Observation:
In his story “Harrison Bergeron,” Kurt Vonnegut sets the stage in the United States in the year 2081 where equality is forced on humanity through inhumane control over people’s lives. In the name of social equality, the government forces people to wear handicaps that remove any unique personal attributes that might give people “unfair advantage” over others (Vonnegut 605). For example, George Bergeron, who possessed a higher intelligence level than his wife, Hazel, needs to wear a mental handicap radio which transmits a sharp noise signal to his ear to disrupt his train of thought every twenty seconds (Vonnegut 605). Since everyone possesses the same abilities and no unique characteristics or talents, no one can experience true appreciation for their own gifts or those of others. When George Bergeron watches the ballerina performance on tv, he remarks with disinterestedness that the ballerinas “weren’t really very good---no better than anybody else would have been” (Vonnegut 605). The more …show more content…
In verses 18-20, Paul writes, “…God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” Since the beginning of time, God created people with different abilities and gifts like wisdom, kindness, beauty, and creativity. God gives these gifts to people so that they can enjoy life and enrich the lives of others by sharing their gifts. When people try to restrict others from using their unique gifts, as the Handicapper General did in “Harrison Bergeron,” they are going against God’s plan for people’s lives. Such stifling of people’s abilities will only result in living unfulfilled, restricted lives. On the other hand, encouraging others to use their different gifts will enrich society and help us all to live our lives fully for