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Actual Accomplishment In Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

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Personal Effort Vs. Actual Accomplishment Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if society viewed people's success differently? For example, "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut is based on a dystopian society in the year 2081. In this society, everybody was equal in all terms of the word. If anybody was more intelligent, beautiful, or strong than the accepted average, they were required to wear handicaps that limited their strengths. Not only that, but these people were essentially detrimental to society. A society like this rewards personal effort rather than actual accomplishment. People who are controlled by a society like this are not able to express themselves, they are oppressed and are under an incredible amount …show more content…

In Vonnegut's story, he writes "Last of all, he removed her mask. She was blindingly beautiful" (Vonnegut, 4). This quote from the short story shows that after Harrison Bergeron removed her handicaps she was finally able to be herself. The removal of her handicaps represented the weight and oppression being lifted from her shoulders. In this scene, after Harison also removed the handicaps from the musicians, the quality of the music improved drasticly. Then, the ballerina was freed, her and Harrison synchronized with the melody, and performed the most exquisite and graceful dance anybody had ever seen before. Similarly, a society that rewards personal effort over actual accomplishment is not beneficial to its people because it prevents people from expressing themselves. In the short story, Vonnegut writes "'Forget sad things' said George. ' I always do' said Hazel." (Vonnegut, 5). This quote shows that after George and Hazel's son, Harrison Bergeron, was brutally murdered on national television for trying to express his opposition towards society, his parents were not able to mourn him. The woman who gave birth to him was not able to acknowledge that her son was now gone. To summarize, the human emotion and thought processes are irrevocable rights and taking them away is diminishing any normal and healthy growth a person can

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