Satire In Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

In the story entitled “Harrison Bergeron” written by Kurt Vonnegut, he writes that year of 2081, everyone would be truly equal. I disagree with this vision because handicaps, power, and free will paint an unequal society in “Harrison Bergeron”. Some people have handicaps, which are supposed to “equalize” their abilities to the others in society. However, the idea of handicaps is not actually equalizing because different people with different handicaps and abilities are unable to feel or understand each other’s circumstances, struggles, and experiences.

Armani Sierra-Bolejack Mr. Brookes English 4 March 22, 2023 Harrison Berguson ~ Kurt Vonnegut In the short story, Harrison Bergeron, what will be discussed is how the author of the Kurt Vonnegut, used features of dystopia to convey his central message. The central message of the story is that true equality can never be achieved, humans can never be equal. The three ways that Vonnegut portrays dystopia is through Authoritarian rule/Dictatorship, citizens under constant surveillance and fear.

“Harrison Bergeron” By: Kurt Vonnegut In “Harrison Bergeron,” Kurt Vonnegut explores the dangers of a dystopian society where individuality is suppressed in the name of equality. Through the use of various elements if 20th century writing, Vonnegut effectively conveys his social commentary on the dangers of conformist societies. One key element of 20th century writing present in “Harrison Bergeron” is the use of satire. Vonnegut uses humor and irony to critique the values and actions of the government in the story, portraying the idea of total quality as absurd and oppressive.

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 his short story Harrison Bergeron, Kurt Vonnegut uses an astounding amount of powerful imagery and diction to create the perfect scenes of the dystopian reality he creates. Throughout his use of imagery, Vonnegut creates scenes palpably imagined by readers. He uses underlying humor to lighten scenes of the morbid and macabre nature of the future where being different can be a death sentence. The future that is created in totality by Vonnegut is a dire scene created to be filled with a pastiche of people strung with handicaps to make them to be exactly the same as the “perfectly average citizen.” Vonnegut’s tone throughout is both dreary towards the bizarre and twisted dystopia that makes everyone equal, but is also somewhat insulting to those who do not bear handicaps due to being lacking both mentally and physically.

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.

Instead of allowing people to realize their potential, the government forces them to sit back and meet an average or minimal expectation. If someone is smarter than the average person, the government constantly interrupts their thought process instead of allowing them to think straight and possibly help society. If someone and more beautiful than the average person, the government forces them to wear an ugly mask to hide their features. If someone is stronger than the average person, the government makes them wear extreme amounts of weights, or at least enough to bring them down to the average. The second piece of evidence the story provides is the fact that it says nothing about the Handicapper General or any of her agents wearing handicaps.

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.

The famed author C.S. Lewis once said,”Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.” This is a statement that many can agree or disagree on. To some, it means that a ruling power or government could enforce rules and regulations on its citizens that are thought of as helping them, but instead making everything worse and are hindering them from making the society better. A counter argument could be that the oppression is helping the society become better. Some examples of this type of dystopian society are Harrison Bergeron and The Lottery.

Hopelessness of Inequality In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, in the future of 2081, everyone is completely equal. The government tries their very best to enforce and does whatever it takes to get equality. The Government have an Handicap general that uses handicaps to make everyone who is over average, average. Harrison Bergeron, son of George and Hazel, doesn't agree with equality, and do whatever it takes to exceed inequality.

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?

You live in the year 2081. Everyone is equal. No one is smarter, better looking, stronger or quicker than anybody else. You wear handicaps that restrict your strength, intelligence and how you look. You can 't do anything about it.

"Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. is a satirical short story in which Vonnegut implies, if society interprets equality literally, there would be no significance between humans. The protagonist Harrison has escaped from prison and his parents Hazel and George are watching the program he appears upon, as he insists he is an emperor and the first female to rebel will be his empress. Following this rant he discards his handicaps making him appear god like. Soon after, the Handicapper General kills the emperor and his empress with a "double-barrelled ten-gauge shotgun"(pg. 64). Harrison depicts as an exaggeration as his "appearance was Halloween and hardware"(pg. 62).

Vonnegut Jr. is an author who believes that everyone deserve to be different and not treated as if they are less than anyone

Kurt Vonnegut uses characterization to describe how the characters act in this society. Vonnegut also uses style to show how he uses science fiction and dystopia in “Harrison Bergeron”. The theme demonstrated in “Harrison Bergeron” is equality is not meant to make one person better than another. Kurt Vonnegut in “Harrison Bergeron”, demonstrates that equality based on characteristics is not a good thing for society. Harrison Bergeron is a short story based on the year 2081, where everybody is equal.