Harrison Bergeron Essay

In the story of Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut introduces a world ruled by the Handicapper General. To control the citizens the Handicapper General changes the amendments and creates a new one. In order to prevent any rebellion the Handicapper General enforces handicapes on the citizens. Handicaps prevent people from using their own talent and makes them equal. Ugly Masks, Ear pieces that scatter thoughts and Bags filled with lead balls are just a few of the Handicapes force people not to be unique. George and Harrison are a few examples of people who have been forced to wear Handicaps. The plot of the story is about being trapped in a word of equality. Harrison Bergeron son of George Bergeron is a main character of the story who realizes he has no freedom breaks into a T.V studio and announces that he the new ruler. Of course eventually in the end of the story he dies by the Handicapper General because of his actions. The citizens of course did not react to the event what so ever because of the ear piece that wiped their memories. The theme of the story is control being enforced by the Handicapper General. She enforces control by her influence on the citizens, and the handicapes are enforced upon the citizens.

The first idea to support the theme of control is Diana Moon Glampers takes the rights and freedoms of the citizens.

The changes in the amendments allow the Handicapper General to stay in power and to rule with a firm fist. On the other hand even though the general may rule with a firm fist she has stopped any means of violence within the communities. Although clearly still this shows the Handicapper General using the amendments to get away of being classified as a tyrant. Other than being a tyrant the Handicapper General uses the amendments to become a higher person who is classified by the citizens as a role model. This is seen through the perspective of Hazel, to portray messages of

Handicapper-tyranny.
Another idea to support the theme of power enforced is the influence on the citizens. Using the influence of the citizens the Handicapper General can become a tyrant while pleasing the citizens. This plays a major role in the Handicapper General’s power because without her influence the citizens would be more prone to rebellion. The Handicapper general can use her influence on the citizens to convince
tat she is doing is not tyranny. Although this may be true the influence on the citizens allows no conflicts between the citizens and the government.Clearly this represents the theme of the story of the Handicapper General being all powerful and a influential person.
The main power of the Handicapper general is the ability to sustain the people from getting the better of her threw implanting handicapes on them. These handicapes allow the general to rule with a firm fist and disable the citizens that could stop her. The Handicapper General is now sustaining the power thanks to the equipment. People who are smarter than the average intelligence of Hazel bergeron have hearing pieces that dish put sharp noises which scatters thoughts allowing the general force them to forget. An example of that on pg 3 is when george describes harrison from the picture as huge, clownish and has a lot of weights on him. The citizens in the story are trapped through these handicaps and they do not know. The author of the story is trying to imply in this text with harsh words that the citizens are being enslaved by the Handicapper General who is a tyrant.
The author of the story clearly mentions the main theme threw this with harsh words and long sentences to describe the importance of freedom in the text. This is important because the author is clearly stating a tyrant who is enforcing law and enslaving them in equality. Not only does she enslave them the Handicapper general gets the privilege of keeping arms which is said in the text on pg 3 when Diana comes in with shotgun. Clearly the author is implying the signs of a tyrannical rule threw the details in the text.