Harrison Bergeron was a short story written by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. This story was originally published in Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine in 1961. This short story’s genre is fictional, futuristic, and fantasy.
To start off, it was the year of 2081, a time when everyone was equal. No one was better looking than anyone else, smarter, stronger, or quicker than anybody else. This was made up by agents of the United States Handicapper General. All who were smart would wear things in their ear that would buzz. When it buzzed, all thoughts were then lost. If you were awesome at sports, weights would be put on your arms to slow you down, or to make you not so poise when you played. Harrison Bergeron, the age of 14, was arrested for suspicion of overruling the government. Harrison was the son of Hazel and George Bergeron.
…show more content…
Next, tension starts to build as Harrison escapes from jail and his picture pops up flashing on TV.
Meanwhile, Harrison’s parents are watching TV of these ballerinas dancing at home when this picture pops up. George and Hazel see the picture, but George’s handicaps in his ears buzzed and he lost all of his thoughts. Hazel, on the other side, is just unintelligent and couldn’t comprehend what was going on. The news station then comes on saying that Harrison is very athletic, strong, and dangerous. Then, as Harrison storms in the studio where the ballerinas were dancing on television, Hazel watches him take his handicaps off and speak to the people. George was in the kitchen getting a beer, so he has no clue what was going on. Even though he saw the picture of his son, the handicaps made him forget all about it. Harrison then claims himself as the Emperor and tells the people watching the ballerinas dance, that he is going to select his empress. “A moment passed, and then a ballerina arose, swaying like a
willow.” The climax of the story is when the ballerina and Harrison start dancing, and “kiss the ceiling.” Also the climax is when Diana storms in with rage. The Musician’s were commanded to put stop playing music, after Harrison commanded music for them to dance to. She also commanded the musicians to put their handicaps back on. Finally, General Diana Moon Glampers shot Harrison at the end of the story and killed him. George came back into the room and saw Hazel crying. George asked Hazel why she was crying, but she just couldn’t remember. The resolution was disappointing because the government had overcome the people or Harrison. Everyone had to be the same or it just wouldn’t be fair!! The society took and kept away all abilities for equality for EVERYONE!
One similarity between the text and the movie was that everyone was equal in every way. It was important that the filmmakers keep this in the movie because it’s the most important detail in the story. In the short story, “Harrison Bergeron”, it says, “They were equal in every which way. Nobody was smarter than everyone else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than everybody else” (1). If the filmmakers had never kept the equality part in 2081, the storyline would not make any sense. In the movie, everyone that needed handicaps had them including George, Harrison, and the ballerinas.
Vonnegut's first rule states that one should "use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted." Harrison Bergeron is a story for anyone who lives in today's uptight and busy society. With a total length of 8 pages, the story of Harrison Bergeron explores the issues of equality and cultural issues. The story begins with "The year
1. Define 'satire' and provide one example of personal or social satire that yoou have encountered. You may use any source for your example:TV, media, news editorials, movies, comedy, etc.
Harrison Bergeron is a short story that creates many images and feelings while using symbols and themes to critique aspects of our lives. In the story, the future US government implements a mandatory handicap for any citizens who is over their standards of normal. The goal of the program is to make everyone equal in physical capabilities, mental aptitude and even outward appearance. The story is focused around a husband and wife whose son, Harrison, was taken by the government because he is very strong and smart, and therefore too above normal not to be locked up. But, Harrison’s will is too great. He ends up breaking out of prison, and into a TV studio where he appears on TV. There, he removes the government’s equipment off of himself, and a dancer, before beginning to dance beautifully until they are both killed by the authorities. The author uses this story to satire
……………Most of the numerous and very disparate urban utopias imagined since antiquity, claim more or less a social justice combining equality, fairness, and freedom. However the methods invented to reach this social justice often lead to more binding law, sometimes up to the absurd, that limited the abilities and capacities of the citizens. Thus, behind the mask of an ideal equality, is concealed in fact, a tremendous social injustice. In “Harrison Bergeron”, Kurt Vonnegut’s shows us the consequences of sacrificing freedom for perfect equality by using the story of an excessive utopia to demonstrate that a society in which total equality exists, is not only oppressive, but also static and inefficient. Vonnegut exemplifies the image of fairness
Vonnegut, Kurt. Harrison Bergeron. New York: The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, 1961. Print
Imagine a society where not a single person competes with another. It has been like this for years, yet nothing has changed since the start of this new world. No new technology, no new occupations, no new discoveries. Absolutely nothing is different. Without competition no one will push themselves to be better or to achieve any goals, and without new achievements society cannot survive, let alone thrive. The short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. discusses this topic. Set in a society where anyone above average in any way is handicapped, therefore everyone is completely and totally equal. One handicapped man, George’s, son is taken away by the government at the mere age of fourteen under suspicion of rebellious intentions. Another
Being unique is a necessary part of life. People are told starting as children that they need to be themselves. They are told to do what they love and love what they do. What if the world didn’t allow this? Kurt Vonnegut ponders the idea of a life in which the government enforces complete equality. “Harrison Bergeron” takes place in a future society that hinders people with skills to make everyone equal. This society makes everyone worse instead of better. Complete equality has too many issues for it to be viable. Equality should be for all in the eyes of the law. However, complete equality should not be pursued because taking away the differences between people is a clear mistake.
