Category: Harrison Bergeron

Admittedly, literature has a great power over people. Satire is one of the most potent tools of literature. Authors use satire to reveal the wrongs of the society they live in. With the help of satire authors manage to express their opinion on some matters and make people think of essential issues.

Thus, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. focuses on such important themes as equality and control. The author emphasizes that equality can be even dangerous as it may make people vulnerable. Vonnegut creates a very specific society with the help of satire. The author manages to make people think of the essence of equality and possible hazards associated with the society of equals.

According to Vonnegut being equal does not mean being happy, which is one of the major themes of the story. Thus, the times when “everybody” are “finally equal” are not that cloudless (Vonnegut 1). Interestingly, the author stresses that equality is against the nature as different people come into this world. People are different.

Some are “blindingly beautiful” (Vonnegut 4). Some could “have awed Thor” (Vonnegut 4). Some could simply think and understand things. However, the majority of people in Vonnegut’s society have some kind of impediment which prevents them from thinking critically.

Notably, to reveal the theme of differences between people Vonnegut uses a variety of literary tools. Thus, when depicting beautiful ballerinas, he uses epithets “extraordinarily”, “blindingly” beautiful. Vonnegut resorts to an allusion to depict Harrison who could be the leader of the different people.

The author portrays Harrison as an extremely strong person who could be even stronger Thor himself. Mentioning the god of thunder, Vonnegut emphasizes the strength and handsomeness of Harrison. Admittedly, the use of the allusion makes the story more expressive.

Likewise, the author uses quite expressive means to describe the majority of people who have “a perfectly average intelligence”, i.e. people who cannot focus on any important thing (Vonnegut 1). The epithet “perfectly average” is somewhat paradoxical. This contributes greatly to creation of the satirical effect. Of course, one of the most striking depictions of people’s equality in the society was the portrayal of the announcer who “like all announcers” had a “serious” speech defect (Vonnegut 3). Therefore, the author stresses that equality could only mean equal impediments as progress presupposes development and competition.

Nonetheless, people in Vonnegut’s society strive for equality. The author employs various tools to reveal the society in a satirical way. Thus, the author mentions that equality is guaranteed by the Constitution (Vonnegut 1). Of course, it is a biting satire as no man’s law can make people truly equal, especially physically equal.

The author notes that people were kept from “taking unfair advantage of their brains” (Vonnegut 1). It goes without saying that the word “unfair” produces the most satirical effect. The protagonist has to endure constant audio torture. Beautiful people have to wear masks. The author enhances the idea of the deliberate equality with the help of repetition at the beginning of the story:

Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. (Vonnegut 1)

The words “nobody” and “anybody else” are repeated three times to stress the idea that all people should be equal. The writer makes people accustomed to the idea of such kind of complete equality. Remarkably, the idea of the complete equality is itself satirical. The author uses such kind of exaggeration to express his idea concerning impossibility of equality.

The author also uses satire to express his view on hypothetical future. Thus, Vonnegut does not believe people can be equal as diversity is one of the primary characteristic features of the nature. The writer stresses that people can only artificially make people equal by hiding their faces, distracting them from thinking. At the same time, the author believes that there still will be people who can rise.

Harrison is the one. This god-like teenager dares to oppose the order. He inspires someone (one of the ballerinas and some musicians) to become different. Notably, the author portrays the picture of the rise in detail. He also does it quite poetically. The two young people reach the ceiling while performing their divine dance.

Of course, it is not about dancing. The author exploits this symbol (the symbol of soaring) to articulate the idea of divine sparkle in each person. The author suggests that the difference is what makes people strive for something bigger. The difference makes people strive for development. The difference makes people evolve.

Notably, this poetic passage contributes to creation of the satirical effect as well. The soaring of the two beautifully different people is abruptly stopped by gunshots. The two great people are killed by those who strive for equality. What is more, “perfectly average” people simply forget about the soaring and the cruel murder. The author admits that even though it is impossible to make all people equal, it is quite easy to distract people and prevent them from thinking critically. Vonnegut reveals his ideas on the total control.

The author believes that complete equality can only be beneficial for those who want to control nations. The author’s satire is aimed at making people understand that being different is just fine. More so, the author stresses that being different means being free.

