Pyongyang Harrison Bergeron Analysis

A primitive society with an undercover government may seem like a story in the past; it is still seen in some parts of the modern world. In how the pressure affects individuals, a certain pattern interrelated to one another emerges. Pyongyang by Guy Delisle, is a narration of the author’s stay in North Korea- a country suppressed under the government. “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, are fictional stories that both illustrate people’s behaviour under pressure- whether from the society and the government. All these sources demonstrates pressure from the government and society can limit individual’s thoughts and ability to become independent.

The government and society pressures individuals to think that norms and laws are the only “correct” truth. In Pyongyang, Mr. Guy makes an unusual observation; there are no disabled people on the streets of the city. He questions his observing to his North Korean guide- the guide explains that they are a

Mr. Guy interacts with another foreigner, named Sandrine, whom had stayed in North Korea for only three months. Sandrine had already been affected by the North Korean norm; to tell the guard where he was going every time. The pressure to due so confined his ability to act independently. Sandrine declares, “I forgot to tell the guard!” with shock. Furthermore, in “Harrison Bergeron”, Mrs. Bergeron suggests Mr. Bergeron to take his handicaps off only while he’s at home. Mr. Bergeron replies with a no; proving that the government’s pressure had limited his ability to think independently. Mr. Bergeron says, “I don’t notice the heavy weight, it’s just a part of me”. Finally, in “The Lottery”, when Tessie tries to stand up for herself, her husband shushes her. Due to pressure from the society, her husband does not stand up for Tessie, even though she is about to be killed. When