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
Vonnegut Jr., Kurt. “Harrison Bergeron”. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 11th Ed. New York: Longman, 2010.215-219. Print
Although the comparisons are well hidden, both today’s society and the story ‘Harrison Bergeron’ share similar qualities. They both deal with equality, which leads to problems and consequences. A second similarity is the struggle of competition and trying to prevent it from occurring, which also leads to problems. Lastly, both struggle with normality, and the fact that it’s hard to accept that different is okay now.
According to Darryl Hattenhauer, in the beginning of “Harrison Bergeron,” the narrator 's presentations of this utopia 's muddled definition of equality is “THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everybody was finally equal…nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else.” Because of the Amendments 211, 212, and 213 of
Would a regular citizen enjoy being as skilled of a dancer as a ballerina? Or as intelligent as the next guy? In Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.’s story of Harrison Bergeron, handicaps, such as small radio’s that blast sharp sounds are used to prevent individuals from having more intellectual thoughts than others. The year is 2081 and everyone is equal in every which way. Handicapped George and his wife Hazel are watching a ballerina performance. The show is interrupted by an announcement to watch out for their son, Harrison Bergeron as he is under-handicapped and dangerous. The conflict begins when Harrison enters the studio and declares he is Emperor. He finds his ballerina Empress, and dances with her before being shot and killed by Handicapper General Diana, resolving the conflict. This event is a more specific account of Harrison’s conflict with the current society as a whole, which is reflected through the use of theme, symbolism, and point of view.
At a young age Harrison was taken by the government due to his extreme capabilities. His mother Hazel, lacks comprehensive intelligence, while his father George is handicapped with weights on his neck. George and Hazel have completed excepted the way they both live their lives as George says “If i tried to get away with it,” … “then other people’d get away with it and pretty soon we’d e right back to the dark ages again, with everyone competing against everybody else” (Vonnegut 9). This society appeals to the characters as everyone is equal and there is no chance of anyone feeling inferior, but this does result in everyone staying in the same place without development. Harrison escapes from the government and arrives at the televised ballerina studio, where he removes all of his handicaps and shows a ballerina what life is like without the handicaps weighing her down. Harrison knew that change needed to occur and action was needed for this to
In the short story, Harrison represents a spark of defiance and distinction that exists in only a few people today. Unlike the majority of characters in the story, he lacks cowardice and a sense of passivity. He is instead a large, strong and brave man who wants power. When he charges into the TV studio and announces that he is the emperor, he sounds insane however, he reminds everyone that is watching TV that they too are talented and gifted. Unfortunately, Harrison's sense of rebellion is killed in cold blood. All of this suggests that if any defiant or rebellious spirit still exists in society, its days are numbered. Harrison was killed quickly and efficiently in cold blood. This technique is effectively used as it shows how governments may operate in todays and a future society. Conflict is a problem that has to be solved or an obstacle that has to be overcome. The conflict in Harrison Bergeron is an external one between himself and society. In the story, equality has been achieved by handicapping intelligent, athletic or appealing members of society. This is done so nobody will feel inferior to one another. Harrison Bergeron as the protagonist of the story bears the qualities of intelligence and strength and is therefore forced to wear these handicaps. The element is effectively used in the short story as without conflict, the story essentially has no plot. The entire story focuses on how Harrison retaliates against society and its extreme form of equality. This is his conflict. Without it, there is no