It is important to note that the story is not about social or gender equality. It is not about racial issues. The author reveals one of the major wrongs of the contemporary society. The author uses satire to make people understand that they are quite vulnerable. Vonnegut shows that there are attempts to make people think ‘equally’. There are attempts to make people have similar ideas and opinions on this or that matter. Now people are being distracted from really important issues.

Notably, the author uses television as rather a controversial tool. On the one hand, television is one of the tools of distraction. On the other hand, it is used to rebel. Thus, the author believes that media can help people become different and find the truth. However, the author also admits that media are quite potent means of proliferation of certain (‘equal’) ideas. At any rate, Vonnegut creates a hypothetical society which is aimed at making contemporary people think. The author uses satire to evoke strong feelings in people.

On balance, it is possible to state that Vonnegut employs various tools to create a satirical effect. The author uses satire to reveal one of the major wrongs of the contemporary society, i.e. people’s indifference and inability to see what is really important. Vonnegut conveys his ideas concerning equality and control. The writer shows that equality is a kind of premise for total control over people. Therefore, the author notes that being different means being free.

Works Cited

Vonnegut, Kurt. Harrison Bergeron. Ted Nellen, 2012.

Absolute equality is not an objective worth pursuing, as many people think, according to Vonnegut’s argument in “Harrison Bergeron,” but rather a misguided one that is destructive in both the process and the results. The administration in Vonnegut’s tale tortures its people to establish physical and mental fairness among all Americans (Vonnegut Jr 2). The intellectual must endure ear-splitting sounds that impair their capacity to think, the elegant and muscular must image matching around their necks at all times of the day, and the attractive must wear horrible masks or dismember themselves.

The inhabitants start to dumb themselves down or hide their unique characteristics due to the stress of complete equality. Some people act this way because they have absorbed the government’s objectives. In contrast, others do so out of apprehension that the government would punish them harshly if they show any exceptional talent. This yearning for equality has fatal results. America has become a nation of timid, illiterate, and sluggish people. Government authorities kill the very talented without concern for retaliation. More or less, equality is attained at the expense of personal freedom and success.

Harrison is a symbol of the segment of the American population that still aspires to work hard, show off their talents, and surpass their contemporaries. Harrison is a physical specimen at the age of fourteen; he is seven feet tall, strong, and handsome. Harrison is made to wear massive earbuds that cloud his mind, spectacles that impair his vision and give him migraines, 300 pounds of metal that weighs him down, a goofy nose, and black caps on his teeth as part of the government’s concerted effort to silence him (Vonnegut Jr 5). Harrison, though, is unaffected by any barriers erected by the state, not even imprisonment. His desire to live a whole human life is impossible. The government considers Harrison a genius, yet his courage and self-assurance stand out more than his intelligence. He is confident that he will succeed in overturning the government when he escapes prison.

Throughout the narrative, the government’s broadcasts get more violent and intense, mirroring the unfolding tragedy of George and Hazel’s life. When the narrative starts, George watches the ballerinas on TV and hears a buzzer in his mind. The noise of a bottle being broken with a hammer echoes in his ears as he attempts to focus on the dancers, who are burdened down and disguised to contrast their delicacy and beauty (M Ridha Al-Hasan, Hayder M. Saadan, and Thulfiqar Abdulameer Sulaiman Alhmdni 2063). He is distracted from his thoughts of his son by the overly violent sound of the twenty-one firearms shooting, which foreshadows Harrison’s death.

The noise of a siren reveals how far the government has transformed into the thinking police, shattering ideas about the rules of equality and competitiveness that prevailed in the past. George hears a vehicle smash as Harrison storms into the television studio, a sound that suggests that many people were hurt. George is interrupted by a noise succinctly summarized as a handicap signal, which is an alarmingly ambiguous term, occurring at the same time his son is being murdered on live television. In the same way that George and Hazel could not correctly grasp Harrison’s death, Vonnegut implies that the noise is so dreadful that it cannot be acknowledged. The sound of a riveting pistol is the last sound George hears, a fitting allusion to Diana Moon Glampers’ murder of Harrison.

Works Cited

Atwood, Margaret. “Lusus naturae.” McSweeney’s Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories, 2014.

