“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut: Summary and Themes

Harrison Bergeron is a short story by American writer Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Like most of his other works, it is a satire; it can also be called dystopian science fiction, as it is set in a dystopian future. It was published for the first time in the October 1961 edition of the Magazine of Fantasy and Science. Harrison Bergeron examines ideas of what equality means and the impact that media—TV in particular—can have, while also criticizing totalitarianism. 

The short story has been adapted from the screen multiple times—twice as a television film, and another two times as a short film. 

A Summary of Harrison Bergeron

The story is set far into the future, in the year 2081. All competition has been eliminated, and an extreme form of equality in society has been achieved after the passage of the 211th, 212th, and 213th amendments to the Constitution. An agency called the United States Handicapper General (USHG) enforces these laws, implementing handicaps on individuals to ensure that no one is smarter, better-looking, stronger, or faster than anyone else. 

In April, Harrison Bergeron, a fourteen-year-old boy, is arrested and taken away from his parents, George and Hazel Bergeron, by the government. However, they are not able to think about what has happened long enough to fully grasp or take in its enormity. This is due to Hazel’s “perfectly average intelligence” and the handicap radio that George is required to wear; the radio emits sharp noises every few seconds to scramble his thoughts. 

The couple is watching ballerinas dance on their television. Hazel is crying but doesn’t remember why. As the performance onscreen proceeds, they try to discuss it but are frequently interrupted by the noises from George’s handicap radio. A few of the ballerinas also appear to be affected in a similar manner, indicating that they too are wearing the radios. Several of them are also wearing more visible handicaps, such as masks and weights. 

Harrison Bergeron is a fourteen-year-old boy who has been arrested and taken away by the US government.

Hazel asks George about the noises he hears, which are different each time. She states her belief that she would make a good Handicapper General, the head of the USHG. It is noted that she does, in fact, resemble Diana Moon Glampers who currently occupies that position. Hazel muses about the noises she would have the handicap radios emit. She would like them to broadcast chimes on Sundays to remind those on the receiving end of church and religion. 

George also has to wear an additional handicap – a forty-seven pound bag of birdshot that has been padlocked around his neck. Hazel notices that the combination of this and the frequent noises from his radio have tired George out and tells him to lie down. She suggests that he could make a small hole in his handicap bag and remove some of the shot to lighten his load. However, George claims that it is not needed because he has grown used to the weight. He also recalls the punishment – two years in prison along with a fine of two thousand dollars for every ball of shot removed – for such actions and says that it is not worth it. These actions would be violations of the law, and indulging in them would likely bring back the days of competition leading to the downfall of society. 

The punishment for trying to circumvent enforced handicaps is two years in prison along with a fine of two thousand dollars for every ball of shot removed.

Meanwhile, the ballet performance on the TV is interrupted by a news bulletin. The announcer tries to read out the breaking news but is heavily affected by a speech impediment. Eventually, one of the ballerinas in the studio has to take the job over. She informs viewers of the escape from jail of Harrison Bergeron, as photographs of him are shown on the screen. He is accused of plotting to overthrow the government. He has been made to wear a range of handicaps to neutralize his good looks, strength, and intelligence. Harrison is seven feet tall and has been covered in scrap metal to weigh him down. He has to wear a red rubber ball on his nose and glasses with very thick lenses. His intelligence is so high that his mental handicap consists of a large pair of earphones.

Suddenly, chaos erupts on the television screen. George begins to recognize it as an indication of Harrison’s entry into the TV studio but is interrupted by his radio. Then, Harrison storms into the studio, while everyone else cowers in fright. He rips off his handicaps and declares himself the Emperor and dares anyone to rise up and claim the title of his Empress. A moment later, one of the ballerinas stands. She is tall and when Harrison removes her handicaps, she is revealed to be incredibly beautiful and intelligent.

Harrison removes the handicaps of the musicians in the studio and demands that they play so that the couple can dance. Their first attempt is unsatisfactory, and Harrison roughly demonstrates what he wants, waving a couple of the musicians around like batons and singing. When the troupe tries again, the music is better. Harrison and the ballerina dance so expressively that when they jump, they remain suspended in the air, inches below the ceiling. They kiss it and then each other. 

The scene is interrupted by the arrival of the Handicapper General, Diana Moon Glampers, with her gun. She shoots Harrison and his Empress, killing them, and then threatens the musicians to put their handicaps back on.

In the Bergerons’ home, their television blacks out. Hazel begins to comment on it but realizes that George has gone to the kitchen. When he returns, he notices that she is crying and asks her why. Hazel replies that she cannot remember why, just that she had seen something really sad on the TV. George’s handicap radio breaks his thoughts once again, and Hazel remarks that it sounded like a doozy. He says that she could say that again and she does. 

