Harrison Bergeron
Content
HARRISON BERGERON
1. Define 'satire' and provide one example of personal or social satire that yoou have encountered. You may use any source for your example:TV, media, news editorials, movies, comedy, etc. Satire can be defined as any work in which a human vice or folly is attacked with irony or sarcasm. An example of satire can be found in the song "When the President Talks to God" by Bright Eyes. In this song, the lyrics lay out hypothetical conversations between the President and God, which mocks current President George W. Bush and his use of strong religious influence while in office. 2. In a well-developed p-graph, I.D. and explain at least one symbol vonnegut presents in the story. Explain how he uses the symbol and what the symbol represents some other entity in the story. In the story, Harrison Bergeron represents many symbols. A major symbolic moment occurs when Harrison breaks away from his chains. This represents Harrison's freedom. 3. In the story, what is the purpose of 'handicaps' and how do they keep people equal? Handicaps can be defined as a hinderance that gives a disadvantage. In the story Harrison Bergeron, handicaps are given to anyone considered to be pretty, smart, and out of the ordinary. Masks are worn so beauty is hidden, an ear piece prevents intelligent thought, and the extraordinary are chained up. 4. Explain the role Diana Moon Glampers plays in the story and describe the authority she possesses over the people. Diana Moon Glampers plays the Handicapper General. Basically, she is large and in charge. Diana has the power of to control the life and death of everyone in the story, and this is shown. 5. Explain why Hazel Bergeron is not plagued with frequent brain blasts like her husband. Hazel Bergeron does not need a handicap to prevent her from having intelligent thoughts like her husband simply because she is not as smart as he is. 6. In a p-graph, write a brief character sketch of Harrison Bergeron. Include not only his physical appearance, but the emotional characteristic which leads him to behave so bizarrely. Putting Harrison Bergeron's seven-foot stature asside, he appears to be what we would call normal today.
7. This story has a well-developed theme which Vonnegut parodies against certain American beliefs. In a paragraph or two, explain what you believe the theme of this story is. I believe the theme in Harrison Bergeron is that it is impossible to deny human differences. In the
story, everyone is equal in the eyes of everyone and everything. I believe Vonnegut expresses that this is impossible in his short story. I also believe that equal rights for everyone is a very far-fetched ideal. Everybody is different and unique in their own way. If the government tried to make us all equal with handicaps, they would essentially be taking away other rights that we have, such as freedom of speech.
Harrison Bergeron - Movie and Story
Awakening the Zombies “Everybody was finally equal. They were not only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else.” This is a short, but powerful excerpt from the short story Harrison Bergeron. Not only does it make you wonder why everyone is equal, but as well makes you wonder how did everyone become equal? In the short story and the movie, Kurt Vonnegut presents a scary view of human society in the United States in the future, in which United States citizens are all uniform. This then leads to their loss of individuality, and therefore to the absolute deformity of humanness. Both the movie and the short story share these themes, they also have a multitude of other similarities, but also have just as many differences. These differences, irony and the symbolism between the two, are what I will be attempting to explore. The first apparent difference between the movie and the short story is that the short story takes place in 2081. In the story the government regulates everything, not just intelligence, but strength and beauty as well, and handicap people appropriately. The strong are forced to wear bags filled with lead balls; beautiful people are forced to wear masks so others would not feel unequal to them in looks. The overly intelligent are forced to wear radio transmitters in their ears, that are tuned to a government station that constantly bombards them with horrible sounds to scramble their thoughts. In the movie, the year is 2053 and everyone is forced to wear mind-altering headbands that rest on their temples. These headbands electronically modify intelligence, effectively decreasing everyone’s IQ to the desired “average” point. Unlike the story, in the movie, no one wears masks to conceal their looks and some are better looking than other making them unequal in appearance to everyone else. Also the only “weight bags” that are worn, is by one dancer on the television that wore a small ankle weight with no resemblance to the enormous weight bags that are described in the story. Another difference is that in the story Harrison Bergeron had the apparent status of a god among these average people. He was fourteen years old, seven feet tall, athletic, good looking, and a genius. In the movie, Harrison bares absolutely no resemblance to the one described in the story. He is portrayed as short and stalky, not very handsome. He looks closer to twenty-four than he does to fourteen, and although he seems bright, he is far from being a genius. Finally, in the story, the “Handicapper General” has more of a police status in this futuristic country, the “head” Handicapper General is a woman, by the name of Diana Moon Glampers. With her swift decisions and severe actions shows resemblance to that of a dictator. She does not have to wear any handicaps of any kind, but is responsible for the regulating all the handicaps. In the movie, the handicappers generals are far from being portrayed as a police authority. They are a secret organization of highly intelligent individuals, that are hand picked from the general population, that are in charge of running the country and coming up with better ways to make everyone equal. The leader of this secret organization is a man by the name of John Claxton. He plays the role of a godlike advisor, leading the organization behind the scenes. He advises and monitors society, the president, and all