Golizadeh, Parvin, Manouchehr Joukar, and Zeinab Rahmati. “The Extraordinary Event in Persian Mystical Narratives and Some Works of Magical Realism.” Journal of Persian Language & Literature (Former Journal of the Faculty of Literature, University of Tabriz) 74.243, 2021: 131-153.

Marquez, Gabriel Garcia and Gregory Rabassa. “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World.” 2022.

M Ridha Al-hasani, Hayder M. Saadan, and Thulfiqar Abdulameer Sulaiman Alhmdni. “Paradoxical Postmodernism in Kurt Vonnegut’s” Harrison Bergeron”.” Talent Development & Excellence 12.2, 2020.

Vonnegut Jr, Kurt. “Harrison Bergeron.” Ark. L. Rev. 44, 1991.

Ramírez, Manuela López. “Gothic Overtones: The Female Monster in Margaret Atwood’s “Lusus Naturae”.” Complutense Journal of English Studies 29, 2021: 103-113.

Character Similarities

Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” tells a story about a fourteen year old “child” who is somewhat of a prodigy. In a world where people are held back because of their talents, and their intelligence is marred by the social rules of all people being the same, Harrison refuses to succumb to the pressure and wants to break free (Gelder, 2009).

The main character can be greatly compared to my cousin who is almost 20 years old. He is also a very talented person and likes music. His ear is very well adjusted to sounds and melodies, so when he hears some song or is creating some of his own, he is able to understand what is needed to fill in the gaps or make the melody more beautiful (Werlock, 2009). Another similarity between Kurt Vonnegut’s character and my cousin Phil is that they are both very analytical.

Very often, I find Phil sitting behind his desk and writing out his thoughts. He seems to be eager to figure out what the world is, why people have lives and understanding. I find it his talent to have a “feeling” towards something. When he thinks about a problem, he does not use logic first. He comprehends the situation and listens to himself letting his inner self to tell him how he feels about a subject.

It is interesting to note that he is not quite aware how this process takes place, but it is for certain that he is able to distinguish between useless and important information which later becomes key to a the problem at hand. He is also very knowledgeable of people’s psychology and inner desires, so when he thinks about someone he is able to discern the real behavior from fake one. I think that he has a gift of predicting certain things because all the problems that he encounters, he solves.

As Harrison felt pushed down by the government, and prevented from reaching his goals and dreams, so does Phil. Sometimes, he engages in conversations with my father where they discuss why the government is so unwilling to allow people to reach their heights and become everything they can be.

Often, they talk about conspiracies in educational institutions and work places, citing the fact that the information that is presented is purposefully faulty, and people are “dumbed down”, so that they show no resistance to the authority of the government. Phil always feels emotional and wants to change something. This is another similarity between Phil and Harrison Bergeron because they are both trying to change the world (Farrell, 2009).

Phil is thinking about publishing a book, but it would be extremely difficult because the things that he wants to write are very controversial and challenging. He is sure that his greater purpose in life is to make the world better. His thoughts always revolve around making people realize that whatever the governments or media say is not what is most valuable in life. He wants to bring people down to a more “natural” existence where there is greater interaction between people and the world.

The parallel between the two people, one fictional and one real is very obvious because both seem to function on a higher level. Nature is still a very mysterious thing, and it shows its power and secrets through people.

References

Farrell, S. (2009). Critical Companion to Kurt Vonnegut. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing.

Gelder, G. (2009). The Very Best of Fantasy & Science Fiction: Sixtieth Anniversary Anthology. San Francisco, CA: Tachyon Publications.

Werlock, A. (2009). Companion to Literature: Facts on File Companion to the American Short Story. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing.

Harrison Bergeron, a short story by Kurt Vonnegut, highlights the perils of governmental control, coupled with people’s ignorance. Vonnegut goes ahead to predict the results of such a move. The most prominent theme of Harrison Bergeron is the lack of freedom in American society. Vonnegut also explains how the loss of civil rights is catching with Americans. What is the result of all these? There is a high probability that America will end up in a dystopia. In summary, the loss of freedom and civil rights would lead to America’s dystopia are the main messages of Harrison Bergeron. The essay briefly discusses the topics of the story and the questions raised by the author. Some of them are illustrated by the quotes from the text to demonstrate its tone and the literary devices used in the story.

