Harrison Bergeron - 998 Words

Harrison Bergeron If I tried to get away with it, then other peopled get away with itÂâ€"and soon wed be right back to the dark ages againÂ… This statement by George Bergeron sums up Kurt Vonnegut Jr.s short story Harrison Bergeron in one line. Harrison Bergeron is the story of a futuristic United States in the year 2081, where all individuals are made equal regardless of what their natural born characteristics were. They are made equal both mentally and physically, all to the same measure of intelligence and strength. In Harrison Bergeron the society has become apathetic and equally conformed because of the power of the Handicapper General, the forced use of handicaps, and the people within the society who continued to let†¦show more content†¦By allowing the government to pass over 200 amendments to the constitution they are tolerating their lives being run for them. Without voting against these amendments or trying to repeal them they have gotten to a point where there is now nothing they can do to go back and change things. They were equal in every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. These were the laws that were passed in the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution. As of now, in 2005, our society has 27 Amendments. To think of having over 200 is unfathomable. The society is apathetic and content with being average. They dont revolt or vote against these injustices, they accept them. Diana Moon Glampers loaded the gun again. She aimed it at the musicians and told them they had ten seconds to get their handicaps back on. It is obvious that the people can remove their handicaps, they do have control over them, but they choose not to, even in private. Hazel tries to get George to take out a few of the lead balls because he has been so tired lately Ââ€" kind of wore out. Yet, he wont he has been programmed to obey the law by any means. By not taking off the handicaps, the society and the people in it have perpetuated the actions taken by the government and those in charge. The story Harrison Bergeron, though fictional and futuristic, is a great portrayal of what life couldShow MoreRelatedharrison bergeron952 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ An Equal Society with a Strong Government In 2081, all of society is forced to be equal. In Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.’s short story, Harrison Bergeron, everyone is assigned â€Å"handicaps† that make them equal to everyone else. These handicaps included wearing weights around the neck, wearing a mask to cover beauty, and having a device in the ear so thinking could not be overdone. â€Å"Nobody was smarter than anyone else; nobody was better looking than anyone else; nobody was stronger or quicker than anyoneRead MoreHarrison Bergeron1095 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Harrison Bergeron† by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is a story literally exaggerated to its limit by showing, in the near future, what it means to be equal in every way by having people not being able to show any form of intelligence or creativity whatsoever. When Harrison Bergeron breaks the chains of government oppression, he dies for his failed cause. He dies because he chooses not to conform to the rest of his oppressive society. His parents, George andRead MoreHarrison Bergeron1317 Words   |  6 PagesAn impartial society: Utopia or Hell? What would happen to the world if the people were literally equal in every aspect of their lives? In the futuristic short story, â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., the world is finally living up to America’s first amendment of everyone being created equal. In this society, the gifted, strong, and beautiful are required to wear handicaps of earphones, heavy weights, and hideous masks, respectively. Thus, these constraints leave the world equal fromRead MoreHarrison Bergeron983 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Harrison Bergeron† is a story about Big Government forcing equality on citizens by the use of handicaps; in doing so they hold everyone back from their fullest potential. The year 2081 is oppressive to say the least; people are punished for being above average in intelligence, beauty, physical abilities or any variety of capabilities. No one is supposed to be more attractive, stronger, more intelligent or quicker than anyone else. The quest for egalitarianism is faulty; people who are born giftedRead MoreHarrison Bergeron2717 Words   |  11 Pages According to Vonnegut, so did the U.S. government, in the year 2081. In the outrageous short story of Harrison Bergeron, many historic achievements and ideas, like the Manifesto, can closely parallel with that of the future outlook described by Vonnegut. Vonnegut shows the ridiculousness of the outcome of this, at the time, pop ular ideology with satire and exaggerations. Harrison Bergeron opens with a paragraph that immediately gives a background setting to the story as a whole. The time of 2081Read MoreEssay on Harrison Bergeron682 Words   |  3 PagesHarrison Bergeron, projected on a stage representing the conformity of a society with a system of Government based on equality for the weak, which are monitored and controlled by a dictatorial Government. This story is a literary sample that gives us a system of Government, where the law was created with the intention of limiting the individuals and turning them into beings with actuation equality, controlling them through the transmitters or obstacles in their body for that people couldRead MoreHarrison Bergeron Essay992 Words   |  4 PagesHarrison Bergeron Imagine a world where an oppressive government captures what many call diversity. Where ugly is known as beauty and intelligence is insignificant. â€Å"They werent only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else.† (Vonnegut) This is the future that Harrison experiences, in the short story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron,† by Kurt Vonnegut. ItRead MoreEssay On Harrison Bergeron710 Words   |  3 PagesDo you think society would improve if everyone was equal? Even though people may argue with me, I say that everyone isn’t truly equal in the story, Harrison Bergeron. I say this due to how people that are naturally born with above average intelligence, strength, and looks gorgeous has to wear handicaps to hide their unique abilities. Another reason is that some people are either respected or disrespected because of their special talents. Thirdly, some people in the story does not need to follow theRead MoreThe Lottery and Harrison Bergeron1100 Words   |  5 Pages The Lottery and Harrison Bergeron People with power in society often have the ability to influence the practice of certain traditions. These traditions can affect what a citizen is entitled to do. In todays day and age, life without basic freedoms and rights sounds unthinkable. However, in Shirley Jacksons â€Å"The Lottery† and Kurt Vonneguts â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† this is the reality. Old Man Warner and the Handicapper General show that people in positions of authority encourage outdated traditionsRead MoreAnalysis Of George Bergeron s Harrison Bergeron 1558 Words   |  7 PagesThe title character, Harrison Bergeron, wants to defy the government system and dare to be different. The society he lives in wants everyone to be equal in every way—â€Å"nobody was smarter [or better looking or stronger or quicker] than anybody else† (Vonnegut 226). George Bergeron had an intelligence [†¦] way above normal† (Vonnegut 226) and thus had a â€Å"transmitter [that] would send out some sharp noise† (Vonnegut 227) about every twenty seconds. George Bergeron is very superior in every way, â€Å"[wearing]