ipl-logo

True Equality In Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

914 Words4 Pages

Communism in theory seems perfect, but in practicality it remains only a theory because there remains no feasible way to accomplish it. A person/people will always possess more power than the rest, yet majority of people believe it could solve some of the most horrendous problems the world faces; however, true equality in a society exists in hypothetical and ideological scenarios. True equality represents equality based on everything humanly possible, which means physical characteristics, education, and income. Kurt Vonnegut conveys that true equality within a society refuses to survive and only exist in hypothetical discussions via the use of setting and imagery in Harrison Bergeron. Vonnegut establishes a society where everyone must interact …show more content…

In addition, who issues the devices that try to equalize people? Who decides the standards of equality? More importantly, will the officials abide by their own standards like the general public? Therefore, Vonnegut disproves true equality, which makes it an ideological standard. Within “Harrison Bergeron,” the government attempts to “eradicate individuality, excellence, and beauty, and so smart people have radios implanted in their ears to disrupt their thoughts” (Miller) and by accomplishing this, society creates distress rather than equality. Furthermore, “the dark days” in the story refer to when people experienced competition and embraced their diversity. (Miller). John Miller describes how Vonnegut nary explains his thematic ideas, however; groups of high schoolers of various ages analyzed this story and easily distinguished numerous thematic ideas. For example, VOnnegut describes, “Diana Moon Glampers loaded the gun again.” (247) which illustrates how the Handicapper General disobeys the norms which represents true equality only as an impractical ideological expectation. In addition, The Saturday Evening Post

Show More
Related

  • Absolute Equality In Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

    1063 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Importance of Absolute Equality in “Harrison Bergeron” For hundreds of years, humanity has struggled to define equality, as well implement the concept properly into society. Slaves; prisoners of war; and even in today’s society, we still see people of color treated as lesser than their Caucasian counterparts. Interestingly enough, color is never introduced as a problem in Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s “Harrison Bergeron”. While most people nowadays would agree that the word “equality” refers to equal opportunity, Vonnegut forces this word to the extremes, and warps its meaning into something much more controlling, to the point where it harms society more than inequality ever did.

    Read More

  • Socialism And Capitalism In Harrison Bergeron, By Kurt Vonnegut

    1237 Words  | 5 Pages

    “Harrison Bergeron,” written by Kurt Vonnegut at the time of the Cold War, is a short story that takes place in a future world of the year 2081 where the Handicapper General and the law force the beautiful to wear masks, the intelligent to wear earpieces that disrupt their thoughts, and the athletic to wear heavy physical restraints, so that everyone may be equal in the categories of beauty, intelligence, and athleticism; a world where the people “[are] equal in every which way.” (Vonnegut 1) What the many readers of “Harrison Bergeron” seem to misinterpret is that the entire story is an allegory to the political systems of Socialism/Communism and that Vonnegut utilizes symbols in the story that either expose the glaring flaws of left-wing politics or advance the supposedly far-superior ideology of American capitalism. In actuality, Vonnegut’s use of symbols in “Harrison Bergeron,” and the entire story itself is a satire of the common American’s ignorant misunderstandings of left-wing politics at the time of the Cold War. Vonnegut once said at a college commencement speech, “I suggest that you work for a socialist form of government … It isn 't moonbeams to talk of modest plenty for all.

    Read More

  • Harrison Bergeron And Anthem: Equality's Equality

    636 Words  | 3 Pages

    Equality for All “Equality in pay has improved in the US since 1979 when women earned about 62 percent as much as men. In 2010, American women on average earned 81 percent of what their male counterparts earned” ( Highlights in the US). “Harrison Bergeron” and Anthem both are dystopian societies that tried to create equality, but end up with horrible corruption, no real equality, and incorrect portrayals of equality. In “Harrison Bergeron” the society leaders use handicaps to bring people down to the lowest level or the “average” of their society. There are similar concepts in Anthem, no one can be better than anyone, but they use shame and guilt to keep their people in line.

    Read More

  • Harrison Bergeron Kurt Vonnegut Analysis

    955 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Harrison Bergeron” is a short fiction written by Kurt Vonnegut, the story is set in the year 2081, and it talks about a futuristic society where all people are equal. No one is smarter, beautiful or stronger than the other, and if someone happens to be better than the others they find themselves compelled by The United States Handicapper General to wear what they call “handicaps” in order to bring down their abilities to the most basic levels as the others. Throughout the story, Vonnegut expresses a strong and vigorous political and social criticism of some historical events in the US during 1960s such as the Cold War and Communism, television and American Culture and Civil Rights Movement. “Harrison Bergeron” was published in 1961 during that time several events were happening around the world in general and in the US in specific which was engaged in a series of political and economic crisis with the communist Soviet Union know as The

    Read More

  • What Is The Theme Of Harrison Bergeron By Kurt Vonnegut

    165 Words  | 1 Pages

    Equality is a great idea that we should strive for and achieve; however, being made equal physically and mentally by the government could be very unfair. People should still have characteristics that make us different. One can be diverse but still equal to his neighbor. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s use of point of view, conflict, and imagery in his short story “Harrison Bergeron,” illustrates how difficult living in a world where everyone is the same would be.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Individualism In Harrison Bergeron

