Analysis of Major Characters Harrison Bergeron Harrison represents the part of the American people that still longs to try hard‚ flaunt their attributes‚ and outpace their peers. At age fourteen‚ Harrison is a physical specimen: seven feet tall‚ immensely strong‚ and extremely handsome. The government does everything in its power to squelch Harrison‚ forcing him to wear huge earphones to distort his thinking‚ glasses to damage his sight and give him headaches‚ three hundred pounds of metal
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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 “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. “Nobody was smarter than anyone else; nobody was better looking than anyone else; nobody was stronger or quicker than anyone
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As the story begins‚ the reader learns that the story takes place in an equal society where everybody was equal in every way. “The year was 2081‚ and everybody was finally equal…United States Handicapper General.” (Vonnegut‚ 912) It is in these living conditions that Vonnegut creates conflict by developing the characteristics of the “law abiding” father George Bergeron and his “rebel” son Harrison Bergeron. As George and Hazel watch television one night the program is interrupted by an announcement
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Harrison Bergeron "If I tried to get away with it‚ then other people’d get away with itand soon we’d be right back to the dark ages again " 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
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KURT VONNEGUT JR.’S HARRISON BERGERON Vonnegut plays with the idea of equality as a literal sentencing of oppression‚ and not what the general public’s vision of it is. The society created by Vonnegut in which George and Hazel live in is‚ under every and any possible function of the term‚ a dystopian society. Plagued by “handicaps” which include physical disturbances of the psyche‚ George finds it difficult to string his thoughts together – this would give him an advantage of the misfortunate others
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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‚ popular 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 2081 is indicated‚ but more importantly
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short story by “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut‚ the world is all equal. The government has tried to make everything including seasons equal. Some people of a higher intelligence have to wear handicaps‚ devices that make the people unable to process more complex thoughts‚ along with anyone above the average attractiveness. George has to wear handicaps because he is above the average intelligence while Hazel does not due to her only having average intelligence. Kurt Vonnegut kills Harrison Bergeron
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The idea and possibility of equality appeals human’s emotional nature. It’s everyone ideal image and vision of how the world should be. However‚ can equality in every aspect potentially handicap one who’s potentially gifted? In the passage‚ “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut (1961)‚ he creates a strictly equitable society. In this “utopian” society‚ each person is treated equally despite each person’s characteristics or talents. Those who could be considered gifted or highly intelligent receive
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Elena Johnston American Studies Mr. Chau 09/02/13 Harrison Bergeron 1. The simplicity of the world created by Vonnegut may appeal to some‚ but I could never live in such a society where ones thought process is limited to average and the government plays such an overbearing role in the community. People who are born with “above average” intelligence are immediately controlled by handicapper devices to limit their brilliance. Some are given a device that partially alter their sight of
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HarrGeorge Ferguson Mrs. Eck English Harrison Bergeron After reading the title I wasn’t interested in reading the article whatsoever because it appeared to be just another one of those articles designed to bore me to death. After reading the first sentence the author slightly caught my attention. With the first few words in all caps the author said “THE YEAR WAS 2081‚ and everybody was finally equal.” As I was reading it I had a puzzled look on
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