forms of media accessible to the public, determining what people can hear, say, watch, and do. There is also a bit of irony prevalent in the movie as well as in the short story. In the movie, Harrison is mocked and branded as an outcast for his intelligence, yet he is secretly being monitored by the secret Administers organization. It is also ironic that there is a necessity for highly intelligent persons in such a perfectly equal society. In this society the public only can see what the have been allowed to see, by this secret, non-equal, organization in this so-called “equal” country. The next instance of irony appears in a scene where Harrison illegally takes control of a broadcasting station and plays unedited and uncontrolled movies and music to the public, while he asks them to take off their mind controlling head bands. This scene gives hope for the future of American culture, and makes one believe that the time for change has arrived. Unfortunately, Harrison later learns that only 1.3% of the public actually heard the true meaning of his program, which was a scream in the dark for an uprise to revolt against this tyranistic government, and removed their bands for good. Disparity descend upon the movie and Harrison is stopped and urged to tell the people of the country that it was all a hoax, in order to preserve order. He does this but, in perfect irony, commits suicide on live television to demonstrate the reality of the situation to the people. Symbolism is used in the story by means of Harrison Bergeron, this enormous seven foot tall, good looking, athletic, genius. He embodies all the traits that everyone in this equal world could or essentially would have if it were not for the enslavement that they are subject to by this overpowering government. The common people in the story have been completely brainwashed and filled with ridiculous ideas that equal and average is better, and competition is a mortal sin that causes all the wrong and bad in society. Symbolism is also utilized in the movie, when at the end of the film, two boys enthusiastically run up the stairs in a home to view a “pirated” recording of the original filming of Harrison when he took over the studio and played banned movies and music, and urged all to take of their headbands. After starting the movie the boys nonchalantly take off their bands to watch the broadcast without mental hindrance. This is symbolic of the freeing of the mind and the throwing off of societies shackles, bound on an individual by the government. Since children are more open minded, receptive to new ideas, and less fearful of change. Just the fact that the children showed the desire to watch the program illustrates hope for the future of society, as children are the future of all societies. In the movie Harrison Bergeron, and in the short story “Harrison Bergeron” there are a number of differences, as well as irony and symbolism. They both take place in the not so distant future where the government has manipulated human intelligence to the point that all persons are equal. In a place where the government ultimately has total control over not only everyone’s lives, but their minds as well. The motive behind the governments controlling society, is the idea that an equal society will eliminate hatred, envy, and war. While this does prove true, the numerous side effects, such as loss of identity, lack of originality, and conformity begin to arise. In actuality these governments are creating a society with zombie like creatures, that are presented in mere shells of human beings. "Harrison Bergeron" is the story of a futuristic world in which everyone is equal. The government regulated everything, from intelligence to strength to beauty, and handicapped people appropriately. The purpose was to create a completely "average" world devoid of envy. The strong were forced to wear bags filled with lead balls, beautiful people wore ugly masks, and the overly
intelligent were constantly bombarded with horrible sounds in their ear to scramble their thoughts. Harrison Bergeron was a god in this average world. He was huge, athletic, good looking, and a genus. The "Handicapper General," who was responsible for regulating handicaps, could not come up with obstacles fast enough to hold Harrison. One day Harrison took control of the television station, an average station with boring programs, and removed his handicaps. He played beautiful music for the people, showed them a beautiful woman, and ballet danced without his handicaps. He was shot and killed. The result of his actions were nothing, as the government sent out excruciating sounds to scramble the mind of viewers and make them forget. "Harrison Bergeron" is short and to the point, a near embodiment of my thesis. Harrison can be seen as an absolute hero, destroyed by corrupt government forces. Harrison's only crime was taking control of the television studio, but his motives outweighed the crime. He was shot for exposing the world to beauty. The reason that we see Harrison as a hero is twofold. First, we naturally know that this is a government with too much power. No matter what our political views, it is inherently wrong to suppress a persons natural talent and ability. Second, Vonnegut shows us the flaws of this world in the story, both the flaws of the philosophy and the flaws of an average society. The flaws of this philosophy are shown in this passage: "...and pretty soon we'd be right back to the dark ages again, with everybody competing against everybody else. You wouldn't like that would you?" "I'd hate it," said Hazel. "There you are," said George. "The minute people start cheating on laws, what do you think happens to society?" If Hazel hadn't been able to come up with an answer to this question, George couldn't have supplied one. A siren was going off in his head.
"Reckon it'd fall all apart," said Hazel. "What would?" said George blankly. (Welcome to the Monkey House, p. 9) The flaw of the philosophy is shown through the inability to truly think about it. George, Harrison's father, is described as a man of above average intelligence. Still, his mental handicap is so strong that he cannot think straight for more than a few minutes. Therefore, it's impossible for people like George, capable of seeing the evil in an average society, to think about it long enough to discover the injustice being preformed. Vonnegut also shows us the flaws of the average society. So dull and mundane is this culture that no one excels and no one fails. Imagine if you could do everything as well as everyone else, and visa versa. The television program was suddenly interrupted for a news bulletin. It wasn't clear at first as to what the bulletin was about, since the announcer, like all announcers, had a serious speech impediment. For about half a minute, and in a state of high excitement, the announcer tried to say, "Ladies and Gentlemen-" He finally gave up, handed the bulletin to a ballerina to read. (Welcome to the Monkey House, p. 10) The flaw of the average world is that no one can truly enjoy doing or watching anything. There is no pleasure in watching someone do something you could easily accomplish, and no pleasure in doing something that can easily be done by the masses. Not only is enjoyment hampered, but art is destroyed. Expression of complex ideas and concepts is impossible in a mundane society, such as the one described in "Harrison Bergeron." Kurt Vonnegut's works can be enjoyed on a variety of levels. His novels are well constructed, prophetic, and entertaining. The recurrent themes of government corruption and repression in his novels would leave the reader to believe that Vonnegut does not trust ruling factions. He warns us of the dangers of too much government power and control of our personal lives.
