcing him to wear huge earphones to alter his thinking, glasses to damage his eyesight and give him headaches, three hundred pounds of metal to weigh him down, a red rubber nose and shaved eyebrows to lessen his looks, and black caps for his perfect white

teeth.
This important idea can also be found in the characters’ actions; Hazel is described as this average citizen who cannot think of anything except in short bursts, implying her own natural dumbness to pay attention to her surroundings, and George is described as a law-abiding man who believes that America in 2081 is a much better place without competition, even defending the way the government has shaped society.

But as we see the unhappiness of George’s existence and the conformity of Hazel, we begin to see the different affects of the government in their lives. “George was toying with the vague notion that maybe dancers shouldn’t be handicapped. But he didn’t get very far with it before another noise in his ear radio scattered his thoughts.” As he tries to think about the dancers, who are weighed down and masked, the sound of a bottle being smashed with a hammer rings in his ears. When he thinks about his son, he is interrupted by the sound of twenty-one guns firing, a violent noise, his thoughts about the laws of equality and the competition that existed in the old days are shattered by the sound of a siren, and finally as Harrison barges into the television studio, George hears a car crash, a noise that indicates the injury of multiple people. These examples show the reader the extent that the government is willing to go to monitor and police thoughts, since those are unique to each individual. How George reacts to this monitoring shows that the population behave this

way because some have internalized the government’s orders, like Hazel and others because they fear that the government will punish them if they display any remarkable abilities. As we read the story we begin to quickly realize that the outcome of this goal for equality is disastrous, the country as a whole has become a land of intimidated, unintelligent, overlooked people. The government is willing to torture and kill those who abandon the correct course that they have built for society.
Finally, the main theme is evident in the climax of the story when Harrison storms in the television studio, rips off his steel restraints and handicaps, his physical strength and beauty reminds some viewers that underneath their own restraints and handicaps, they too are unique and beautiful. This inspires courage, or at least causes curiosity amongst the other characters. But in the end, Harrison, who represents the spark of defiance, and individuality that still exists in some individuals, is killed in cold blood by Diana Moon Glampers when she comes into the studio and shoots Harrison and the ballerina empress, points the gun on the musicians, ordering them to put their handicaps on. The TV in George and Hazel’s house goes dark, and they continue their day, trying not to think about the “something real sad on television” moment. This is to suggest that in order to keep equality; the government will take whatever means necessary, inciting more fear and intimidation in the population. But for the reader the message is clear; equality is more or less achieved, but at the cost of freedom and individual achievement.
To me, the hero of the story can serve as a guide for all readers today. In a society in which conformity is expected, where we follow a beauty standard and physical ability is highly rewarded by the population, in the story Harrison makes a point of taking a stand, and challenging the status quo. While he has the attention of the country on him, he instructs a ballerina to dance her best and the musicians to play their best, which to me sends the timeless message for embracing our differences. We must strive to always be better and achieve greatness, and although equality is immensely appreciated in certain aspects of society, like gender, race, class and etc… it’s essential to find love and respect for what makes us unique, only then we will appreciate someone different and treat ideas different than ours as an opportunity to learn.