Who Is Harrison Bergeron

Words: 1500
Pages: 6
Open Document
“In a world of complex threats, our security and leadership depends on all elements of our power- including strong and principled diplomacy.”-Barack Obama. Harrison Bergeron is an advanced young man in a dystopian society where all citizens of the United States are equal. In this story, the oppressive government stifles individual creativity and personal growth, which eventually leads to a threat to individual development as a society. This essay will delve into how the handicap system drags down individuals in society and kills their personal growth, how society is also brainwashed into thinking that the system the government is putting into place is the proper way of doing things, and the themes of resistance and rebellion against the oppressive …show more content…
It was tuned to a government transmitter. Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains.” This description shows how advanced people are forced into these handicap systems to prevent them from being able to use their advanced abilities. Another way we can see the forms of handicaps that the citizens must undergo in their day-to-day lives is when the ballerinas are described in the text of the story. The television program that George and Hazel are watching displays the handicaps that the ballerinas must take on. The text shows this, “They were burdened with sashweights and bags of birdshot, and their faces were masked, so that no one, seeing a free and graceful gesture or a pretty face, would feel like something the cat dragged in” The ballerinas; being not equal to the average person, are forced into major handicaps to equalize the society, yet their thoughts and personalities are not considered in this process. Thus their growth, individuality and development are crushed under the weight of this brutal system. Harrison Bergeron is put through even more brutal handicapping devices than the average
Show More

Related Documents: Who Is Harrison Bergeron

Harrison Bergeron And Anthem Comparison Essay

between the extremely similar Harrison Bergeron and Anthem? Well here you have it. Harrison Bergeron is a short story that was published in October 1961 and was written by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Anthem is a book that was published in 1938 and was written by Ayn Rand. In Harrison Bergeron and Anthem it’s different how society controls people and their relationships with other people. The way the societies control people is different from one another. In Harrison Bergeron they control people by making…

Words 401 - Pages 2

Fahrenheit 451 Vs Harrison Bergeron Essay

community that is undesirable or frightening. Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 are two hopeless societies that both are based on having equal people, while the big difference is that “Harrison Bergeron” disables many things to equalize the people while Ray Bradbury burns books without forcing handicaps onto the people, which makes “Harrison Bergeron” a more hopeless environment. “Harrison Bergeron” is a story that sets handicaps on people to make them equal to…

Words 630 - Pages 3

Harrison Bergeron Live Free Essay

not the worst of evils”, is a quote from the film Harrison Bergeron and is also been seen in many revolutions and said by many people throughout history. Living free is the greatest thing in life, and living is oppressed with no freedom is worse than death; people are willing to fight for it. In history many groups of people have been oppressed. When people are restrained they fight back for freedom until they get it. In “Harrison Bergeron”, Harrison was restricted and was not able to use any of his…

Words 635 - Pages 3

Theme Analysis Essay: The Giver And Harrison Bergeron

Theme Analysis Essay: The Giver and Harrison Bergeron Rebellion: standing up and fighting for what's right. The Giver is a book about a controlled society. Everything is perfect, equal, and controlled. That is, until Jonas comes along. He is to be the Receiver of Memory; he receives memories of the past, and no one else, except the Giver, has to hold the burden of the painful, and pleasant, past. Jonas has a powerful urge to share his new feelings to his Community and the only way to do that is…

Words 448 - Pages 2

Harrison Bergeron and Handicapper General Essay

Compare and Contrast Essay A lot of books and movies are plotted around dystopian settings; The Lorax and Harrison Bergeron are prime examples of dystopic states and thus they will be used in this essay. It is clearly visible to see that they are dystopian societies but they have different dystopian characteristics that define how their societies function. They do this in similar and in different ways which are evident. Also there are differences between the two protagonists in the stories.…

Words 907 - Pages 4

Harrison Bergeron Research Paper

Someone who is a threat is someone who is likely to inflict harm upon others. Whereas a hero is someone who is admired for their courage, noble qualities, or outstanding achievements. There is a fine line between the two. In the short story entitled "Harrison Bergeron" the author, Kurt Vonnegut describes the future. In 2081, everyone was made equal through handicaps. They were not only equal under the law but also mentally and physically. Nobody was better than anyone else by being stronger, smarter…

Words 803 - Pages 4

Dystopian Societies Harrison Bergeron And Ayn Rand's Anthem

short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut is about a time in the future where the government makes everyone “equal” by using handicaps for their individual strength and intelligence. In “Harrison Bergeron” but Vonnegut and Ayn Rand’s Anthem both are different in their relationships. In “Harrison Bergeron” there are families and relationships in society. “And it was in that clammy month that the H-G men took George and hazel Bergeron’s fourteen-year-old son, Harrison away” (Harrison Bergeon pg…

Words 318 - Pages 2

Comparing The Dangerous Games, Liberty, And Harrison Bergeron

stories “the dangerous games”, “liberty” and “Harrison Bergeron” for setting, conflict, and character for each story. Each story has a similar and difference to each of the story by their setting conflicts and the main characters. Setting is where the stories take place. The Dangerous Game takes place on an island where a hunter hunts big game. Liberty takes place in the Dominican republican where people listen to rulers or were killed. Last Harrison Bergeron take place in 2081 when everyone had to be…

Words 327 - Pages 2

Deviance In 'Harrison Bergeron And The Pedestrian'

is by showing deviance in the story. The character then feels some sort of connection to the protagonist who is seen as an antagonist to the society within the story. In the short stories, “Harrison Bergeron,” and “The Pedestrian” there are two characters who seem to commit acts of deviance by defying the authority. In “Harrison Bergeron,” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., the protagonist, Harrison Bergeron, tries to break free from his handicaps and tries to get everyone to live at their highest potential.…

Words 1282 - Pages 6

Rough Draft Essay

Coburn 1 Jonathan Coburn Springer english 11/15/13 Social Criticism in Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” is full of social criticism of a world where everybody has been made equal. In this story Vonnegut shows how people would be made equal and the depressing it could be and how the opposite can be just as bad. One of the biggest criticism is to make everyone equal, they would have to be made incompetent to be equal with those below average ability in any area…

Words 1273 - Pages 6