Harrison Bergeron vs. 1984 Harrison Bergeron and 1984 were both based on a similar concept. This concept is creating peace by limiting and controlling the population. In George Orwell’s “1984';, it was done through brainwashing and doublethink. In Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron';, it was done by limiting everyones abilities until everyone is equal in all ways. Each author used class systems, nature, and society to portray their negative utopia. Class systems played a more important role in 1984, than they did in Harrison Bergeron. In 1984, there were three classes. The highest class, the Inner Party, controlled everything. They controlled what the people saw, heard, and read, and even what they thought. The middle working class, or the “regular'; party, did all the work that the inner party wanted to be done, in order to keep the population, including themselves, in control of everyone. The third, and lowest, class is the proles. The party does not even watch or care about the proles, because they are not important, and have no power at all. Harrison Bergeron apparently had everyone equalized through handicapping all those with extraordinary abilities. The classes were the same as they are in modern America, only with handicaps. Human Nature was repressed in both stories. It is human nature to express one’s talents in some way. In 1984, any kind of personal expression was thoughtcrime, and would cause the guilty individual to be taken to the ministry of love, and brainwashed. In Harrison Bergeron, every person was unable to display any kind of superiority over anyone else. The strong were weighted down, and the beautiful were forced to wear masks. No one was able to display any kind of talent even if they wanted to do so. Society had almost the same roles for men and women in both stories. In 1984, men and women were both treated the same, as mindless members of the party. They both had the same jobs and duties, and they both had the same rules. In Harrison Bergeron, men and women seemed to be treated the same as they are in modern society. The search for justice actually contributed to the creation of both societies. Both were created in the hopes of eliminating crime and injustices by controlling the population. In 1984, there was only one crime, and only one punishment. If you commited thoughtcrime, you would be taken to the ministry of love and brainwashed, until you were fit to be released back into society. In Harrison Bergeron, people were handicapped as a way to create justice. Their society decided that it was unfair, or unjust, for any individual to have any advantage over any other individual. They solved this problem, but at the same time, they ironically removed justice when they stopped people from expressing their natural talents. Both 1984, and Harrison Bergeron use these ideas in the same ways. The backgrounds of the stories are very different but the concepts are the same. Both express a negative Utopia as a warning for the future. If the government becomes the sole source of all information for the public, society may become like 1984. If the search for perfect equality continues to extremes, the society described in Harrsion Bergeron may come to exist. Because of these two stories, however, society is more likely to be able to see these changes coming, and stop them before they become reality. In Kurt Vonnegut’s story, “Harrison Bergeron,” everyone is made equal by the United States Handicapper Genera1 while the country is under totalitarian control. Handicaps are forced upon the people by the Handicapper General to create an all-equal society. The character George Bergeron is forced to stay equal by the government’s laws of equality while his wife, Hazel Bergeron, is of only average intelligence, and consequently not given a
handicap. Their son, however, has broken the laws of equality and is fugitive of the United States Handicapper General. The conflict between the United States Handicapper General and the Bergeron family helps to establish and develop the theme of a false perception of equality. George and Hazel Bergeron help to establish the theme of the false perception of equality in the society: “George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear” (1200). The handicap radio sends sharp noises ever few minutes to break his thought process. This handicap stops George from having an advantage over anyone in intelligence. George is also forced to wear a handicap bag around his neck to make him weaker: “She was referring to the forty-seven pounds of birdshot in a canvas bag, which was padlocked around George’s neck” (1201). In the eyes of the society these handicaps make him equal. His wife Hazel, however, does not have a handicap that she is forced to wear: “Having no mental handicap herself” she is already average, so there is no need for a physical or mental handicap (1200). The story explains this, “Hazel had a perfectly average intelligence, which meant she couldn’t think about anything except in short bursts” (1200). Hazel and George are a clear example of why there is a false perception of equality in the United States. George is forced to wear handicaps that make him weaker and unintelligent, but Hazel does not have any extra weight to make her weaker or loud noises in her head to break her thoughts of thinking. This shows that George and Hazel are not really equal because even though George no longer has an advantage over Hazel, she now has an advantage over George. She is not confined by the Handicapper General like he is, but is free to go about her day naturally, while he is confined to an inferior quality of life. This false perception of equality allows for the government to rule without obstruction or protest from their citizens because they are more intently focused on building a community that is better for all and less focused on the tyrant government that now exists in the democratic country. Their son sees this tyranny and causes heart ache for the citizen and the government. George and Hazel’s son, Harrison Bergeron, develops the theme of the false perception of equality. Harrison Bergeron knows that he is unequal and rebels against the government, so that he can take over and become Emperor: “Nobody had ever borne heavier handicaps. He had outgrown hindrances faster than the H-G men could think them up” (1202). He is required to wear more constraining obstructions because the government is in fear of a rebellion, but even with the stronger handicaps Harrison is able to escape from prison and continue his plot to overthrow the government. As Harrison barges into the theater with all his handicaps on he says, “Even as I stand here crippled, hobbled, sickened-I am a greater ruler than any man who ever lived! Now watch me become what I can become” (1202). Harrison knows that the society’s perception of equality is false, and he proves that the handicaps really don’t keep people equal. He can see while still wearing his handicaps that he is stronger and unequal to everyone. This causes him to be feared by the people in society and seen by them as putting them back into the “dark ages” (1201). The handicaps are effective in causing the false perception of equality because the government is able to use fear to force them upon the society. When Hazel tells George to take a few of the pellets out of the bags so that he can rest, he decides against it because of the government’s punishment. George says, “Two years in prison and two thousand dollars fine for every ball I took out” (1201). The Handicapper General has placed this law in order to make people fear the thought of breaking the system of equality; she has done this by integrating fear into the people’s mind by use of brutality. When Harrison is dancing with his Empress the story says, “Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun. She fired twice, and the Emperor and the Empress were dead before they hit the floor” (1201). This is symbolic to the theme