Central Idea of Harrison Bergeron

As aforementioned, Americans love freedom, and Harrison’s actions evidence this; he escapes from prison, goes ahead to remove his handicaps, and finally tries to influence those around him. “Why don’t you stretch out on the sofa, so that you can rest your handicap bag…?” (Vonnegut Page 216).

The government chained this handicap bag around George’s neck; however, Harrison is telling George to ‘rest’ it, as a sign of rebellion and push for freedom. Nevertheless, in Harrison’s world, this freedom is no more, and people cannot make choices because they are above average in everything, and as a result, they are disabled. For instance, the dancers are cloaked to ensure that “nobody would feel like something the cat drug in” (Vonnegut Page 216).

The fact that all people are above average in everything takes away the freedom of choice and hampers everyone in the new dystopia America. The plot unfolds around the main theme of Harrison Bergeron. The main idea of neglect of freedom of choice is also expressed in the article of Clark. The author argues that “Uninformed citizens are left vulnerable to the political exploitation of special-interests” (Clark, 1). That proves that, though Americans love freedom, their freedom of choice is restricted by lack of information.

The loss of civil rights is another contributing factor to this dystopia in America. Everyone is equal “due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution…the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General” (Vonnegut Page 218). In this state, the ‘Handicapper General’ ensures everyone is equal, and he or she has no right, including the right to life. No one in the nowadays society is truly free, as it will be shown in the next paragraphs of the essay. Harrison Bergeron’s character George says, “Two years in prison and two thousand dollars fine for every ball I took out” (Vonnegut Page 216).

George here talks of the consequences of removing the ‘handicap’ that the government has placed around his neck, evidence of loss of civil rights. George even watches her daughter die on television, and he cannot complain leave alone filling a suit. All these events resonate well with what is happening in America today. Manson discusses the issue of loss of civil rights by American citizens in one of his articles, which is devoted to mind control.

There is multiple “evidence for government involvement in attempts to control people’s behavior” (Manson, 1). The mind-control conspiracy theory proves the intrusion of the government to people’s personal lives and even to their consciousness. The violation of fundamental civil rights defined by the Constitution is apparent.

Vonnegut insinuates that if what is happening in contemporary America is not countered, then a dystopia in America is inevitable. That is the central idea of Harrison Bergeron. Even though Vonnegut wrote this story many years ago, he had seen what was lurking; for instance, after the 9/11 events, congress passed the US Patriot Act that allowed security agencies to probe personal issues.

That resonates well with “the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General” (Vonnegut Page 216). Even though the loss of freedom in contemporary America is not as bad as in Harrison’s society, American authorities are slowly taking away freedom.

For instance, smoking regulations placed public places is a move of its kind. To this, Vonnegut would say, “Some things about living still aren’t quite right. The ‘rightness’ of living is disappearing as people lose freedom and head to the new dystopia America. Indeed, the freedom of Americans is gradually lost.

According to Manson, even the right to individual opinions is violated. As a result of the government, activity is such that “a person simply becomes a pair of eyes designed to observe and transmit data.” This serves as evidence of American citizens being deprived of their rights for freedom.

Conclusion

This analysis essay outlined the central idea and the main theme of Harrison Bergeron. In summary, Vonnegut tries to highlight how government control would slowly convert America into a dystopian nation. Despite the love that Americans have for freedom, Vonnegut is afraid that this is being taken away, and people will have “a little mental handicap radio in their ears tuned to a government transmitter” (Vonnegut Page 218). That would take away freedom, and civil rights would suffer the same fate for those who rebel against the set ordinances will have, “ten seconds to get their handicaps back on” (Vonnegut Page 219).

The overall effect in this situation would be a nation where all people are equal according to government standards hence dystopia. The take-home point in Vonnegut’s short story is, people should come out of their ignorance, take action, and correct government errors; otherwise, America will be a place of parity without dreams and competition hence dystopia America.

Works Cited

Clark, J. “Regulating Government” The Encyclopedia of Public Choice. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media, 2004. Credo Reference. Web.

