Kurt Vonnegut was one of the best known science fiction writers in America. Some of his great works are “Slaughterhouse-Five”, “Welcome to Monkey House”, “A Man Without A Country” and “Harrison Bergeron”. Indeed, all four are related by author and genre, but they are also related by topic: government. Although they are science fiction stories, readers are still able to recognize how Kurt Vonnegut feels about America and his political views. In “Slaughterhouse-Five” Vonnegut became “a hero of the anti-Vietnam War Movement” (MLM 1387). “Welcome to Monkey House”, “solidified his [Kurt Vonnegut’s] iconic status in America’s counterculture as a comic genius with an urgent moral vision” (MLM 1387). In “A Man Without A Country” Vonnegut “focuses his …show more content…
bitter satire on the Bush Administration…” (MLM 1387). Lastly, in “Harrison Bergeron” Vonnegut implicitly explains his views on the United States sixty-four years from today, in the year of 2081. From analyzing the story of “Harrison Bergeron”, many readers would have the impression that the story is written simply about “equality”. Whereas many others see equality, the story is formed from oppressed and handicapped characters. The story starts off “The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal.” By Vonnegut firsthand telling the readers that the story is about being “equal”, it restricts the reader's mind, because they instantly look through the lens of equality. All of this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments. “Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else” (MLM 1387). One may ask, “How is this so?” Vonnegut foreshadows U.S. Citizens as “puppets” through the characters George and Hazel Bergeron. Actually, “Hazel had a perfectly average intelligence,” this means that, “she couldn’t think about anything except in short bursts” (1387). George on the other hand, “had a little mental handicap radio in his ear… It was tuned to a government transmitter. Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains” (1387). By looking at this story through an “equal” perspective would only be looking at the story from whats on the surface. After all we are told “Everyone was finally equal” to begin with. In reality, the stronger, the more intelligent, and the more beautiful, are more oppressed. Oppressed meaning “subject to harsh and authoritarian treatment” (Oxford Dictionary). They are oppressed because they bear more weight and stress than the others (Hattenhauer 15). A conversation between George and Hazel after George received another “doozy” further implies this impression: "All of a sudden you look so tired," said Hazel. "Why don't you stretch out on the sofa, so's you can rest your handicap bag on the pillows, honeybunch." She was referring to the forty-seven pounds of birdshot in a canvas bag, which was padlocked around George's neck. "Go on and rest the bag for a little while," she said. "I don't care if you're not equal to me for a while. "George weighed the bag with his hands. "I don't mind it," he said. "I don't notice it any more. It's just a part of me.""You been so tired lately-kind of wore out," said Hazel. "If there was just some way we could make a little hole in the bottom of the bag, and just take out a few of them lead balls. Just a few." "Two years in prison and two thousand dollars fine for every ball I took out," said George. "I don't call that a bargain." "If you could just take a few out when you came home from work," said Hazel. "I mean-you don't compete with anybody around here. You just set around." "If I tried to get away with it," said George, "then other people d get away with it-and pretty soon we'd be right back to the dark ages again, with everybody competing against everybody else. You wouldn't like that, would you?" This explains the hardships that handicappers goes through. Is this an actual form of “equality”? Furthermore, it is seen as a “decline in our creativity, empathy, individualism, and basic cognition” (Reed 1) In this story, it is the government who has total control: authoritarian. They have control over the citizens through the radios, masks, and birdshots. Diana Moon Glampers, Handicapper General, and the H-G Men would be considered superior and people like Hazel and George would be the inferior, the puppets. In paragraph 25 George says, “-and pretty soon we’d be right back to the dark ages again, with everybody competing.” Today’s society is of competition. Families compete against others to provide for their loved ones. Hazel mentions that she’d “hate it” if things went back to how they were in the “dark ages.” “Harrison Bergeron” is a foreshadowing of what may come in the next 64 years.
As mentioned before everyone is handicapped except Diana Glampers and the H-G Men. Yes, even Harrison Bergeron, the son of George and Hazel. However he isn’t your typical handicap. Actually, “he is a genius and an athlete, he is under-handicapped… Harrison was exactly seven feet tall” (MLM 40) Under-handicapped is an understatement to describe Harrison. “Nobody had ever borne heavier handicaps. He had outgrown hindrances faster than the H-G men could think them up. Instead of a little ear radio for a mental wavy lenses. The spectacles were intended to make him not only half blind, but to give him whanging headaches besides” (MLM 40). Throughout the entire society, Harrison was the only individual who actually wanted to be in control of himself. He was too smart for the government, and this led to the altercation between him and Diana Moon Glampers. Furthermore, Harrison tries to portray himself as a dictator. “I am the Emperor,” he declares. “I shall now select my Empress.” He tells the musicians, “I'll make you barons and dukes and earls”(MLM 65). Thus Bergeron endorses monarchy” (Hattenhauer …show more content…
17). The scene between the two allows deconstructionists to further understand Vonnegut’s perception of the government.