because by killing Harrison the government shows that they are in fear of people seeing the false system of equality that has been instilled in their minds, and ultimately of losing control of the people. It can be inferred that Harrison knows that the only way the government can make people believe in this false perception is by fear, and Harrison uses this sense of fear to his advantage. As Harrison walks through the doors of the theater it says, “Ballerinas, technicians, musicians, and announcers cowered on their knees before him, expecting to die” (1202). Harrison knows that he is feared because of the government’s negative image of him, and that he has the power to rebel. He says, “I am the Emperor! Everybody must do what I say at once” (1202). When he makes this claim nobody dares to challenge it, but instead they acquiesce to his demands. In the story Harrison says, “I shall now select my Empress” (1202). Harrison’s influence affects a ballerina to accept the role of his Empress: “A moment passed, and then a ballerina arose, swaying like a willow. Harrison plucked the mental handicap from her ear, snapped off her physical handicaps with marvelous delicacy. Last of all, he removed her mask” (1202). This shows that the ballerina knows that she is not equal and that she is able to get up and act out against equality while her handicaps are still in control. This is meaningful because the handicaps are not what keep the citizens from acting out, but the governments use of fear does. Harrison takes the handicaps off the musicians and tells them to play their best, so they do as they are told out of fear, and because of the desire to become “barons and dukes and earls” (1203). The ballerina, the musicians, and Harrison all have the desire to break free of the government’s false perception of equality, for they acted out of accordance when given the opportunity without fear of punishment In the story the government has created an all-equal system in order to control society and to stop any chance of revolt. The government has clearly succeeded in their goal of brainwashing Hazel and George into believing in the system of equality even when it clearly has major flaws. Vonnegut’s point to the story is that Harrison has fallen short of the government’s accord causing chaos and proving that an allequal system exists only for totalitarian control. The irony is that the gifted individuals are given handicaps and the average people are left free of any constraints, and the truth is, that within the equal society inequality is the sovereign. n Kurt Vonnegut’s story, “Harrison Bergeron,” everyone is made equal by the United States Handicapper Genera1 while the country is under totalitarian control. Handicaps are forced upon the people by the Handicapper General to create an all-equal society. The character George Bergeron is forced to stay equal by the government’s laws of equality while his wife, Hazel Bergeron, is of only average intelligence, and consequently not given a handicap. Their son, however, has broken the laws of equality and is fugitive of the United States Handicapper General. The conflict between the United States Handicapper General and the Bergeron family helps to establish and develop the theme of a false perception of equality. George and Hazel Bergeron help to establish the theme of the false perception of equality in the society: “George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear” (1200). The handicap radio sends sharp noises ever few minutes to break his thought process. This handicap stops George from having an advantage over anyone in intelligence. George is also forced to wear a handicap bag around his neck to make him weaker: “She was referring to the forty-seven pounds of birdshot in a canvas bag, which was padlocked around George’s neck” (1201). In the eyes of the society these handicaps make him equal. His wife Hazel, however, does not have a handicap that she is forced to wear: “Having no mental handicap herself” she is already average, so there is no need for a physical or mental handicap (1200). The story explains this, “Hazel had a perfectly average intelligence, which meant she couldn’t think about anything except in short bursts” (1200). Hazel and George are a
clear example of why there is a false perception of equality in the United States. George is forced to wear handicaps that make him weaker and unintelligent, but Hazel does not have any extra weight to make her weaker or loud noises in her head to break her thoughts of thinking. This shows that George and Hazel are not really equal because even though George no longer has an advantage over Hazel, she now has an advantage over George. She is not confined by the Handicapper General like he is, but is free to go about her day naturally, while he is confined to an inferior quality of life. This false perception of equality allows for the government to rule without obstruction or protest from their citizens because they are more intently focused on building a community that is better for all and less focused on the tyrant government that now exists in the democratic country. Their son sees this tyranny and causes heart ache for the citizen and the government. George and Hazel’s son, Harrison Bergeron, develops the theme of the false perception of equality. Harrison Bergeron knows that he is unequal and rebels against the government, so that he can take over and become Emperor: “Nobody had ever borne heavier handicaps. He had outgrown hindrances faster than the H-G men could think them up” (1202). He is required to wear more constraining obstructions because the government is in fear of a rebellion, but even with the stronger handicaps Harrison is able to escape from prison and continue his plot to overthrow the government. As Harrison barges into the theater with all his handicaps on he says, “Even as I stand here crippled, hobbled, sickened-I am a greater ruler than any man who ever lived! Now watch me become what I can become” (1202). Harrison knows that the society’s perception of equality is false, and he proves that the handicaps really don’t keep people equal. He can see while still wearing his handicaps that he is stronger and unequal to everyone. This causes him to be feared by the people in society and seen by them as putting them back into the “dark ages” (1201). The handicaps are effective in causing the false perception of equality because the government is able to use fear to force them upon the society. When Hazel tells George to take a few of the pellets out of the bags so that he can rest, he decides against it because of the government’s punishment. George says, “Two years in prison and two thousand dollars fine for every ball I took out” (1201). The Handicapper General has placed this law in order to make people fear the thought of breaking the system of equality; she has done this by integrating fear into the people’s mind by use of brutality. When Harrison is dancing with his Empress the story says, “Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun. She fired twice, and the Emperor and the Empress were dead before they hit the floor” (1201). This is symbolic to the theme because by killing Harrison the government shows that they are in fear of people seeing the false system of equality that has been instilled in their minds, and ultimately of losing control of the people. It can be inferred that Harrison knows that the only way the government can make people believe in this false perception is by fear, and Harrison uses this sense of fear to his advantage. As Harrison walks through the doors of the theater it says, “Ballerinas, technicians, musicians, and announcers cowered on their knees before him, expecting to die” (1202). Harrison knows that he is feared because of the government’s negative image of him, and that he has the power to rebel. He says, “I am the Emperor! Everybody must do what I say at once” (1202). When he makes this claim nobody dares to challenge it, but instead they acquiesce to his demands. In the story Harrison says, “I shall now select my Empress” (1202). Harrison’s influence affects a ballerina to accept the role of his Empress: “A moment passed, and then a ballerina arose, swaying like a willow. Harrison plucked the mental handicap from her ear, snapped off her physical handicaps with marvelous delicacy. Last of all, he removed her mask” (1202). This shows that the ballerina knows that she is not equal and that she is able to get up and act out
against equality while her handicaps are still in control. This is meaningful because the handicaps are not what keep the citizens from acting out, but the governments use of fear does. Harrison takes the handicaps off the musicians and tells them to play their best, so they do as they are told out of fear, and because of the desire to become “barons and dukes and earls” (1203). The ballerina, the musicians, and Harrison all have the desire to break free of the government’s false perception of equality, for they acted out of accordance when given the opportunity without fear of punishment In the story the government has created an all-equal system in order to control society and to stop any chance of revolt. The government has clearly succeeded in their goal of brainwashing Hazel and George into believing in the system of equality even when it clearly has major flaws. Vonnegut’s point to the story is that Harrison has fallen short of the government’s accord causing chaos and proving that an allequal system exists only for totalitarian control. The irony is that the gifted individuals are given handicaps and the average people are left free of any constraints, and the truth is, that within the equal society inequality is the sovereign.