The 20-th century introduced the industrial spirit to almost every country around the world. The change in the mode of production and a switch to an unfamiliar social system was quite difficult for most nations to put up with. High capital requirements, inherent to the industrial era, forced the majority of countries to create the governmental pool for resources concentration, thus shifting their social and political systems towards an authoritarian type. The amount of power and authority, acquired by administrative structures, was enormous, which made social transformation available. Following this, so-called socialism, with its principles of equal consumption and social equality, was employed in some twisted forms. As a result, the citizens of those countries turned into hostages of their government, or, at least, that is what was observed from the outside.

This significant change was reflected in the literature of that period. A new type of society – capitalistic one – was discussed there, yet, the principal amount of works were dedicated to the author’s vision of probable future, which seemed utterly unpredictable. Such works, like Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (2017) and “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut (1961), made a considerable contribution to this subject by developing their own perspective of the future. It usually included adverse circumstances and negative outcomes of a government’s poor decisions. Despite the time gone by, no one has a clear image of what might happen; that is why the topic is still actual. This paper will analyze one of the books mentioned, namely “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, and provide a reasonable opinion on its content.

Summary of the Novel

The story takes place in 2081, 120 years after the date of the book’s release when the new amendments to the Constitution have been introduced. According to those standards, there can be no outstanding features in any citizen. All of them should be equal in the sense that some inherent characteristics ought to be hidden by masks when it comes to beauty or heavy weights if someone is healthy or well-built. The laws are enforced by various government agents, watching the citizens all the time and punishing those who would not obey.

Then the author illustrates a family, which is, by definition, is standard and, as usual, watches a ballet on television. The only difference is that unlike the other families, this one has just lost one of its members – the son, named Harrison, taken against his will by the government. He is a clear representation of everything forbidden in this society: intelligent, attractive, and incredibly brave; the usual mechanism can not suppress the boy. Consequently, the only way to eliminate such a threat is to isolate him.

Despite that loss, the family does not seem to grieve – the couple feels a bit sad, yet, the reason remains unknown. The memories about their son and his arrest were taken away by standard methods – loud radio devices controlled intelligence. All of a sudden, the TV translation breaks, and Harrison’s escape from prison is announced. Following that, the boy shows up on the stage, tears his and ballerina’s handicaps apart, and makes the orchestra play better. He dances to the music with the ballerina, his “Empress,” as the boy proclaims her. Soon after that, Diana Moon Glampers, the General of the Handicapper, breaks in and kills both. The translation stops, and George, Harrison’s father, comes back from the kitchen, unaware of those events, to find his wife crying. The only thing she could remember is that something sad had happened on the TV.

Main Characters

The story itself is rather short, yet, the main characters are indeed important, as each of them represents a particular social group with its common features. However, the protagonist, on the contrary, is not that primitive; in fact, he is the most outstanding individual anyone can think of. Harrison is an attractive, smart, and courageous young man capable of destructing the whole system if not eliminated for good. As a result, in an attempt to take over the leadership in the country, he is being taken to jail, yet, he does not give up on the idea and escapes soon after that.

The role of Harrison Bergeron in this story cannot be underestimated. Not only he is the key character, but he is probably a hero of the time depicted. Some researchers note that “In a future America where being average is the professed ideal – although Vonnegut comically demonstrates that the de facto standard of “average” in the story is far inferior to simple mediocrity – Harrison is superhuman. He is not just a revolutionary, but a Nietzschean Übermensch, cut from the same cloth as Ayn Rand’s John Galt.” (Reed, 2015, p. 56). In the context of the time when no one is eager to struggle with blatant violation of a right to be someone, not a philosophical zombie, the protagonist is an expression of freedom of choice.

The next character, which is rather important, is the protagonist’s mother, Hazel. In contrast to her son, she represents the average citizen of America, meeting all the primitive requirements. According to Reed (2015), “Let us pause to consider Hazel. Because she has no handicaps, we already know a great deal about her: she is not strong, lovely, or intelligent. She’s so average, and even her name is the eye color between brown and blue. Her natural mental state is equivalent to George’s handicapped mind. She is the ideal citizen in Vonnegut’s dumbed-down future America” (p. 57). In spite of Hazel’s simplicity, she feels upset about the loss of her son, though she does not recall why, which is probably an illustration of illusive public sorrow.

