Situational Irony In Harrison Bergeron

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Theme and analysis of Kurt Vonnegut's short story — Theme and assay of Kurt Vonnegut'south short story

"Harrison Bergeron" Analysis

"Harrison Bergeron" is a dystopian satire frequently read by students for its take on equality and liberty.

The story is fix in the United states in the yr 2081. It'south told by a third-person limited narrator—the reader is given some access to George Bergeron's thoughts.

"Harrison Bergeron" Summary

It is the year 2081 and everyone is equal in every manner—physically and mentally. The The states Handicapper General and her agents ensure compliance.

In Apr, Harrison Bergeron, the xiv-year-old son of George and Hazel, is taken away by government agents. Neither of them thinks deeply nigh it. Hazel is average and incapable of deep thought, while George's mental handicap ear transmitter interrupts his thoughts with a variety of noises.

They are watching ballerinas on telly. The ballerinas wear weights and so they won't trip the light fantastic toe better than anyone else, and masks so they won't be cute.

Hazel is curious most the noises George hears; she doesn't need anything to limit her thoughts.

Hazel believes she'd brand a good Handicapper General considering she's so normal. She would change the noises on Sunday to loud bells, in honor of religion.

George has a fleeting thought of Harrison being in jail earlier a blast in his ear stops it.

George likewise wears a 40-7-pound weight around his neck to limit him physically. Hazel suggests that it would exist squeamish if he could lighten his load a bit. That would hateful prison and a fine, and he doesn't desire to run a risk it, even in private. They presently reach the conclusion that gild would fall apart if everyone wanted to remove their handicaps.

Their tv program is interrupted by a news bulletin which has to be read by a ballerina when the journalist's speech impediment makes it impossible. She modifies her vocalization and then she doesn't audio skilful. Harrison, who is described as athletic, a genius, and nether-handicapped, has escaped from jail and is considered dangerous.

A constabulary photo shows Harrison as seven feet alpine. He wears handicaps more than extreme than anyone else—300 pounds of scrap metallic, huge earphones and thick spectacles. His practiced looks are curtained with a red-ball olfactory organ, shaved eyebrows and black-capped teeth.

During the report, Harrison bursts into the television studio and proclaims himself the Emperor. Everyone is agape of him.

He removes his remaining handicaps and calls for an Empress. A ballerina steps forward. He removes her earpiece and mask, revealing her tremendous dazzler.

He calls for music so they can show the world what real dancing is. He removes the musicians' handicaps and tells them to play their all-time. They trip the light fantastic with joy and grace, eventually leaping thirty feet in the air. In their triumph, they kiss the ceiling and each other.

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Theme: Equality

The beginning establishes conspicuously that equality is a master theme. Existence a satire, the equality described isn't what people usually think of when they say they want equality.

Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than everyone else.

— "Harrison Bergeron"

The strong or graceful are burdened with extra weight, the intelligent have their thoughts interrupted with jolting sounds, musicians habiliment an unstated handicap to limit their abilities and the beautiful wear hideous masks.

People are selected for jobs based on their inability to do them well, equally the example of the newscaster illustrates. He has a astringent speech impediment and has great trouble starting his report. He gives up, passing information technology off to a ballerina. She knows enough to make her pleasant voice sound similar a squawking bird, and then no 1 volition experience bad.

It's likewise noteworthy that the equality in "Harrison Bergeron" isn't what we would normally think of as average. We tin can see this in the character of Harriet Bergeron who isn't subjected to blaring sounds considering she is "a perfectly average intelligence." Simply average in this world isn't the average of our earth.

When we're introduced to Harriet, she tin't call up what she was crying about, even though she still has tears on her face up. Making matters worse, she might have been moved that securely by the ballerina's lackluster performance.

She as well shows no understanding of the discomfort her husband is in from his radio transmitter. She envies it a footling because "information technology would be real interesting, hearing all the dissimilar sounds."

After seeing her son shot expressionless on television set, Hazel cries. Near a minute later, she tin't remember why, only that it was over "Something real deplorable on television."

At this point, there's no doubt how hampered the average person is, but this detail is capped off with a darkly comic (under the circumstances) moment. Taking George literally when he says "You tin can say that again," Harriet repeats herself.

Likewise, George's handicaps bring his intelligence below normal. He thinks that removing some of his burdens, even just in private, would send society "correct dorsum to the nighttime ages again."

