Theme Of Manipulation In Harrison Bergeron

Equality and Manipulation: Theme in “Harrison Bergeron” The dystopian story, “Harrison Bergeron,” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., is set in 2081 America, where three amendments to the Constitution makes everyone equal in every way. No one is smarter, stronger or better looking than anyone else. Some people are perfectly average and don’t need handicaps, like Hazel, but her husband, George, has to wear a mental and physical handicap. Everyone was required, by law, to be equal. Their son, however, was so far from average and so powerful that they had to lock him up in prison. Harrison wanted to overthrow the government. He realised that this “equality” was taking away everyone’s individuality. A lesson that shines through this story is that equality

Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General.” This excerpt introduces the story of Harrison Bergeron. This shows that the people really wanted this equality for all, since they are already pushing toward it today and they worked to getting three amendments to the Constitution which takes a lot of work to accomplish. This also proves that the Handicapper General really wanted this equality as well. Whether she wanted that for the people’s own good, or for her own wealth and power can be

“She must have been extraordinarily beautiful, because the mask she wore was hideous. And it was easy to see that she was the strongest and most graceful of all the dancers, for her handicap bags were as big as those worn by two-hundred pound men. And she had to apologize at once for her voice, which was a very unfair voice for a woman to use. Her voice was a warm, luminous, timeless melody… and she began again, making her voice absolutely uncompetitive.” People can still see what you excel at, especially with the handicaps. It makes me wonder if the handicaps are really meant to make people equal to each other for their own good, or if the Handicapper General just wants to manipulate the power of the people with the