The last but not least main character is George Bergeron, who is, according to his description, in a position between the two previous characters. He is not as primitive as his wife, yet, not as great as his son. Considering his intelligence, the government forced him to wear a handicap in order to suppress his mind. His immanent abilities contradict the belief in the social order, which results in complete neglect and acceptance of his son’s death (Hild, 2017).

Personal Opinion

Some critics might appreciate this book for a satiric demonstration of possible future outcomes, yet, there is another opinion on the subject. According to Reed (2015), “Vonnegut’s nightmarish system … is a parody of what Americans feared might be wrought by losing … conflicts with Sino-Soviet socialists, a … fear that inflicted far more damage … than communism itself” (p. 50). Therefore, one may consider this story as a threatening, yet, a rather childish illustration of Americans’ worst nightmares. Quite an interesting thought to be considered is that the author is much more excited about the idea of equality itself, neglecting its underlying basis. In fact, the egalitarian society described is only a consequence of the system, which is rather unstable in a country like the US, where the entrepreneur spirit is a common phenomenon. However, there is no doubt that the author and the story itself should be valued for a considerable amount of thoughtful analysis in a field where everything is yet to be discovered, namely, the future.

Conclusion

The novel is worthy of respect due to several reasons, including the most important issue that it discusses, namely, the future prospects of humanity. However, the book’s significance is emphasized by a sociological analysis, which is translated by diverse characters that clearly represent different behavioral patterns. While some may consider the book to be a reflection of fear of socialism, the others appreciate it for what it is – a thoughtful and meaningful assumption of humanity’s prospects.

References

Hoff, H. (2017). Fostering the “intercultural reader”? An empirical study of socio-cultural approaches to EFL literature. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 63(3), 443-464.

Orwell, G. (2017). 1984. Natrona Heights, PA: General Press.

Reed, B. (2015). Technologies of instant amnesia: Teaching Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” to the millennial generation. Teaching American Literature: A Journal of Theory and Practice, 8(1), 45-69.

Vonnegut, K. (1961). Harrison Bergeron. The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, 21(4), 5-10.

Harrison Bergeron is a short story written by Kurt Vonnegut and tells of Harrison Bergeron, a tall, handsome and strong young man. In spite of the government’s attempt to suppress him, Harrison is not contented with this state of things: he knows himself, he is aware of his strength and smartness and flaunts it. So he escapes from prison to realize his goals, but the government murders him (SparkNotes). Of course, the typical vibrancy of his age helps his rebellious psychology against the status quo. But it can also be said that his age, marked with the unreserved youthful belief in possibilities, is what becomes his undoing.

Vonnegut, in this story, is also making a political and a social point. Many critics have interpreted the story’s futuristic utopia as representing egalitarianism, the critique, it’s argued, is on the dangers of egalitarianism (all-round equality of people) as enshrined in the American constitution. Thus, it is said, “his satire seems to argue that the efforts meant to attain equality are absurd” (Hattenhauer).

But Vonnegut is not arguing against equality per se, rather he seems to be laughing off the simplicity of that dreamt-of equality and the misunderstanding of what chasing it entails. He argues that egalitarianism calls for the suppression of the bright and hardworking in order for them to be equal with the rest; that it assigns much importance to peaceful living at the expense of intelligence and artistry (SparkNotes). In a too vigorous attempt to enforce equality, Vonnegut seems to say there’s a risk of society penalizing excellence, including physical grace, good looks, and imagination. Regarding this, Stanley Schatt writes, “in the process of acquiring equality, what is sacrificed, by Vonnegut’s argument, is grace, beauty and wisdom” (133).

“More specifically, this work is seen as Vonnegut’s literary attack against the misunderstanding of the US in its fight against socialism and communism” (Hattenhaur). The ultimate objective of the story is to show how society would be absurd if egalitarianism, as popularly perceived by America’s popular and dominant culture, was to be achieved (Hattenhauer). By Vonnegut’s stand, therefore, the efforts to uplift minority groups, he seems to suggest, is such a move that kills intelligence and artistry (SparkNotes).

While this argument has been reflected in the effort to uplift women, for instance, where the modern strife for gender balance has at times superseded merit, