...massed produced to replicate. Vonnegut relates America’s society and government in 2081 to today’s progressive controllability. There is so much manipulation today to over see and interact in attempt to create equality. In the short story “Harrison Bergeron”, Kurt Vonnegut mocks today and tomorrow’s society for it’s complete government empowerment, it’s gullibility towards modern media, and it’s incapability to exercise personal individuality. Vonnegut introduces the reader to George Bergeron, father of Harrison and husband to Hazel Bergeron, a family in the year 2081. Government has implemented characteristic handicaps in attempt to create equality in society. Impairments to alter ones thinking pattern interrupted with a government hearing aide placed in an intelligent individual’s ear on a continuous abrupt interruption with twenty second intervals, weights to be carried to restrain one’s physical strength, and masks to cover up one’s physical beauty creating a society where no one person stands above another. George Bergeron is described as a strong man who wears these restraints around his neck and is annoyingly un-able to complete his trans of thought due to the overwhelming noise broadcasted by the government through the earpiece. It is frightening how these impairments are accepted and allowed to be demonstrated by the government. George is well informed to the history of society, the unpredictable society contributed by individuality. He is afraid of competition and...
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...created a society that does not accept different. But what if one disobeys the rules our society created for us to follows? Anyone who dares to disobey these norms are looked down upon, shunned, they are seen as a threat and more likely than not sent to a facility to control such behaviors. These types of behaviors are seen as deviant, to be deviant according to the readings is “actions or behaviors that violate cultural norms, including formally and informal violations of social norms” (reading). This theme of deviance is carried out in “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury, “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner and “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut all three have a deviant character. All three short stories have three main concepts that define the term deviant and ties one or another together, rebelling against authority, isolation, and individuality. Those who rebel against authority are seen by our society as a “danger to the public”, much like in “The Pedestrian” and “Harrison Bergeron” who both characters solely go against authority. In “The Pedestrian”, a man walks in shadows of night in 2053 A.D. A time where everyone is sheltered in the comfort of their homes, watching television and keeping to themselves. In the short story, no one was ever out past dark, except for Mr. Leonard Mead who disobeys the norm and takes a stroll to clear his mind and find peace. In this society, all those who are out, are seen as different, they are seen as rebelling against the authority. Mr...
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...Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 short story Harrison Bergeron takes place in the dystopian future of 2081. The 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the United States Constitution make every American totally equal, with no differences in intelligence, attractiveness, strength, or speed. Americans live in a world where “Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else.” These laws are enforced by a particularly Orwellian-sounding officer called the Handicapper General. Harrison Bergeron, the fourteen-year-old titular character, is taken away from his parents. Due to their average intelligence, his parents, George and Hazel, are not fully aware of the tragic events. (In 2081,...
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...Unequally Equal “Harrison Bergeron” is a relatively straight forward short story in the use of language, but when a person considers the deep threads of meaning author Kurt Vonnegut Jr. masterfully implies, deep philosophical thinking probes. Using the techniques, of symbolism, irony, and contrast, “Harrison Bergeron” warns American citizens that their longed for and valued ideal of equality may hurt its citizens rather than benefit them when taken to the extreme. The four main characters in “Harrison Bergen,” George, Hazel, their son Harrison, and the Handicap general Diana Moon Glampers, in their own ways, each represent different aspects and social classes of U.S. Culture. George Bergen is an elite, smart thinker who symbolizes the philosophers,...
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...The stories “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin are stories that ponder society in being a perfect environment. The View of an ideal society is different, but flawed in. In each story there is a veto on seeing beyond or beneath the sketchy appearance of everyday events. Though these to stories show a difference, they share a similar characteristic of a dystopian society. In Harrison Bergeron, Vonnegut begins the story of by giving a misunderstanding of the real meaning of equality, by having the idea that nobody can be better than anybody else. The narrator tells us “they were equal in every which way. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker...
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..."Harrison Bergeron", by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr is a story about equality, self expression and individuality. George, Hazel and Harrison live in a world where everyone is equal. If you are stronger you get weights put on you, if you are smarter you hear a noise every 20 seconds that stops your thinking and if you are beautiful then you wear a mask. The stories lesson is that being equal is a great thing but if it controls how you live your life then would that be worth it? Equality can be a good thing but when people get held back from their full potential then thats when it becomes more than just being equal. Harrison was only 14 when he went into jail because he was too strong, too smart and the government couldn't think of handicaps to put on him fast enough. "Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp...