1. Define 'satire' and provide one example of personal or social satire that yoou have encountered. You may use any source for your example:TV, media, news editorials, movies, comedy, etc. Satire can be defined as any work in which a human vice or folly is attacked with irony or sarcasm. An example of satire can be found in the song "When the President Talks to God" by Bright Eyes. In this song, the lyrics lay out hypothetical conversations between the President and God, which mocks current President George W. Bush and his use of strong religious influence while in office. 2. In a well-developed p-graph, I.D. and explain at least one symbol vonnegut presents in the story. Explain how he uses the symbol and what the symbol represents some other entity in the story. In the story, Harrison Bergeron represents many symbols. A major symbolic moment occurs when Harrison breaks away from his chains. This represents Harrison's freedom. 3. In the story, what is the purpose of 'handicaps' and how do they keep people equal? Handicaps can be defined as a hinderance that gives a disadvantage. In the story Harrison Bergeron, handicaps are given to anyone considered to be pretty, smart, and out of the ordinary. Masks are worn so beauty is hidden, an ear piece prevents intelligent thought, and the extraordinary are chained up. 4. Explain the role Diana Moon Glampers plays in the story and describe the authority she possesses over the people. Diana Moon Glampers plays the Handicapper General. Basically, she is large and in charge. Diana has the power of to control the life and death of everyone in the story, and this is shown. 5. Explain why Hazel Bergeron is not plagued with frequent brain blasts like her husband. Hazel Bergeron does not need a handicap to prevent her from having intelligent thoughts like her husband simply because she is not as smart as he is. 6. In a p-graph, write a brief character sketch of Harrison Bergeron. Include not only his physical appearance, but the emotional characteristic which leads him to behave so bizarrely. Putting Harrison Bergeron's seven-foot stature asside, he appears to be what we would call normal today.
7. This story has a well-developed theme which Vonnegut parodies against certain American beliefs. In a paragraph or two, explain what you believe the theme of this story is. I believe the theme in Harrison Bergeron is that it is impossible to deny human differences. In the
story, everyone is equal in the eyes of everyone and everything. I believe Vonnegut expresses that this is impossible in his short story. I also believe that equal rights for everyone is a very far-fetched ideal. Everybody is different and unique in their own way. If the government tried to make us all equal with handicaps, they would essentially be taking away other rights that we have, such as freedom of speech.
Harrison Bergeron - Movie and Story
Awakening the Zombies “Everybody was finally equal. They were not only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else.” This is a short, but powerful excerpt from the short story Harrison Bergeron. Not only does it make you wonder why everyone is equal, but as well makes you wonder how did everyone become equal? In the short story and the movie, Kurt Vonnegut presents a scary view of human society in the United States in the future, in which United States citizens are all uniform. This then leads to their loss of individuality, and therefore to the absolute deformity of humanness. Both the movie and the short story share these themes, they also have a multitude of other similarities, but also have just as many differences. These differences, irony and the symbolism between the two, are what I will be attempting to explore. The first apparent difference between the movie and the short story is that the short story takes place in 2081. In the story the government regulates everything, not just intelligence, but strength and beauty as well, and handicap people appropriately. The strong are forced to wear bags filled with lead balls; beautiful people are forced to wear masks so others would not feel unequal to them in looks. The overly intelligent are forced to wear radio transmitters in their ears, that are tuned to a government station that constantly bombards them with horrible sounds to scramble their thoughts. In the movie, the year is 2053 and everyone is forced to wear mind-altering headbands that rest on their temples. These headbands electronically modify intelligence, effectively decreasing everyone’s IQ to the desired “average” point. Unlike the story, in the movie, no one wears masks to conceal their looks and some are better looking than other making them unequal in appearance to everyone else. Also the only “weight bags” that are worn, is by one dancer on the television that wore a small ankle weight with no resemblance to the enormous weight bags that are described in the story. Another difference is that in the story Harrison Bergeron had the apparent status of a god among these average people. He was fourteen years old, seven feet tall, athletic, good looking, and a genius. In the movie, Harrison bares absolutely no resemblance to the one described in the story. He is portrayed as short and stalky, not very handsome. He looks closer to twenty-four than he does to fourteen, and although he seems bright, he is far from being a genius. Finally, in the story, the “Handicapper General” has more of a police status in this futuristic country, the “head” Handicapper General is a woman, by the name of Diana Moon Glampers. With her swift decisions and severe actions shows resemblance to that of a dictator. She does not have to wear any handicaps of any kind, but is responsible for the regulating all the handicaps. In the movie, the handicappers generals are far from being portrayed as a police authority. They are a secret organization of highly intelligent individuals, that are hand picked from the general population, that are in charge of running the country and coming up with better ways to make everyone equal. The leader of this secret organization is a man by the name of John Claxton. He plays the role of a godlike advisor, leading the organization behind the scenes. He advises and monitors society, the president, and all