Themes in Harrison Bergeron

1. Individualism and Conformity: In the dystopian future of Harrison Bergeron, the concept of “equality” has come to be understood as a lack of individualism. The government has made an attempt to erase all differences among people via handicaps and to bring them to the same platform in terms of ability and appearance.  This platform, however, is on the level of the lowest common denominator; instead of attempting to boost and improve those with lower intelligence and/or other abilities, those that have these qualities innately are forced to give them up. 

The dystopia of ‘Harrison Bergeron’, has twisted the idea of “equality” to mean a lack of individualism, and any failure to conform with this "equality" is seen as dangerous rebellion.

The handicaps, especially the mental handicaps, imposed by the US Handicapper General ensure that the citizenry of the country conforms to its rules and laws. This is clear in the character of George Bergeron. He is of “way above normal intelligence” and sometimes does appear to have non-conformist thoughts (for instance, when he begins to contemplate the absurdity of handicapping the ballerinas, which considerably brings down the quality of their performance). However, he believes in the imposed system and sees any attempts to escape or cheat it as the beginning of the downfall of all of society.  

Thus, through the suppression of individualism, the government has achieved a complacent conformity from its citizens. In such a scenario, demonstrations of individuality are seen as dangerous rebellion. 

2. Dissent and Rebellion: The titular character, Harrison Bergeron, rebels against the authoritarianism of a handicap-imposing government by escaping from its custody, stripping off his handicaps, and proudly reveling in his abilities as he proclaims himself Emperor. This immediately puts a target on his back. He is labeled as dangerous and is ultimately shot in cold blood on live television. 

The government in this world is able to hold on to power mainly through the conformity of its citizens. Thus, any dissent by the public, even if by an individual,  endangers its hold on that power and needs to be instantly crushed. 

Meanwhile, the dance that Harrison and his Empress share illustrates the transcending power of dissent and rebellion against an oppressive regime. In comparison to the previous mediocre ballet programme, theirs is a beautiful and passionate performance. They defy the laws of gravity as they leap high up into the air and “kiss” the ceiling. They even continue to remain suspended in thin air for several moments. However, this scene is tempered by Vonnegut’s cynicism; the couple crashes to the floor, brutally shot by the Handicapper General. 

As Harrison and his Empress danced, they illustrated the transcending power that dissent and rebellion against an oppressive regime can have.

3. Totalitarianism in Governments and Society: As in a lot of other dystopian fiction, the government in Harrison Bergeron is an authoritarian and totalitarian one. It has developed a system of handicaps to infiltrate into and control the private thoughts and lives of its citizenry. By this point, almost the entire population submits to this system and even believes it to be a good and needed one. 

Through this story, Kurt Vonnegut also appears to be holding up a mirror to society itself. Frequently, those who exercise individualism in thought and appearance are deemed to be outcasts. When any deviance from established rules and norms shows up, there is a scramble to try to squash it and get the person to conform. If the individual fails to comply, they are treated as outlaws. However, it is also the non-conformists that help move society along, to change and develop further. 

4. Impact of Mass Media: The television is instrumental in the short story. George and Hazel are watching their TV throughout as the government beams its programming on it. The news of Harrison’s escape and his death also play out on the screen. 

Besides the handicaps, the government also exerts its control over the public through mass media. After limiting intelligence and thinking, the government exposes people to its ideological propaganda via media like TV and in a form that is easy to follow and absorb without provoking critical thought. 

As Harrison is introduced to the TV’s audience, the word “dangerous” is associated with him. This association also justifies his violent end and lowers its shock value. Not even his parents are troubled by the scene they witness on their screens, and the imposed average intelligence causes them to straight away forget what happened, classifying it as just “something sad.” 

The Value of Art: Harrison Bergeron highlights the multi-faceted value of art as a means of expression of human imagination, as well as a tool to limit and numb. The ballet performance that George and Hazel are watching is probably indicative of the quality of most of the art that exists in the story’s world. It is mediocre but entertaining enough to catch and hold the limited attention spans of the audience. People probably spend hours parked in front of the TV watching similar programming uncritically. In stark contrast to the ballet is Harrison’s dance with his Empress. Rid of their handicaps, the couple and the musicians perform at their very best, and the result is powerfully evocative.

List of Characters in Harrison Bergeron

1. Hazel Bergeron: Hazel Bergeron is Harrison’s mother. She is described as having an intelligence that is average for that time, which means that she is able to focus only for very short periods of time. As she watches the ballet on TV, she appreciates it as being good, even though the ballerinas are unable to perform at the best of their abilities. Hazel is unable to think critically and is rather given to musing. She wonders what sounds are broadcast over the handicap radios and has suggestions for them (chimes on Sundays, indicating that she is probably religious). She believes that she’d be a good Handicapper General and does, in fact, physically resemble her. Hazel is in many ways an ideal citizen for an authoritarian government.

