Similarities Between Welcome To The Monkey House And Harrison Bergeron

There is a Korean saying: “If the water does not flow, it will be contaminated. This means that if people just stay in a place without developing, there will not be progress, and finally, it will cause a setback.” This saying displays the parallel between water and society. Similarly, Jacob Bronowski shares a common thought that “truth is the drive at the center of science; it must have the habit of truth, not as a dogma but as a process,” In this quotation, Bronowski uses the concept of dogma to explain that with science, everything that is known should not just be accepted by everyone without doubt, but rather there is the opportunity for knowledge to change. Bronowski then relates this to society when he says “for dissent is also native in any society which is still growing.” These ideas can be found regularly in the collection of short stories that make up “Welcome to the Monkey House”, by

Vonnegut. Particularly “Harrison Bergeron”, “Welcome to the Monkey House”, and “Report on the Barnhouse Effect”. These three stories portray societies, ruled by governments that have placed strict principles that their people are expected to follow and believe without ambiguity. The concept of dogma is evident in these stories and further proves that “society cannot progress when critics and dissidents are silenced”.
In “Report on the Barnhouse Effect”, the story is written as an article to the people to inform them of their new asset the “Barnhouse Effect”. Barnhouse’s ability to control objects with the force of his mind is kept secret until he writes a letter to the secretary of state that says “I have discovered a new force which cost nothing to use, and which is probably more important than atomic energy. I should like to see it used most effectively in the case of peace…” (Vonnegut 180). The government wanted to exploit Barnhouse as a weapon, solely for their own benefit in war, while Barnhouse preferred for his abilities to be used to help people. Barnhouse then escapes from the General leaving a note that reads “as the first super weapon, with a conscience, I am removing myself from your national defense stockpile. Setting a new precedent in the behavior of ordinance, I have humane reasons for going off” (Vonnegut 185). Barnhouse’s decision to break free from the military and his duties, took away the ability for war as he soon destroyed the “world's armaments”. Barnhouse was that act allowed for change to happen. “His activities haven’t exactly resulted in peace, but have, rather, precipitated a bloodless and entertaining sort of war that might be called the war of Tattletales” (Vonnegut 185). This war would not have gotten better if he did not choose to walk out and go against the government.
In “Welcome to the Monkey House”, the government has required all citizens to take the pills to make sex pleasureless in order to help control the overpopulation. The government has also set up suicide parlors to allow anyone who wishes to end their life, do it peacefully by a hostess at such parlor. The Hotesses of these parlors are all virgins, as the government wants all of their people to have no desire for sex. Billy the Poet is one of the few people in this society that does not take his pills and is known as a “nothinghead” and is feared by most as the government has filled the minds of their people that he is dangerous and without question the real enemy. Billy the Poet, then enters a suicide parlor in disguise and captures Nancy the hostess. After eight hours go by, he rapes her as he has also done to several other hostesses in the past. Billy then explains the logistics of his actions to her when she says” The world is in the mess it is today because of the nohingheadness of old times. Don't you see? … The world can’t afford sex anymore.”, Billy responds with “Of course it can afford sex, All it can't afford is reproduction.” (Vonnegut 49). Billys actions to act against the the government is the reason why the nothinghead movement is growing and thus the progress he is making to prove his point.
In “Harrison Bergeron”, the government has placed handicaps on all of its citizens to ensure that everyone is fully equal.

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

happen.
These three stories from “Welcome to the Monkey House” display different situations in which the government keep its people in a revolving stalemate with the use of strict ideology to control its people. Barnhouse, Billy the Poet, and Harrison were all the dissents in each of their stories, that were needed to make necessary changes in order for progress.