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...The Comparison-Contrast Essay Daouda Soumahoro September 13, 2011 American Intercontinental University Abstract James Baldwin and Kurt Vonnegut Jr were two eminent writers that marked American fiction literature after world war two. James Baldwin is the author of Sonny’s Blues published in early 1950 in New City. The story is narrated by unknown man who pertain his attempted to come to the damage with his long disaffected Brother Sonny, Jazz musician. In this work Baldwin absorbed many of his own experiences to search the issuances of racial conflict, individuality and the complexity of human needs. Similar to Sonny, Harrison Bergeron, written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr is a fourteen year boy who rebels against his tyrannical government. Vonnegut used a satirical humoristic commentary of society and its leaders as James used the lightness and darkness symbols to describe his suffering characters. The question is how the author literacy styles differ or similar to one another in term of themes? The Comparison-Contrast Essay Sonny’s Blues written by James is a story that addresses with very expression of the society and is done so through symbolism and imagery. Baldwin’s story is carefully written using lightness and darkness as typifies through out the entire story, he focuses of “Sonny’s Blues” on the character of sonny who eventually and endlessly fighting to find what makes him happy. Finally Sonny finds two breaks loose, one of them disastrous drug abuse and musician ...
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...Kurt Vonnegut has put his pen to paper, the outcome is extraordinary. Even with the dark mood, the glimpses of absurdity make Harrison Bergeron worth taking the time out of your busy lives to read, enjoy and just maybe open your eyes to a world with no equal. The year is 2081, competition between people is no more. The government has rendered the nation void of all individuality with the passing of amendments and archaic mechanisms called handicaps. The setting, a nation I barely recognized. The story follows the parents of Harrison Bergeron in the aftermath of his imprisonment. While watching ballet on television George and Hazel see that their son has escaped prison, to which they are indifferent due to the handicaps they wear. On television Harrison himself removes his handicaps to give the viewers a glimpse of the beauty in being different and to open our eyes to the travesty we know as equality. The characters enforce the dark and self-deprecating mood, whether it’s George’s affability, Hazel’s lethargy or Harrison’s disdain for this nation. The characters will take you on a rollercoaster of emotion. Egalitarianism is taken to the point of absurdity in this story, Vonnegut does a great job of infusing humor into his dystopian setting. Ex: he describes how handsome Harrison is, this results in him wearing a rubber nose and shaven eye brows. This ridiculousness is present throughout the story. This interjection helps to keep us the readers with a slim hope that...
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...Complete Equality is Dangerous When the word 'equality' is mentioned, distorted thoughts of a perfect world and happy smiling faces are conjured in our minds. We fail to realize that we must sacrifice certain things for this so called "equality." The short story "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr, embodies how it is not desirable to have a society where everyone is equal in every way because you would lose your freedom, individuality, and opportunity for growth. First of all, you sacrifice your freedom in exchange for equality. Hazel tells George to "'take out a few of them lead balls" (p.60) because he's "'been so tired lately" (p.60). However, George refuses to do so because he would be locked up for two years in prison. This shows...
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...Student’s Name Professor’s Name Course Date Formalism The formalist movement heralded by the Russian Formalist movement and supported by the American New Criticism signaled the beginning of a new era in literary criticism (Rivkin and Ryan 1). Prior to the movement, literature was studied in a manner that was concerned with everything but the language used. However, the formalist movement chose to deviate from the norm. Formalism is concerned with the language used in literature only; the form of the literary piece (Rivkin and Ryan 1). For the formalists, literature is not perceived as a window to the world, but rather as something with specifically literary characteristics. Formalists did not agree with the conventional perceptions that were used to mark a piece of literature as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ (Purdue University). Formalism asserts that each work of literature has particular intrinsic features in the text and specifically looks at these literary qualities in the text. Prior to the formalist movement, literature has studied a means of gaining understanding about the world. Literature was studied in its historical context, philosophical and social implications of literature were considered in the study of literature. However, formalism abandons all these notions and looks at literature independent of the historical and social context but as an independent body of work. The main point of formalism is to put each work in its unique place, free from attachment or comparison to its...
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...Reflecting on the past weeks of class one of the reading that stood out to me was Kurt Vonnegut Jr. short stories called Harrison Bergeron. This reading talk on how things if we lived in the world where equal. The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They were not only equal before God and the law, but also physically mentally and even emotionally. No one was smarter. No one was attractive. No one was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General. People were required to wear mask, weights, and other uncomfortable equipment to make everyone equal. Harrison Bergeron a character talked about in the story was described to be highly intelligent and handsome child. He taken away from his parents by the government. George and Hazel, his parents, are not fully aware of the tragedy. Hazel, due to her lack of awareness; and George whom was unable to comprehend since the law requires him to wear the radio ear piece. Years ago, African-Americans, women activist, and others who were treated unfairly fought to be equal and to be treated equal. So the idea that even one in year 2081 is equal should be come to we should celebrate. We would have thought this is what people wanted myself included. However after reading the short story I realized that what our ancestors fought for was not necessarily for everyone...
