Harrison Begeron Theme Essay

Theme: Harrison Bergeron Harrison Bergeron (Kurt Vonnegut, 1961) is a fictional commentary on an egalitarian society. Based in the future, 2081 to be exact, Vonnegut describes a society where the American government has passed amendments to make all its citizens equal by use of handicaps. These handicaps range from masks for the beautiful, weights for the strong, radio chips that give off bursts of frequencies to disrupt thoughts for the intelligent, all in an attempt in an entirely equal citizenship. The main character, Harrison Bergeron, symbolizes the complete opposite of this ideology. He is the epitome of superhuman: 7 feet tall, extremely handsome and strong, genius intellect, athletic. He exemplifies these superhuman traits almost to a comical extent; parallel to the outrageous, comical extent of equality the citizens of the United States are forced into. The theme of this short story is clear: it provides a fictitious representation of a society where our creativeness and individuality cease to exist in order to symbolize its necessity in our lives. By use of metaphor, hyperbole, and subtle irony, Vonnegut paints the story of a pseudo-idealistic society and its potential consequences. Hyperbole is used almost constantly throughout the story to symbolize the ridiculousness of this ideological society. The exaggerated strength and superhuman characteristics of Harrison Bergeron are only part of the extended hyperbole this story creates. The outrageous handicaps citizens must wear, the comical lack of speaking ability of the news correspondent, etc. represents the flaws of this futuristic society. Vonnegut’s constant use of hyperbole allow the reader to understand the short story is a satirical piece, and consequently, allowing the reader to fully comprehend the story’s theme. The extended metaphor the story employs-and is-symbolizes the flawed, egalitarian society that Vonnegut is satirizing. The use of handicaps by government officials is a metaphor