forms of media accessible to the public, determining what people can hear, say, watch, and do. There is also a bit of irony prevalent in the movie as well as in the short story. In the movie, Harrison is mocked and branded as an outcast for his intelligence, yet he is secretly being monitored by the secret Administers organization. It is also ironic that there is a necessity for highly intelligent persons in such a perfectly equal society. In this society the public only can see what the have been allowed to see, by this secret, non-equal, organization in this so-called “equal” country. The next instance of irony appears in a scene where Harrison illegally takes control of a broadcasting station and plays unedited and uncontrolled movies and music to the public, while he asks them to take off their mind controlling head bands. This scene gives hope for the future of American culture, and makes one believe that the time for change has arrived. Unfortunately, Harrison later learns that only 1.3% of the public actually heard the true meaning of his program, which was a scream in the dark for an uprise to revolt against this tyranistic government, and removed their bands for good. Disparity descend upon the movie and Harrison is stopped and urged to tell the people of the country that it was all a hoax, in order to preserve order. He does this but, in perfect irony, commits suicide on live television to demonstrate the reality of the situation to the people. Symbolism is used in the story by means of Harrison Bergeron, this enormous seven foot tall, good looking, athletic, genius. He embodies all the traits that everyone in this equal world could or essentially would have if it were not for the enslavement that they are subject to by this overpowering government. The common people in the story have been completely brainwashed and filled with ridiculous ideas that equal and average is better, and competition is a mortal sin that causes all the wrong and bad in society. Symbolism is also utilized in the movie, when at the end of the film, two boys enthusiastically run up the stairs in a home to view a “pirated” recording of the original filming of Harrison when he took over the studio and played banned movies and music, and urged all to take of their headbands. After starting the movie the boys nonchalantly take off their bands to watch the broadcast without mental hindrance. This is symbolic of the freeing of the mind and the throwing off of societies shackles, bound on an individual by the government. Since children are more open minded, receptive to new ideas, and less fearful of change. Just the fact that the children showed the desire to watch the program illustrates hope for the future of society, as children are the future of all societies. In the movie Harrison Bergeron, and in the short story “Harrison Bergeron” there are a number of differences, as well as irony and symbolism. They both take place in the not so distant future where the government has manipulated human intelligence to the point that all persons are equal. In a place where the government ultimately has total control over not only everyone’s lives, but their minds as well. The motive behind the governments controlling society, is the idea that an equal society will eliminate hatred, envy, and war. While this does prove true, the numerous side effects, such as loss of identity, lack of originality, and conformity begin to arise. In actuality these governments are creating a society with zombie like creatures, that are presented in mere shells of human beings. "Harrison Bergeron" is the story of a futuristic world in which everyone is equal. The government regulated everything, from intelligence to strength to beauty, and handicapped people appropriately. The purpose was to create a completely "average" world devoid of envy. The strong were forced to wear bags filled with lead balls, beautiful people wore ugly masks, and the overly
intelligent were constantly bombarded with horrible sounds in their ear to scramble their thoughts. Harrison Bergeron was a god in this average world. He was huge, athletic, good looking, and a genus. The "Handicapper General," who was responsible for regulating handicaps, could not come up with obstacles fast enough to hold Harrison. One day Harrison took control of the television station, an average station with boring programs, and removed his handicaps. He played beautiful music for the people, showed them a beautiful woman, and ballet danced without his handicaps. He was shot and killed. The result of his actions were nothing, as the government sent out excruciating sounds to scramble the mind of viewers and make them forget. "Harrison Bergeron" is short and to the point, a near embodiment of my thesis. Harrison can be seen as an absolute hero, destroyed by corrupt government forces. Harrison's only crime was taking control of the television studio, but his motives outweighed the crime. He was shot for exposing the world to beauty. The reason that we see Harrison as a hero is twofold. First, we naturally know that this is a government with too much power. No matter what our political views, it is inherently wrong to suppress a persons natural talent and ability. Second, Vonnegut shows us the flaws of this world in the story, both the flaws of the philosophy and the flaws of an average society. The flaws of this philosophy are shown in this passage: "...and pretty soon we'd be right back to the dark ages again, with everybody competing against everybody else. You wouldn't like that would you?" "I'd hate it," said Hazel. "There you are," said George. "The minute people start cheating on laws, what do you think happens to society?" If Hazel hadn't been able to come up with an answer to this question, George couldn't have supplied one. A siren was going off in his head.
"Reckon it'd fall all apart," said Hazel. "What would?" said George blankly. (Welcome to the Monkey House, p. 9) The flaw of the philosophy is shown through the inability to truly think about it. George, Harrison's father, is described as a man of above average intelligence. Still, his mental handicap is so strong that he cannot think straight for more than a few minutes. Therefore, it's impossible for people like George, capable of seeing the evil in an average society, to think about it long enough to discover the injustice being preformed. Vonnegut also shows us the flaws of the average society. So dull and mundane is this culture that no one excels and no one fails. Imagine if you could do everything as well as everyone else, and visa versa. The television program was suddenly interrupted for a news bulletin. It wasn't clear at first as to what the bulletin was about, since the announcer, like all announcers, had a serious speech impediment. For about half a minute, and in a state of high excitement, the announcer tried to say, "Ladies and Gentlemen-" He finally gave up, handed the bulletin to a ballerina to read. (Welcome to the Monkey House, p. 10) The flaw of the average world is that no one can truly enjoy doing or watching anything. There is no pleasure in watching someone do something you could easily accomplish, and no pleasure in doing something that can easily be done by the masses. Not only is enjoyment hampered, but art is destroyed. Expression of complex ideas and concepts is impossible in a mundane society, such as the one described in "Harrison Bergeron." Kurt Vonnegut's works can be enjoyed on a variety of levels. His novels are well constructed, prophetic, and entertaining. The recurrent themes of government corruption and repression in his novels would leave the reader to believe that Vonnegut does not trust ruling factions. He warns us of the dangers of too much government power and control of our personal lives.