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...Edmond Mak Professor Bradley ENGL-103-192 27 April 2011 Aristotle’s Theory of Tragedy When one thinks of Aristotle’s theory of tragedy, some works that might come to mind include Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, or the many works written by Shakespeare such as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, or Macbeth. A common feature that all of these works share is that they were all written around and/or before the sixteenth century. One might be surprised, however, to discover that stories are still being written in today’s societies that follow the elements of Aristotelian theory. One story written in relatively recent history is that of "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. which in many aspects, can be considered a Aristotelian tragedy. Aristotle described a tragedy as a story that consisted of a tragic hero and a plot that would generate fear and pity in its audience. In this story, fourteen-year-old Harrison Bergeron valiantly attempts to break free from an equality-based society, but is quickly denied by the authoritative force of the government. The most important element in Aristotelian tragedy is the plot of a story. Aristotle states in Poetics that a story must consist of a beginning, middle, and end (Aristotle, 7). "Harrison Bergeron" fits this description very well because the beginning, middle, and end can be clearly identified while reading the story. The story opens by giving a description of what the society people live in is like. "THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everybody...
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...Equality and Manipulation: Theme in “Harrison Bergeron” The dystopian story, “Harrison Bergeron,” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., is set in 2081 America, where three amendments to the Constitution make everyone equal in every way. No one is smarter, stronger, or better looking than anyone else. Some people are perfectly average and don’t need handicaps, like Hazel. On the other hand, her husband, George, has to wear a mental and physical handicap. Everyone is required, by law, to be equal. However, their son, Harrison, is so far from average and so powerful, that they have to lock him up in prison. Harrison wants to overthrow the government. He realized that this “equality” was taking away everyone’s individuality and it wasn’t really equality anymore. A lesson that shines through this story is that equality can only go so far...
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...Americans love the thought of equality; we actually built our country on that grand idea. The questions of gender, color, or religion are now obsolete. What if there are other areas that we should try to balance? I would love to be as handsome as Brad Pitt, and I know that many people would die to have Bill Gate’s intellect. To live in a society where everything is perfect, is a tantalizing dream that we always hope to achieve. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. explored the concept of making strength, beauty, and intelligence an equal affair; therefore, he scrapped all thoughts of individualism, which is another perception that Americans greatly prize. By using irony in Harrison Bergeron, the notion of a utopia that uses sensory details to maintain control is undermined, along with the foreshadow of fatality from depersonalizing an individual. Irony plays a critical role in the development of Harrison Bergeron because it allows the reader to understand the conditions of the year 2081. The opening paragraph, etched with sarcastic tones, shoves the reader into an egalitarian United States where a narrator interjects comical insights to the situation without blatantly stating personal feelings. Then Hazel Bergeron provides a sardonic wit concerning their lives, and ironically she is not given any handicaps. On the other hand, her husband has forty-seven pounds of birdshot strapped to his neck, and he yields his obedience entirely to the government. The Bergerons’ son, Harrison, has...
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...controlled the same way, the technology affects the citizens of the town very differently. The use of technology to control citizens can put lives at risk, make people feel isolated, and can force equality. Although it can affect people's lives in different ways, it overall shows technological control destroys freedom. In the short story, “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman” by Harlan Ellison, the society is run by the Master Timekeeper, a man who uses technology to threaten the lives of citizens and destroy their freedom. He controls the society by having the power to shorten or end the lives of people as he pleases. The Master Timekeeper, also known as the Ticktockman destroys the freedom of citizens by forcing perfection on them. Individuality is lost and the citizens become slaves to time. Day after day, people live their lives according to the advanced technology they are forced to wear. Life is not valued and citizens are secured into a “life predicated on restrictions” (Ellison 31). Ellison is showing readers that everyone's objective is to maintain a tyranny that has been created by technology. Citizens are forced to wear cardioplates that have the ability to stop their heart whenever their time is done. Basically, everyone is restricted from freedom because their lives are controlled by time. If a person are ten minutes late, the Ticktockman then takes off ten minutes of their life. At the end of the day, the timekeeper collects the cardioplates for processing, based...
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