Identity In Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

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

single one of his handicaps and a ballerina does so as well. They are dancing together and share a kiss. Then, the handicapper general, Diana Moon Glampers, abruptly enters into the theater and shoots them both. Overall, the main point in the story is that, everyone should be treated equally, but not forced to be equal.
One example of the theme is how the government is not allowing people, like George and Harrison, to use their brain to their full potential.

Kurt Vonnegut writes, “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” (Vonnegut 70). This quote brings out the theme in many different ways. First, the quote mentions how the government is keeping George from thinking any deep thoughts, they do not want him to think that the handicaps are bad. To prevent the human race from overthrowing the government they just interrupt everyone's brain. The government is also doing major harm to themselves and the whole country because the brilliant people could possibly think of cures for rare diseases and other world conflicts, but they can not even think past what their own name is. Overall, every person should be able to use their brain without every single chain of thought being disconnected by the

government.
Another way the theme is presented in “Harrison Bergeron” is when Harrison and the ballerina get shot and killed for wanting to be different. Vonnegut states, “It was then that Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun. She fired twice and the Emperor and Empress were dead before they hit the floor” (Vonnegut 73). The quote is from the end of the story when Harrison gets shot. He is shot for wanting to be different, for wanting to remove his handicaps, for wanting to use his body to its fullest, but the government hated that and would go to great lengths to make sure everyone is equal. The fact that the government will kill people to get what they want it crazy and they should just let people be equal, not force them to be it.