The simply rational thoughts George has in the whole story are a "vague notion that peradventure dancers shouldn't exist handicapped," and a glimmer about his son being in jail. They last just seconds.

George also doesn't react to Harrison'southward murder. The story doesn't brand information technology clear if he witnessed it or not, just it doesn't really matter. George watched Harrison doing some remarkable and illegal things. If he got upward for his beer while that was happening, that would too tell the states a lot about his thinking ability.

There'south a bespeak related to the people'southward below-boilerplate abilities in the next department, in the third paragraph.

Theme: Authoritarianism

In "Harrison Bergeron," citizens are completely controlled by the regime. Amendments accept been made to the Constitution to back up the policy of equality. It's enforced by the Handicapper General, Diana Moon Glampers, and her agents, H-K men.

The punishment for removing handicaps is severe. George says that for every ball of bird shot removed from the bag effectually his neck, he would get "Two years in prison and 2 yard dollars fine."

To maintain authorisation, the government must suppress people's physical and mental abilities. This is why the "average" in this globe is actually well below average. Boilerplate people would realize that the system they're living under doesn't make sense. The subnormal citizens of "Harrison Bergeron" can't focus their thoughts long enough to realize this or plot confronting it.

A signal that could be missed in all the oppression is that Harrison's rebellion replaces ane blazon of tyranny with some other. He doesn't commencement making plans for the adept of everyone. He immediately proclaims, "I am the Emperor! Everybody must do what I say at one time!"

He and then orders people around. He also uses physical force on two of the musicians, as he "waved them like batons" and "slammed them dorsum into their chairs."

After that, he glories in a showy dance and kisses a blindingly beautiful ballerina. Harrison is focused exclusively on himself. His behavior suggests he would institute a monarchy, with no checks on himself.

The most prominent example of the authorities's oppression is how Harrison's rebellion is dealt with.

He's not taken back into custody for trial. He'southward shot downward on the spot, along with his dance partner, by Glampers.

The musicians who had their handicaps removed by Harrison are threatened with death.

1. What Affect Does Ability Have on People in the Story?

It corrupts them, turning them into tyrants. The authorities'southward oppression is maintained with farthermost jail time, fines and death.

Harrison uses his showtime experience with power to claim authority over everyone and social club them around, without much regard for their well-being.

ii. What Result Does the Media Have on People in the Story?

It keeps people distracted, and transmits government propaganda and handicaps, which keeps people passive and reinforces government orthodoxy.

The distracting effect is seen in Hazel. She's brought to tears over something on television, probably the ballerinas.

An example of government propaganda is the news report about Harrison's escape. The part virtually his escape is true, just they said he was initially arrested for "plotting to overthrow the government," which is likely their interpretation. More likely, he was arrested just for being so infrequent.

Likewise, the warning that he should be "regarded as extremely unsafe" isn't for the skillful of the populace. He's "dangerous" in that he's showing people that life could be dissimilar. He's presenting the possibility that life without handicaps might be better.

The media is also used in the form of the radio transmitters worn past the higher up-average. The blaring sounds keep them from thinking beyond government-sanctioned thoughts.

3. Why Is the Shotgun Still in Use in 2081 Rather Than a More Avant-garde Weapon?

This anachronism might strike a reader as odd, but it makes sense within the story's globe.

Despite the story taking identify in the year 2081, 120 years later information technology was published, at that place's a notable absence of advanced engineering. It only mentions television set, radio and the shotgun, all things that readers in 1961 were familiar with.

Additionally, the handicapping methods are crude. There are no brain implants or alterations to reduce intelligence, and no bogus gravity fields to inhibit the strong. Instead, there are loud noises from an earpiece, and numberless of birdshot and chip metal.

The Bergeron'southward as well imply that George could get abroad with removing some of his handicaps in individual. This ways there isn't whatever advanced surveillance on people at all times.

All this suggests that technology hasn't avant-garde. That'due south why Glampers uses a shotgun. Who would invent a ray gun in this world? There'due south no 1 with that kind of thinking power. Disallowment a secret government plan, technology will be stagnant in this society.

four. What Is Existence Satirized in the Story?

Amidst the things Vonnegut's story satirizes are:

The idea of forcing equality on people
The numbing issue bred by the media
Authoritarianism or totalitarianism
Rebellions against the government