Harrison Bergeron Rebellion

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London West Mr. Schelle Lit 1015 16 May, 2024 Bird in a Cage or a Caged Bird: Government Propaganda Designed to Help or Lock Us Up? Do you ever feel locked up and caged like a bird? Do you feel as if there is no way out? Well, sometimes a little act of rebellion is all you need to be free. In “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, a dystopian short story, the government's extraordinary measures to guarantee complete societal balance demonstrate the harsh results of obligatory equality. He uses Harrison Bergeron, a rebel, to become a symbol of resistance against his tyranny. Harrison’s rebellion is motivated by a desperate need for freedom, which is the direct response to the mental and physical suppression imposed by the totalitarian government. Even though this short story is …show more content…

“The year was 2018 and everybody was finally equal. They weren't equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way”(Vonnegut 604). For those who possess above-average abilities, the government handicaps them to enforce equality. The absurdity of this extreme egalitarianism is underscored by the story’s satirical tone, suggesting that such a system is not only impractical, but also dehumanizing. Harrison Bergeron, a 14-year-old boy, 7 feet tall, and 300 lbs, is known as the rebel in this society because, first, he was imprisoned for plotting to overthrow his government, and second, he broke out. “Harrison Bergeron.has just escaped from jail. is under-handicapped. Nobody ever bore heavier handicaps”(Vonnegut 606-607). The government wasn't only trying to keep him locked up, they were trying to degrade him to a sense of unjust “equality”. He is a young boy with incredible abilities and they just wanted to take that away from him, take away everything he is. This is the flaw in the government system, that drives their people to madness just for the forced need of

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