Harrison Bergeron vs. 1984 Harrison Bergeron and 1984 were both based on a similar concept. This concept is creating peace by limiting and controlling the population. In George Orwell’s “1984';, it was done through brainwashing and doublethink. In Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron';, it was done by limiting everyones abilities until everyone is equal in all ways. Each author used class systems, nature, and society to portray their negative utopia. Class systems played a more important role in 1984, than they did in Harrison Bergeron. In 1984, there were three classes. The highest class, the Inner Party, controlled everything. They controlled what the people saw, heard, and read, and even what they thought. The middle working class, or the “regular'; party, did all the work that the inner party wanted to be done, in order to keep the population, including themselves, in control of everyone. The third, and lowest, class is the proles. The party does not even watch or care about the proles, because they are not important, and have no power at all. Harrison Bergeron apparently had everyone equalized through handicapping all those with extraordinary abilities. The classes were the same as they are in modern America, only with handicaps. Human Nature was repressed in both stories. It is human nature to express one’s talents in some way. In 1984, any kind of personal expression was thoughtcrime, and would cause the guilty individual to be taken to the ministry of love, and brainwashed. In Harrison Bergeron, every person was unable to display any kind of superiority over anyone else. The strong were weighted down, and the beautiful were forced to wear masks. No one was able to display any kind of talent even if they wanted to do so. Society had almost the same roles for men and women in both stories. In 1984, men and women were both treated the same, as mindless members of the party. They both had the same jobs and duties, and they both had the same rules. In Harrison Bergeron, men and women seemed to be treated the same as they are in modern society. The search for justice actually contributed to the creation of both societies. Both were created in the hopes of eliminating crime and injustices by controlling the population. In 1984, there was only one crime, and only one punishment. If you commited thoughtcrime, you would be taken to the ministry of love and brainwashed, until you were fit to be released back into society. In Harrison Bergeron, people were handicapped as a way to create justice. Their society decided that it was unfair, or unjust, for any individual to have any advantage over any other individual. They solved this problem, but at the same time, they ironically removed justice when they stopped people from expressing their natural talents. Both 1984, and Harrison Bergeron use these ideas in the same ways. The backgrounds of the stories are very different but the concepts are the same. Both express a negative Utopia as a warning for the future. If the government becomes the sole source of all information for the public, society may become like 1984. If the search for perfect equality continues to extremes, the society described in Harrsion Bergeron may come to exist. Because of these two stories, however, society is more likely to be able to see these changes coming, and stop them before they become reality. In Kurt Vonnegut’s story, “Harrison Bergeron,” everyone is made equal by the United States Handicapper Genera1 while the country is under totalitarian control. Handicaps are forced upon the people by the Handicapper General to create an all-equal society. The character George Bergeron is forced to stay equal by the government’s laws of equality while his wife, Hazel Bergeron, is of only average intelligence, and consequently not given a
handicap. Their son, however, has broken the laws of equality and is fugitive of the United States Handicapper General. The conflict between the United States Handicapper General and the Bergeron family helps to establish and develop the theme of a false perception of equality. George and Hazel Bergeron help to establish the theme of the false perception of equality in the society: “George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear” (1200). The handicap radio sends sharp noises ever few minutes to break his thought process. This handicap stops George from having an advantage over anyone in intelligence. George is also forced to wear a handicap bag around his neck to make him weaker: “She was referring to the forty-seven pounds of birdshot in a canvas bag, which was padlocked around George’s neck” (1201). In the eyes of the society these handicaps make him equal. His wife Hazel, however, does not have a handicap that she is forced to wear: “Having no mental handicap herself” she is already average, so there is no need for a physical or mental handicap (1200). The story explains this, “Hazel had a perfectly average intelligence, which meant she couldn’t think about anything except in short bursts” (1200). Hazel and George are a clear example of why there is a false perception of equality in the United States. George is forced to wear handicaps that make him weaker and unintelligent, but Hazel does not have any extra weight to make her weaker or loud noises in her head to break her thoughts of thinking. This shows that George and Hazel are not really equal because even though George no longer has an advantage over Hazel, she now has an advantage over George. She is not confined by the Handicapper General like he is, but is free to go about her day naturally, while he is confined to an inferior quality of life. This false perception of equality allows for the government to rule without obstruction or protest from their citizens because they are more intently focused on building a community that is better for all and less focused on the tyrant government that now exists in the democratic country. Their son sees this tyranny and causes heart ache for the citizen and the government. George and Hazel’s son, Harrison Bergeron, develops the theme of the false perception of equality. Harrison Bergeron knows that he is unequal and rebels against the government, so that he can take over and become Emperor: “Nobody had ever borne heavier handicaps. He had outgrown hindrances faster than the H-G men could think them up” (1202). He is required to wear more constraining obstructions because the government is in fear of a rebellion, but even with the stronger handicaps Harrison is able to escape from prison and continue his plot to overthrow the government. As Harrison barges into the theater with all his handicaps on he says, “Even as I stand here crippled, hobbled, sickened-I am a greater ruler than any man who ever lived! Now watch me become what I can become” (1202). Harrison knows that the society’s perception of equality is false, and he proves that the handicaps really don’t keep people equal. He can see while still wearing his handicaps that he is stronger and unequal to everyone. This causes him to be feared by the people in society and seen by them as putting them back into the “dark ages” (1201). The handicaps are effective in causing the false perception of equality because the government is able to use fear to force them upon the society. When Hazel tells George to take a few of the pellets out of the bags so that he can rest, he decides against it because of the government’s punishment. George says, “Two years in prison and two thousand dollars fine for every ball I took out” (1201). The Handicapper General has placed this law in order to make people fear the thought of breaking the system of equality; she has done this by integrating fear into the people’s mind by use of brutality. When Harrison is dancing with his Empress the story says, “Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun. She fired twice, and the Emperor and the Empress were dead before they hit the floor” (1201). This is symbolic to the theme
