Handicaps from the story of Harrison Bergeron by Harrison Vonnegut is a simple symbol hidden in plain sight. With this in mind, George in the story had “intelligence that was way above normal” so he needed a “mental handicap radio in his ear” to keep him from “taking unfair advantages of his brain”. (page 1) Furthermore, the ballerinas dancing on the show “were burdened with sashweights and bags of birdshot, and their faces were masked” (page 1) so that no one could see their beauty or any graceful movement in their dance. Handicaps represent the barrier on individuality and the limitations our society puts on us. Today in the present, we as well have handicaps in our society, but as mentioned before, they are ‘hidden in plain sight’. An example
For example, “The strong wore weights to make them weaker; the intelligent wore earpieces that kept them from taking unfair advantage of their brains. Even the beautiful sometimes wore masks in situations where their beauty might simply be … too distracting” (Tupper 2). That is where handicaps differ from modern society. In American modern society people use handicaps to help them, like glasses and crutches. For example, “The purpose of eyeglasses and contact lenses is to correct or improve the vision of people” (Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses).
In “Harrison Bergeron” the handicaps make all of the citizens exactly the same. The handicaps do not let people be who they really are and actually holds back the citizens ability to do things. It seems like the handicaps actually make it worse for the advanced people because it makes them suffer. “They weren’t really very good-no better than anybody else would have been anyway.... George was toying with the vague notion that maybe dancers shouldn’t be handicapped.
We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be, this phrase perfectly illustrates the truth in how our actions ultimately define us as human beings. Perception of reality plays an immense role in our society as a result of depending on how people perceive us, we act accordingly in order to conform. Ultimately, when interacting with others, we alter our behavioral patterns in order to mimic aforementioned group’s perception of who they are, which is often a delusion.
In Harrison Bergeron, people who are above average have to wear handicaps to make everybody equal Kurt Vonnegut used satire in Harrison Bergeron by exaggerating the people in this society in the future. One example is the handicaps that everybody who was “above average” had to wear. In this society, if you were very smart, you would have to wear a handicap in your ear that went off every 20 seconds, so he couldn’t think beyond the average human’s abilities. In this future world, the handicaps are supposed to make everybody equal. Some examples of handicaps would be weights you would wear if you are very strong, a mask if you are very pretty, spectacles with wavy lenses if you have great eyes.
The short story "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. portrays a future in which humanity is being made equals in all aspects which is ultimately the downfall of society. This beaurocratic dystopia forces society to be all equal through the use of handicaps and masks. The handicaps used are items such as ear pieces and weights. The ear pieces send out noises that will counter creative and academic thinking. The weights are hung around necks to balance the strength when compared to others.
When people hear handicap they think not able to care for themselves. Nancy wants to be known as a tough individual able to take care of herself. The reader can feel the agony of what Nancy is feeling. The tone of this passage is determination and agony. Nancy feels that cripple is more stronger word than “handicap” or ‘disabled.”
The short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr takes place in the futuristic setting of 2081. Vonnegut harshly criticizes society's morals and values and also uncovers the corrupt truth of what it would be like if individuality and uniqueness were forbidden. “Harrison Bergeron” explores the possibility of too much power placed in the government's hands. In this society, those who are better than others are given handicaps in order to maintain the peace and create equality amongst the population. The handicapping is seen to be absolutely necessary in order to prevent rivalries also known as the “dark ages”(1) from happening again.
In “Harrison Bergeron”, each person was not truly equal. For example, the ballerinas in the story were prettier than the maximum people, so they were required to wear masks. Hazel, the mother of Harrison, believed that the ballerinas were beautiful since her mask was extremely ugly. Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicap General, forces them to be like the public and will punish anyone who says different. Consequently a few people enjoy being the same, it is not easy, and following the Handicap General’s rules is challenging.
Books and movies have been around for many years and lately movie directors have been making more and more movies based off of books. Most people do not know that around 50% of movies are based off of books. Although, it really depends on what people mean when a movie is “based” off a book. Some directors say a movie is based off a book, but has a different plot and seems totally different. So, in order to keep true to the book, directors keep the plot relatively the same, but there are a few times they decide to change the message entirely by changing just a few key events.
In “Harrison Bergeron” people aren’t truly equal. In this short story, they took equality to the next level. Most people think that equality is everyone being treated with the same amount of respect. Appearance has nothing to do with equality in today’s society. Although looking the same and having the same level of intelligence may decrease jealousy, people shouldn’t force others to change because of this.
Harrison Bergeron Essay Claim: Being equal isn’t always fair. Intro: What if someone had to wear a handicap? Or what if someone had to be treated exactly like everyone else?
No Equality in This Story! In Harrison Bergeron, you will find that there is no real equality within deeper meaning of the text. In Harrison Bergeron, everyone is NOT equal. In the text, it quotes “The Year was 2081 and the world was finally equal”.
The government finally made everyone equal to each other. Although, now you are in handicaps that control almost everything you do. Then they take your son. You can’t stop them from taking him. You fear for what they will do to him.
Thesis: In Kurt Vonnegut 's story, "Harrison Bergeron," symbolism, tone, and irony reveal the author 's message to the reader which is his perspective on equality. Notably, there are countless symbols in the narrative "Harrison Bergeron" all of which trace back to the theme of the story. The handicaps people are forced to wear are symbols for the control the government has over people. "George was toying with the vague notion that maybe dancers shouldn 't be handicapped.
And a disabled person’s ambition is like all other human beings, the looks of pity and compassion negatively affect that ambition. People should embrace the disabled person and give them a helping hand, and they should have laws, which defend their rights, which should be respected. However, most societies do not have laws that ensure an equal life for the disabled population. It is a shame that the rights of the disabled people has turned many times to mere slogans.