Harrison Bergeron Tone

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In “Harrison Bergeron,” Kurt Vonnegut tells a story of an American future where everyone is completely equal. At first readers might think this might be an ideal type of society due to the fact that no one can be better than anyone else. Only further into the story, it is understood that this society is very dangerous. If everyone is equal, that means that no one can be more intelligent than the other person due to handicaps that the government forces Americans to wear. The fact that no one but Harrison Bergeron tries to make a change is even more frightening. People in this futuristic time have no individuality to try to stop the government. Vonnegut uses characterization, symbolism, and tone to show readers what the outcome of total equality can be if Americans lose their voice to speak up against …show more content…
The tone helps readers understand that even though the story at first sounds humorous, it is in fact very serious. The author’s straightforward tone makes the story seem very casual. “Harrison Bergeron” starts off by saying, “The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal” (1). Vonnegut’s use of the word “finally” helps readers understand that equality was what all Americans were after. However, soon readers discover the absurdity of the society that has been constructed by the government. The announcer was having too much trouble reading the announcement, so he gave the bulletin to the ballerina to read. Vonnegut wrote, “And she had to apologize at once for her voice, which was a very unfair voice for a woman to use. Her voice was a warm, luminous, timeless melody. “Excuse me-” she said, and she began again, making her voice absolutely uncompetitive” (4). The descriptive language used at first enacts a serene feeling, but then transforms after the ballerina changes her voice so she would not sound more talented than any other person. The establishment of tone assists readers in grasping the theme of the
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