Thought-Provoking Themes Of Harrison Bergeron

In the story Harrison Bergeron in the year 2081 everyone is equal, no one is smatter, better looking, stronger, faster, etc. than anyone else, but rather everyone is “average”. This story raises the idea of tall poppy syndrome. A derogatory term used to describe a social phenomenon in which people are resented, attacked, put down, and criticized by society because their talents or achievements place them above and distinguish them from their peers. This is evident in the characters Harrison Bergeron, George Bergeron, and the ballerina whose talents are being hindered by the government (handicapper general) in the story. Harrison Bergeron is and absurdly handsome, strong, genius who outpaces his peers.

Imagine a world where an oppressive government captures what many call diversity. Where ugly is known as beauty and intelligence is insignificant. “They weren't 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 “Harrison Bergeron,” by Kurt Vonnegut. It is the year 2081 and the government handicaps every citizen with make up or weights to create equality. Where there are over than 200 amendments and the government has full control of all citizens, this is indeed against what America had been

Do 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 the law, even if they are a citizen of the United States, which means that everyone does not have equal rights.

Freedom. Something everyone, in one way or another, wants to obtain. But what does it mean to be free? In Harrison Bergeron, especially when compared to Ovid’s original Icarus piece, this question is answered. The retelling shows that in order to feel free one must know their limitations and their strengths, be able to take a risk and defy society and its rules. Once someone is able to do put it all on the line and be danger of risking their place in society, they will be truly free.

The society in “Harrison Bergeron” is similar to the society in Anthem in the sense that they both look down on people that are superior to others. “Harrison Bergeron” presents the United States in the year 2081, where everybody is equal under the rule of the United States Handicapper General, Diana Moon Glampers. In this futuristic version of the United States, people are given handicaps when they are above average either mentally or physically, resulting in a significant drop of the average intelligence level of their community as compared to today’s standards. Harrison Bergeron, a smart, handsome, and athletic fourteen year old boy that lives in this society, is required to wear headphones that made loud sounds, glasses with thick wavy lenses, and three hundred pounds of scrap metal to limit his abilities. But even with all of these hindrances, he is still considered too gifted and therefore dangerous to society. In this short story, Vonnegut creates the idea that trying to make everyone equal is not something that we should strive for as it can lead to major

There are flaws everywhere. No matter how hard you try to get rid of the flaws, they’ll always be there. The Harrison Bergeron, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. shows with passion how even if everyone are without any flaws equal, there’ll still be imperfections and individuality. In Harrison Bergeron, the author focuses were severe intensity on symbolism to explain how even in perfections, there are flaws.

When you look at it, the perfect society is what Russia was looking to achieve

The point of view in “Harrison Bergeron” is third person with limited insight. The focal character is George Bergeron, the titular character’s father. The story is written to show two settings: the living room of George and Hazel Bergeron, and the scene they are watching on their television. This point of view helps to develop the theme by showing what we assume to be an average couple in a futuristic setting, and by establishing a societal norm for the dystopian setting. The mundane point of view contrasts nicely with the very outrageous personality of Harrison Bergeron and his theatrical antics. This point of view also gives the reader a relatively objective look into the conflict between Harrison and the United States Handicapper General. The use of George as the focal character gives the reader insight into the mind of a man who wears a mental and a physical handicap. This allows the reader to see into George’s thoughts and how they process with the mental handicap in place, “every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking advantage of their

Throughout the short story, Harrison Bergeron, written by Kurt Vonnegut, Vonnegut tries to spread a general theme. In Harrison Bergeron, the audience meets several characters in a utopian society. In this utopian society, everyone is equal. If someone had an above average intelligence, they were handicapped. These handicaps were not to be taken off, but to be worn at all times. They all had to be on the same level. In the end, people try to break free, and the government did not want the society to be like this, so they killed them. Today our society is trying to equalize, but we have not been successful. The theme in the short story Harrison Bergeron is that equalizing is not always good to do in a world like we have today.

The book, Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., conveys a theme social issues, in which everyone is equal. The government made sure nobody had an advantage over another. In the story, Vonnegut Jr., writes, ¨She was referring to the forty-seven pounds of birdshot in a canvas bag, which was padlocked around George’s neck” (2). The picture depicts how having an advantage over other people caused George pain by having to carry around bags and wear a mental handicap radio in his ears. He was forced to wear this bag because the government wanted complete equality throughout the country. This government's view of societal ideals had clouded their path.

In a dystopian universe, “The year was 2081 and everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law. They were equal in every which way.” The government has passed the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the constitution and diversity between people was taken out of society. Anyone who is different or better in any way will be given a handicap to be made equal again. Like Harrison, the son of George and Hazel. He exemplifies perfectly the type of abnormally special individuals the government is trying to take out of the community.

A major theme that persists in Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s story, Harrison Bergeron, is the correlation of absolute equality and the destruction of talent, creativity and freedom in society. The short story deals heavily with the topic of equality between humankind, taking the concept to an extreme through his predicted world of 2081. In multiple places through the text, you can see the connection between this equal world and the lack of freedom the people are given. The theme is already expressed in the introduction sentence, “Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else.”. Just that quote explains how equality directly relates to their destruction of talent by

Can an equivalent society really exist? The story, "Harrison Bergeron" gives one point of view reply to this question all through the story. The story depicts one primary clash between Harrison Bergeron, a virtuoso kid who is exceptionally capable, against an "administration" that makes the whole society square with by incapacitating the more talented, down to the level of the less blessed or unable. Harrison always exceeds his huge impairs speedier than the legislature can make them and arrangements to oust the debilitate government and society with his virtuoso. The peruser discovers that there is a consistent battle with the general population in the general public who are more quick witted having the capacity to think on there claim for

Have you ever found yourself wishing that you were someone else? But you can not because you are your own self. This is what happened in the story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. In this story, the handicap general or the leader makes everyone the same and kills anyone who does not conform. This was because not everyone was the same or equal.

Harrison Bergeron is a concise and well written short story about what happens when a strong attempt to control society goes horribly wrong. There are many things you can learn from Harrison Burgeon, this short story if full very precise and well thought out ideas that can serve as life lessons to society. The government in this story bases its morals off the principles of ones that would be founded in a dictatorship. This may sound very familiar given that it is much like our society today (minus the dictatorship).