because by killing Harrison the government shows that they are in fear of people seeing the false system of equality that has been instilled in their minds, and ultimately of losing control of the people. It can be inferred that Harrison knows that the only way the government can make people believe in this false perception is by fear, and Harrison uses this sense of fear to his advantage. As Harrison walks through the doors of the theater it says, “Ballerinas, technicians, musicians, and announcers cowered on their knees before him, expecting to die” (1202). Harrison knows that he is feared because of the government’s negative image of him, and that he has the power to rebel. He says, “I am the Emperor! Everybody must do what I say at once” (1202). When he makes this claim nobody dares to challenge it, but instead they acquiesce to his demands. In the story Harrison says, “I shall now select my Empress” (1202). Harrison’s influence affects a ballerina to accept the role of his Empress: “A moment passed, and then a ballerina arose, swaying like a willow. Harrison plucked the mental handicap from her ear, snapped off her physical handicaps with marvelous delicacy. Last of all, he removed her mask” (1202). This shows that the ballerina knows that she is not equal and that she is able to get up and act out against equality while her handicaps are still in control. This is meaningful because the handicaps are not what keep the citizens from acting out, but the governments use of fear does. Harrison takes the handicaps off the musicians and tells them to play their best, so they do as they are told out of fear, and because of the desire to become “barons and dukes and earls” (1203). The ballerina, the musicians, and Harrison all have the desire to break free of the government’s false perception of equality, for they acted out of accordance when given the opportunity without fear of punishment In the story the government has created an all-equal system in order to control society and to stop any chance of revolt. The government has clearly succeeded in their goal of brainwashing Hazel and George into believing in the system of equality even when it clearly has major flaws. Vonnegut’s point to the story is that Harrison has fallen short of the government’s accord causing chaos and proving that an allequal system exists only for totalitarian control. The irony is that the gifted individuals are given handicaps and the average people are left free of any constraints, and the truth is, that within the equal society inequality is the sovereign. n Kurt Vonnegut’s story, “Harrison Bergeron,” everyone is made equal by the United States Handicapper Genera1 while the country is under totalitarian control. Handicaps are forced upon the people by the Handicapper General to create an all-equal society. The character George Bergeron is forced to stay equal by the government’s laws of equality while his wife, Hazel Bergeron, is of only average intelligence, and consequently not given a handicap. Their son, however, has broken the laws of equality and is fugitive of the United States Handicapper General. The conflict between the United States Handicapper General and the Bergeron family helps to establish and develop the theme of a false perception of equality. George and Hazel Bergeron help to establish the theme of the false perception of equality in the society: “George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear” (1200). The handicap radio sends sharp noises ever few minutes to break his thought process. This handicap stops George from having an advantage over anyone in intelligence. George is also forced to wear a handicap bag around his neck to make him weaker: “She was referring to the forty-seven pounds of birdshot in a canvas bag, which was padlocked around George’s neck” (1201). In the eyes of the society these handicaps make him equal. His wife Hazel, however, does not have a handicap that she is forced to wear: “Having no mental handicap herself” she is already average, so there is no need for a physical or mental handicap (1200). The story explains this, “Hazel had a perfectly average intelligence, which meant she couldn’t think about anything except in short bursts” (1200). Hazel and George are a
clear example of why there is a false perception of equality in the United States. George is forced to wear handicaps that make him weaker and unintelligent, but Hazel does not have any extra weight to make her weaker or loud noises in her head to break her thoughts of thinking. This shows that George and Hazel are not really equal because even though George no longer has an advantage over Hazel, she now has an advantage over George. She is not confined by the Handicapper General like he is, but is free to go about her day naturally, while he is confined to an inferior quality of life. This false perception of equality allows for the government to rule without obstruction or protest from their citizens because they are more intently focused on building a community that is better for all and less focused on the tyrant government that now exists in the democratic country. Their son sees this tyranny and causes heart ache for the citizen and the government. George and Hazel’s son, Harrison Bergeron, develops the theme of the false perception of equality. Harrison Bergeron knows that he is unequal and rebels against the government, so that he can take over and become Emperor: “Nobody had ever borne heavier handicaps. He had outgrown hindrances faster than the H-G men could think them up” (1202). He is required to wear more constraining obstructions because the government is in fear of a rebellion, but even with the stronger handicaps Harrison is able to escape from prison and continue his plot to overthrow the government. As Harrison barges into the theater with all his handicaps on he says, “Even as I stand here crippled, hobbled, sickened-I am a greater ruler than any man who ever lived! Now watch me become what I can become” (1202). Harrison knows that the society’s perception of equality is false, and he proves that the handicaps really don’t keep people equal. He can see while still wearing his handicaps that he is stronger and unequal to everyone. This causes him to be feared by the people in society and seen by them as putting them back into the “dark ages” (1201). The handicaps are effective in causing the false perception of equality because the government is able to use fear to force them upon the society. When Hazel tells George to take a few of the pellets out of the bags so that he can rest, he decides against it because of the government’s punishment. George says, “Two years in prison and two thousand dollars fine for every ball I took out” (1201). The Handicapper General has placed this law in order to make people fear the thought of breaking the system of equality; she has done this by integrating fear into the people’s mind by use of brutality. When Harrison is dancing with his Empress the story says, “Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun. She fired twice, and the Emperor and the Empress were dead before they hit the floor” (1201). This is symbolic to the theme because by killing Harrison the government shows that they are in fear of people seeing the false system of equality that has been instilled in their minds, and ultimately of losing control of the people. It can be inferred that Harrison knows that the only way the government can make people believe in this false perception is by fear, and Harrison uses this sense of fear to his advantage. As Harrison walks through the doors of the theater it says, “Ballerinas, technicians, musicians, and announcers cowered on their knees before him, expecting to die” (1202). Harrison knows that he is feared because of the government’s negative image of him, and that he has the power to rebel. He says, “I am the Emperor! Everybody must do what I say at once” (1202). When he makes this claim nobody dares to challenge it, but instead they acquiesce to his demands. In the story Harrison says, “I shall now select my Empress” (1202). Harrison’s influence affects a ballerina to accept the role of his Empress: “A moment passed, and then a ballerina arose, swaying like a willow. Harrison plucked the mental handicap from her ear, snapped off her physical handicaps with marvelous delicacy. Last of all, he removed her mask” (1202). This shows that the ballerina knows that she is not equal and that she is able to get up and act out
against equality while her handicaps are still in control. This is meaningful because the handicaps are not what keep the citizens from acting out, but the governments use of fear does. Harrison takes the handicaps off the musicians and tells them to play their best, so they do as they are told out of fear, and because of the desire to become “barons and dukes and earls” (1203). The ballerina, the musicians, and Harrison all have the desire to break free of the government’s false perception of equality, for they acted out of accordance when given the opportunity without fear of punishment In the story the government has created an all-equal system in order to control society and to stop any chance of revolt. The government has clearly succeeded in their goal of brainwashing Hazel and George into believing in the system of equality even when it clearly has major flaws. Vonnegut’s point to the story is that Harrison has fallen short of the government’s accord causing chaos and proving that an allequal system exists only for totalitarian control. The irony is that the gifted individuals are given handicaps and the average people are left free of any constraints, and the truth is, that within the equal society inequality is the sovereign.
