Harrison Bergeron Character Analysis

Harrison Bergeron Character Analysis “Harrison Bergeron” is a satirical short story written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr, a story that is a probable and mocking glimpse into how dark society may become in the future. The characters in this story are all equal, therefore not one person stronger, smarter, or better looking than any other individual. This is achieved by the use of handicaps produced by the government, which include a mask if you are ascetically pleasing, heavy weights to slow down individuals who are too fast or strong, and also earphones with vociferous radio signals to make ingenious people lose their train of thought or certain memories. These handicaps make a significant impact to everyone in the dystopia, including the three main characters in “Harrison Bergeron” who are fourteen year-old Harrison Bergeron, his father George Bergeron, and his mother Hazel Bergeron. Kurt Vonnegut’s dystopian and socially paralyzed world is brought out of the dark and into the light by his use of simple characters and their dispassionate reactions to rebellion and abnormality. In this short story, Harrison Bergeron is a teenager and a character that conveys the American population that think highly of themselves, want power and respect, and want to essentially proclaim their attributes as better than someone else’s. Harrison is seven feet tall, profoundly handsome, and remarkably strong. Vonnegut describes the rest of Harrison’s build as “Halloween and hardware,” with Harrison also carrying an astonishing set of handicaps, which included “spectacles with thick wavy lenses,” making Harrison half blind and also giving him raging headaches, and a set of giant earphones, replacing the tiny sets that are given to smaller individuals. When Harrison escapes from the jail he is held in, he believes he has the power to overthrow the government. However, despite his hard build, Harrison is hinted to have a rather careful and artistic soul. As a ballerina is dancing during a