In the newscast about Harrison Bergeron, it is said that he “has just escaped from jail, where he was held on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government.” Today, it is very seldom that someone tries to overthrow the government. However, we are aware of theories about those who have tried. Deconstructionists would believe that this is a hidden message that many aren’t aware of. Harrison Bergeron would be the outsider to the rest of society and the government, and for this matter it results in his death.
After the interruption of Harrison’s police photograph during the ballerina show, Harrison tore the door off its hinges before proceeding to the stage and declaring himself emperor and finding his empress. The government was informed and suddenly a swarm of H-G Men and Diana Moon Glampers runs through to stop Harrison. The couple were kissing the 30 foot ceiling when Diana “came into the studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun,” (MLM 75) fired twice and killed them both before they had time to hit the
floor. The United States government is private regarding numerous amounts of information pertaining to our country. Information such as technological advancements and military weapons. According to U.S history, we went from 10 amendments, the Bill of Rights, to today’s 27 amendments, and according to “Harrison Bergeron”, 186 more in the next 64 years. The more amendments we add to the constitution, the laws, rights, as well as restrictions. After the handicapper general killed Harrison Bergeron, we are shown how the government (Diana Moon Glampers) has a fear of being inferior. In the ending, after the death of Harrison, the Bergeron’s television tube burns out. Hazel turned to tell George about the television, but he had just come back from the kitchen. Because he missed his son’s death, he then asks Hazel. “You been crying?” Hazel forgot about Harrison’s death and George tells her to “Forget sad things.” She then replies with “I always do” (MLM 85). In summary, Vonnegut demonstrates superiority and inferiority by using the citizens versus the Handicapper General and the H-G Men. He first uses the plot to give us a better understanding of what circumstances the U.S. are up for. Some examples would be the actual year of 2018, the impression of complete “equality”, and the addition of 186 amendments added to the Constitution. Vonnegut then foreshadows today’s society, a competitive one, as the “dark ages”. From today’s point of view, the characters are not normal, but they are normal to their government. Their best attributes are taken away from them, and they then become useless. When one individual tries to stand out, he is killed for being different. After all, our government distracts us so we can “Forget sad things”.
Science Fiction is a genre that has the ability to reveal the truth of the society and the dystopian elements that capture today's world. The real problems are shown as well as what important pieces are missing. Fahrenheit 451 forms the idea that our world today focuses on the unimportant and ignorant things in life causing people from this book lack some basic human rights. Additionally, in Harrison Bergeron, the public is forced to wear handicaps that hides their gifts they were born with. This world is forced to be equal and anyone who speaks out against it will be executed. Through the pages of Fahrenheit 451 and the Harrison Bergeron, the real flaws in today's society leading many people to have their freedoms diminished, or taken away are shown.
You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty (Gandhi). The power society has over citizens is explored in the two texts Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. The story Fahrenheit 451 depicts firemen who start fires instead of stop them. In this society censorship is valued and books are a main reason firemen burn. Books give you knowledge and knowledge is power which is what this society tries to prevent. In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” the topic similarly is about censorship in a more extreme way. People must wear masks and handicaps to prevent them from being different or unique. Intelligent people get a sharp noise in their ear every twenty seconds to prevent people from taking unfair advantage of their brains.
For a novel to be considered a Great American Novel, it must contain a theme that is uniquely American, a hero that is the essence of a great American, or relevance to the American people. Others argue, however, that the Great American Novel may never exist. They say that America and her image are constantly changing and therefore, there will never be a novel that can represent the country in its entirety. In his novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut writes about war and its destructiveness. Vonnegut tells the story of Billy Pilgrim, an unlikely hero, mentally scarred by World War Two. Kurt Vonnegut explains how war is so devastating it can ruin a person forever. These are topics that are reoccurring in American history and have a relevance to the American people thus making Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five a Great American Novel.
Mankind tends to accept and follow old traditions without understanding or questioning the real meaning and benefits of it. “The Lottery” written by Shirley Jackson and “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut depict dystopian societies where the population blindly accept their way of life and follow traditions under the fear of punishments of Gods and governments. “The Lottery” illustrates a village that holds an annual event to randomly choose one of its inhabitants to be stoned to death as a tribute to have a good crop and maintain the order of their community. Vonnegut depicts the United States in the year of 2081 where people were made equal in all possible ways due to the Amendments to the constitution, with use of devices to weaken the population abilities to think and move, strictly enforced by government officials. The major similarity between both stories is cruelty being normalized in both societies. Differences can also be found in both stories, the villagers’ Blind acceptance to a tradition in “The Lottery”, and freedom of thought. While in “Harrison Bergeron” the population was forced to obey the rules and forbidden to think or rebel against the government.
