Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

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In this day and age, overthrowing the government has been a recurring theme in media. Dystopian settings or aspects have gained popularity in the past, some examples can include the overcontrolling government found in the book series “Legends”, and the repressive policies implemented against Palestinian people in real life, it is really no wonder people like to explore these situations in literature. A story called “Harrison Bergeron”, published by Hurt Vonnegut, does exactly that. Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron" explores existential themes through political struggles for equality, unraveling the underlying tension between uniqueness and equality, whilst also raising questions about the meaning and purpose of existence in a dystopian society run by oppressive governments. In the …show more content…

Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else” (Vonnegut). We see how this society has affected people, through the eyes of an above-average man named George. In this world, many people are “handicapped”, or restricted by the government to suppress any form of “superiority” (read: individuality) so everyone can be considered equal. George lives with his wife, Hazel, who is of average intelligence and they struggle through life with the confinements put on them. Vonnegut writes, "Hazel had a perfectly average intelligence, which meant she couldn't think about anything except in short bursts" (Vonnegut). However, one thing they struggle with is their memory, specifically the memory of their son. George and Hazel had a son named Harrison. Their son was exceptionally talented, however, that also meant he was exceptionally dangerous in the eyes of their society. He rebels against the oppressive regime in a spectacle, unfortunately leading to a tragedy as he ends up getting executed. To be able to understand the themes found in “Harrison Bergeron”, we must understand the literary theory known as

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