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"Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, 1961


Summary
This fiction story takes place at the Bergeron living room in 2081. The world is finally
equal, but that is not necessarily good, everyone is the same, nobody can be too smart, too
talented or too beautiful and everything in life is extremely boring. All the equality was due to
the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution and the intimidating agents to the
United States Handicapper General. When a young, 14 year old, Harrison Bergeron rebels
against the law, the Handicapper Generals hunt him down.
The everyday life of American citizens were simple. Once the agents of the Handicapper
General, Ms.Diana Moon Glampers, saw anyone, for example, someone who had remarkable
talent such as a dancer, they would put physical handicaps on the dancer so they were just as bad
of a dancer as everyone else. One day, Harrison Bergeron, son of George and Hazel Bergeron
was taken away because of he's an exceptional genius and with outrageous talents. Without
handicaps, Harrison was breaking many laws from the new amendments . George and Hazel
weren't aware of their only son's absence because the handicaps that were forced on their heads
made them dumber than average. With this handicap it defies them from thinking and shocks
their head to stop them and they could not defend Harrison whatsoever let alone remember the
situation.
Once taken away, Harrison escaped and suddenly he was all over the news. He broke of
all the handicaps that was stuck on him and told everyone he was their emperor and demanded
attention. Harrison wanted everyone to take off the handicaps and to be free and the first women
to stand up would be his empress. Once he found his empress, he danced and broke handicaps
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off the musicians and everyone was playing so fantastic. Suddenly, the Handicapper General
came and shot both Harrison and his empress and they fell down to the ground. As soon as they
died everyone forgot about what happened and continued with their regular, everyday lives.
Theme Analysis
Unlike most equal right stories in literature, the theme of "Harrison Bergeron" is:
Vonnegut, the author, is showing us what happens in a society where competition is no longer
allowed because the government has decided what is "normal" and what isn't. Anyone who is
considered to be above normal, like Harrison and his father, is handicapped. No one who is less
than normal should ever feel bad about him/herself. Society has become one of mediocrity,
keeping everyone as close to the same both physically and mentally. Hazel, Harrison's mother,
illustrates those in society who are below average, and she doesn't have to wear any handicaps.
Harrison is, of course, the superman of society, both physically and mentally. He cannot be
allowed to live once he tries to overthrow the government's control.
Vonnegut also shows the effect of the broadcast media on society. The Handicapper General
uses radio signals to punish those who think the wrong thoughts or say the wrong things. He
depicts television as having a numbing effect on people, to the point that they are desensitized by
what they see. Hazel can't even remember that her son has been killed right in front of her.
Background Information
Kurt Vonnegut Jr., formally known as Kurt Vonnegut, born in 1922, mainly wrote
science fiction stories, his works are characterized by wild leaps of imagination and a deep
disbelief. In addition to being one of the top-selling American authors of the twentieth century,
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Vonnegut was an accomplished graphic artist. He frequently wrote of the Depression and about
tragically horrible moments.
Vonnegut was a soldier in the US Army during WWII, was captured in Germany, and survived
Allied bombing raids of Dresden that killed over 100,000 civilians and were kept secret for many
years after the war. Vonnegut's distrust of centralized government began as a result of his
awareness of the whole of this situation. Following his distrust of the centralized government he
wrote Harrison Bergeron about the civil rights movement and his beliefs on how the government
would attempt to change it. In addition, the relatively new but rapidly growing medium of
television was being widely criticized for its effect on audiences.
Kurt's opinion of television is reflected in Harrison Bergeron - he considered it a waste
of time and force intent on destroying independent thought by people. Finally, Vonnegut used
the story to deliver his commentary regarding the civil rights movement of the early 1960's,
specifically his mocking of those who were afraid to accept differences between people.

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