The docile and compliant Hazel is an example of the ideal citizen according to authoritarian governments.

However, she does display a rare amount of emotion. At the beginning of the story, her son has been arrested and taken away. Even though she doesn’t seem to remember it, she has tears in her eyes. And in the end, once again, she does not realize that she has just witnessed his death on TV. In spite of that, she is very sad and is crying. 

She is also kind, expressing concern for the strain caused to her husband George by his various handicaps, and suggests that he ease them. She is also quick to excuse the news announcer’s inability to read out the news. 

2. George Bergeron: George is Hazel’s husband and Harrison’s father. He is very intelligent and is thus subjected to the mental handicap radio. Unlike his wife, he recognizes that the ballet performance is suffering due to the handicaps of the ballerinas but cannot follow through with this idea as the radio disrupts it. However, while he is capable of thinking critically, he is a willing participant in the handicap system and rationalizes it as something that keeps him safe and preserves society. 

George is intelligent but also a willing participant in the handicap system because he thinks that it will keep him safe and preserve society.

3. Harrison Bergeron: Harrison Bergeron is an extremely intelligent, handsome, and athletic fourteen year old. Due to his qualities, the government views him as a threat and takes him away. In spite of the heavy handicaps placed on him, Harrison escapes and breaks into the TV studio, declaring himself as Emperor. He exhibits his abilities while ripping off his handicaps, freeing other people (his Empress and the musicians) of their handicaps as well, and while dancing. It is a glimpse into the kind of society he is capable of building, one that values the benefits of individualism. However, it is a brief glimpse as he is soon killed by the Handicapper General, ending his short-lived rebellion.

4. Diana Moon Glampers: She is the Handicapper General. Diana Moon Glampers is the personification of totalitarianism. She heads the agency that designs and enforces handicaps on the citizens. She is also the one who kills Harrison on live TV, violently ending dissent. 

An Analysis of Harrison Bergeron

In Harrison Bergeron, Vonnegut vividly demonstrates an authoritarian government’s reaction to dissent, and the effect of such a rule on the psyche of the citizens that are subject to it. Harrison Bergeron, the eponymous character of the story, is the personification of rebellion and dissent in a society that has succumbed to a very literal understanding of the term “equality.” It is not only his actions (escape from jail and open declaration of his own superiority) that are threatening to the government. He is a genius who is also endowed with beauty and strength. His very existence jeopardizes the ruling ideology, as the robustness of his innate gifts cannot be neutralized with the instituted system of handicaps. 

Harrison Bergeron is a figure of dissent in a society that has a very particular and twisted understanding of ‘equality.’

Ruling bodies that adapt authoritarian and totalitarian methods to hold on to their power rely on widespread fear and submission. Fear is inspired through the brutal enforcement of draconian laws. This is represented by the scene in which Harrison and his Empress are shot by an agent of the government (the Handicapper General). A moment of dissent is followed by a swift and immediate execution of the dissenter(s). That the whole episode is broadcast on live television to all citizens makes it a particularly graphic warning against any attempt to rebel or question the regime. 

Fear inspired by violence is just one of the tools used by the regime to attain the submission and conformity of the public. Even as it implements handicaps that cause discomfort, the government effectively employs propaganda; citizens, such as George Bergeron, themselves endorse the limiting (and potentially) harmful handicap system as a required means to maintain order in society. 

Authoritarian and/or totalitarian governments rely on the citizens’ fear and submission to retain their power.

Meanwhile, mass media plays another role besides that of a channel for propaganda and horrific, resistance-quelling broadcasts: through television, the state can bombard its citizens with low-quality entertainment. This is a particularly insidious method for securing their submission. It works in tandem with the enforced handicaps to distract people from their own wretched states, while also diminishing their ability to question. This is demonstrated frequently throughout the conversation between Hazel and George prior to Harrison’s arrival in the TV studio. And even after his live execution, the mediocre ballet program continues, helping erase the explosive violence from the viewers’ minds, leaving them with a vague notion of having witnessed “something sad.” In most ideas of utopia, equality is an essential quality. In the dystopia of Harrison Bergeron, an authoritarian regime twists the idea of equality into its defining ideology, and uses it to justify a harsh handicap system that crushes uniqueness, and the creativity and capacity for innovation that it brings. The independent thought of the individual is not tolerated. Those who indulge in it are killed publicly, and the watching public is then medicated into dullness with mindless TV. The story is a cynical one, which briefly offers hope only to stamp it out.

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