    707 Words  | 3 Pages

    This government made everyone became handicapped so that everyone is the same and equal and no one is better than the others. Vonnegut’s view on equality is very judgemental and selective. Society these days, pressures

    Read More

  • Harrison Bergeron Literary Analysis Essay

    923 Words  | 4 Pages

    One common afternoon in the year of 2081, when everyone was equal, Hazel and George Bergeron were in their lovely living room watching television. Suddenly, a news reporter with a severe speech impediment came on. After trying many times to say, “Good morning ladies and gentlemen,” he handed it off to a ballerina who read, “Harrison Bergeron, age 14, has just escaped from jail, where he was held on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government. He is a genius and an athlete, is under-handicapped, and should be regarded as extremely dangerous.” However, in this short story “Harrison Bergeron”, Kurt Vonnegut uses irony, shift and mood, and allusion to illustrated haw society would be if everyone was under the law of equality.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Harrison Bergeron

    526 Words  | 3 Pages

    Others may think that everyone should be equal, but this is taking it to far. Since everyone has to be absolutely equal in mental and physical strength, no matter who you are, you 'd be equal with the mentally and physically challenged people. As seen in the story there are mentally challenged people and in order for everyone to be equal they would only be able to think as much as them. So

    Read More

  • Similarities And Differences Between 2081 And Harrison Bergeron

    714 Words  | 3 Pages

    Comparing and contrasting 2081 to Harrison Bergeron Admit it, one time you were bored or sat down with nothing to do and couldn’t help but imagine how life would be if everyone was equal, don’t even try denying it, you’ve thought of that at least once in your life, but as any good writer would do, they’d write their thoughts down and turn it into a story, that’s exactly what Kurt Vonnegut did. Just imagine living a life where no one gets compared to others in any way. We all wish for a society like that, but Kurt showed us how equality can negatively affect our society. But that’s not the our main idea in this essay, our main idea is to highlight the comparisons and contrasts between the story “Harrison Bergeron” and the movie version “2081”. To begin with, Both the story and the movie had the same introduction/ Opening; “Everybody was finally equal.

    Read More

  • Harrison Bergeron By Kurt Vonnegut

    688 Words  | 3 Pages

    Title In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, everyone is finally equal in every which way. No one person is stronger, more beautiful, smarter, taller, or is just overall better than someone else. This is all thanks to the current government, who did this using weights, ugly masks, and ear pieces that let loose noises to interrupt a person’s thoughts. One man, named Harrison Bergeron, was recently arrested only to break out a few weeks later.

    Read More

  • Situational Irony In Harrison Bergeron

    660 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the short story, “Harrison Bergeron” Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. relies on the use of irony to indicate where our country will stand once we have gained total equality amongst each other. The theme in “Harrison Bergeron” is that the government cannot enforce equality within the people. The author creates a fictional visualization of the future in the year 2081, where the government controls the people and tortures them in order to maintain “equal opportunity” in their world to prove why it is impossible to achieve absolute equality in the world. Vonnegut dives into a whole other level of uniformity in Harrison Bergeron by focusing on eliminating advantages in appearance, intelligence, strength, and other unique abilities rather than focusing on

    Read More

  • Satire In Harrison Bergeron

    589 Words  | 3 Pages

    The people of the United States fight and strive for an absolute “equal” society, but is it what’s really wanted? “Harrison Bergeron,” a short story written by Kurt Vonnegut, uses satire to describe the deficiency in our idea of a truly “equal” society. Throughout the story, Vonnegut describes the torture and discomfort the government administers among the people, and though they were “equal,” they were not balanced. Vonnegut uses characterization and word choice to warn his readers of the potential drawbacks of a truly “equal” society. He warns normalcy would become the base of thought, and people would become incapable of emotion.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Equality In Harrison Bergeron

    349 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this short story, everything has to do with equality. No one can be more intelligent, stronger, or more attractive. Handicaps are making people unequal. People in this short story isn’t equal because the most intelligent people have to suffer because of the handicaps. “Every twenty minutes or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantages of their brain” (page 2).

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis Of Harrison Bergeron

    1823 Words  | 8 Pages

    People who are not equal get handicapped in a way. George and Hazel Bergeron are the parents of Harrison, who was taken away from them when he was fourteen by the Handicapper General. George and Hazel are not even sad that their son was taken away. Hazel has average intelligence so she can only think of things in short bursts. On the other

    Read More

  • What Is The Cost Of Equality In Harrison Bergeron

    519 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Harrison Bergeron” shows total equality in an extreme way that catches attention, to show there are consequences to this often sought after way of life. The author uses the extreme ways the government forces equality to demonstrate how equality actually degrades society as a whole. The story showed how forced equality can make people have unrealistic and absurd world views, and how important jobs in society are left to people who are incompetent and unfit for the job. All of these consequences are easily paralleled in society today, and, unless people recognize the danger, could quickly become a serious

    Read More

More about True Equality In Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

Open Document