Every so often, a person comes along and encompasses the meaning of a generation. This person will capture everything people want to say, and then word it so well that his or her name becomes legendary. The sixties was an era with many of these people, each with his or her own means of reaching the people. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., armed with a typewriter and a motive, was amongst those that defined the sixties. Like other notable figures of the sixties, his strong opinions moved the people. Vonnegut’s opinions cover a wide range of topics and address almost all aspects of society. He represented the flower children of the sixties, as he protested the Vietnam War. After his horror of World War II, it is not surprising that Vonnegut opposed war. He also had a unique philosophy about religion, as well. To him, religion is a term with a much broader implication than just the establishment of the church. Vonnegut also compares himself to dictators, as a servant of the people. Opinions such as these are not only found in the many revealing interviews, such as his interview with Playboy magazine. Kurt Vonnegut goes above and beyond many other writers, as he voices his opinions in the actual text of his novels, such as Player Piano, Cat’s Cradle, and Slaughterhouse-Five.
He symbolizes humanity's suppressed need for expression, competitiveness and romance, and takes active steps to go against the norm and overthrow the government. Officially, he was taken into custody for being too above average. But, having an unconforming and opposing attitude probably scared the government. This is similar to the red scare of the 1950’s that prompted investigations of people’s personal involvement with a threat to the country, communism, which was seen by some as an unnecessary invasion of American rights. This could be the author’s way of criticizing the anti-communist scare while defending the right for individual freedom of belief and expression.
……………“The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal…They were equal every which way” (1224). Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, is the guardian of this equality. She represents the symbol of fairness in the society, the one that prevent the society to fall back into” the dark age”. Although the story only mention her in a few sentences, it is obvious that she is the one who is running the show. Her job is clear and she is tough in accomplishing it. She shot to death Harrison Bergeron, the self proclaimed emperor and his empress the ballerina, with double barrel shut gun, and ordered the orchestra musician to put their handicaps back on immediately. Far to say that this lady is dumb and ugly, because we don’t have enough evidence in the story to confirm so, we can assume that she is the personification of the lowest mediocrity in this futuristic society. The story never mentioned her “handicaps” and that makes us apprehend that maybe the society assumed that she has already enough of natural
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.
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s short story “Harrison Bergeron” was created during the time frame of the Civil Rights Movement and the Cold War and encompasses the definition of the word satire. Though the story itself is set in the distant future, the year 2081, one can see the influence of the past in this dark satirical portrayal of an American society. The author satirizes the very elements he was exposed to in his own environment and lifetime. Vonnegut mocks forced ideas of equality, power structures, and oppression, ideas that were prevalent and thriving in the atmosphere of his time of writing “Harrison Bergeron”.
... Vonnegut’s writing is unique because “the narrator offers a very different kind of war story—one which combines fact and fiction” (Jarvis 98). With the combination of fact and fiction, Vonnegut successfully connected events from WWII to the political references and societal conflicts during the Vietnam War. Works Cited Barringer, Mark, and Tom Wells. “The Anti-War Movement in the United States.”
Kurt Vonnegut wrote novels and short stories with a darker tone. Vonnegut was a prisoner of war during World War II. He witnessed the firebombing of Dresden, Germany, which according to him changed his life forever. While a prisoner, he spent a few years working for Nazis in an old meat house where animals were slaughtered. That is where the basis of his novel Slaughterhouse Five came from. Due to the horrible things he took part in during World War II, many of his novels are related to wrong-doings or dysfunctional societies (Smith par 8-9). His short story “Harrison Bergeron” is about a society in the future who is more than controlled by the government. The government wants to make everyone equal and attempts to do so through changing a person’s intelligence level and other minor qualities such as strength or social class. What was interesting was that fact that rather than making the weak stronger, the stronger were made weak. It is clear this is a satirical piece of literature for the reason that when reading this, it is obvious the future was embellished and it was not going to be how the story portrayed it.
The future entails breakthrough technology and unknown leadership. The harsh rules of the government in, Harrison Bergeron, causes the protagonist, Harrison Bergeron, to come up with the dangerous idea to overthrow the government which leads to the violent behavior of the antagonist Diana Moon Glampers. The author, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., uses character development to show the theme of the harsh government through the eyes of the protagonist, antagonist, and the foil characters Hazel and George Bergeron in this futuristic society.
Kurt Vonnegut’s dystopian fiction, or a type of fiction in which the society’s attempt to create a perfect world goes very wrong, “Harrison Bergeron” was first published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1961. This story is about Harrison Bergeron, who is forced to diminish his abilities because they are more enhanced than everyone else’s. This short story is an allusion of a perfect society and it is maintained through totalitarian. The author expresses his theme of the dysfunctional government of utopia through his effective use of simile, irony, and symbolism. Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most influential American writers and novelists, and his writings have left a deep influence on the American Literature of the 20th century. Vonnegut is also famous for his humanist beliefs and was the honoree of the American Humanist Association. “Harrison Bergeron” is about a fictional time in the future where everyone is forced to wear handicapping devices to ensure that everyone is equal. So can true equality ever be achieved through strict governmental control?
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.