Analysis of "Harrison Bergeron"
Many people have hopeful ideas for the future of equality in America, but nobody is thinking along the lines of the extremely egalitarian world that Kurt Vonnegut envisions in his short story, “Harrison Bergeron.” Throughout the story there are examples of people acting or being forced to act in ways that differ from the ways we expect people to act in real life. In “Harrison Bergeron, Vonnegut applies setting, characterization, and plot to generate a feeling of incredulity at the unrealistic futuristic world he portrays in the story.
First, Vonnegut uses setting to express the special idea of “Harrison Bergeron”. In the story, the people are described as,“Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. (pg. 1)” Diversity is a trait that makes humans stronger as a whole, and better people as individuals. The people described in “Harrison Bergeron” lack diversity. Explaining a world in which everybody is completely equal rubs against our inground feelings on individuality. Setting further supports the special effect by introducing the characters of Hazel and George. “George and Hazel were watching television. There were tears on Hazel’s cheeks, but she’d forgotten for the moment what they were about. (pg.1)” This is how two characters are acting after their son was taken away and sent to jail and is grotesquely different from the way most parents in real life would deal with a similar situation. How George and Hazel are acting shows just how warped the people in the story are. Setting lays down the basics for the feeling of unease that comes with this absurd futuristic scenario.
Next, characterization is used to establish the special effect of the story. Hazel, the mother of Harrison Bergeron is described as having “A perfectly average intelligence, which meant she could only think about anything in short bursts.” (pg. 1) We would never think of Hazels intelligence as “average” in
First, Vonnegut uses setting to express the special idea of “Harrison Bergeron”. In the story, the people are described as,“Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. (pg. 1)” Diversity is a trait that makes humans stronger as a whole, and better people as individuals. The people described in “Harrison Bergeron” lack diversity. Explaining a world in which everybody is completely equal rubs against our inground feelings on individuality. Setting further supports the special effect by introducing the characters of Hazel and George. “George and Hazel were watching television. There were tears on Hazel’s cheeks, but she’d forgotten for the moment what they were about. (pg.1)” This is how two characters are acting after their son was taken away and sent to jail and is grotesquely different from the way most parents in real life would deal with a similar situation. How George and Hazel are acting shows just how warped the people in the story are. Setting lays down the basics for the feeling of unease that comes with this absurd futuristic scenario.
Next, characterization is used to establish the special effect of the story. Hazel, the mother of Harrison Bergeron is described as having “A perfectly average intelligence, which meant she could only think about anything in short bursts.” (pg. 1) We would never think of Hazels intelligence as “average” in