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Government Control in Future America

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Government Control in Future America
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s short story, Harrison Bergeron, is about control. The setting is based in future America, where everyone is forced to be equal. Harrison, the main character, breaks the law as the country watches on TV. The story begins by mentioning Amendments 211 through 213, making the reader aware of limitations that could potentially be placed on our freedom. In this story of perception, government agents are the deciding factor of a person’s fate and they ensure that laws are enforced. Beautiful people must wear hideous masks to make them equal to the ugly, the brilliant wear ear devices that alter their thought process and make recollection near impossible and the strong wear weighted bags to make them equal to those who are weak. Forced equality is questioned by the handicapped and the outcome is a controlled society. Harrison is used to represent the people who will protest against such laws and encourage others to support his cause. The central idea is that our government could never make a perfect world by enforcing total equality but they can place limitations the people.
Though the Amendments were enforced, the government couldn’t make a perfect world. “Some things about living still weren’t quite right, though.” (Lostracco and Wilkerson, Pg. 178). Harrison, age 14, was taken because of his mental and physical strength however, the government still failed to enforce control as they had to kill him off to quiet his protest. Harrison refused to fall victim to the equality law and encouraged people to stand up for their rights. He broke the handicaps that restrained the people who followed him. “A moment passed, and then a ballerina arose, swaying like a willow…Harrison plucked the mental handicap from her ear…” (Lostracco and Wilkerson, Pg. 182-3). Harrison then showed the people the meaning of the word dance and

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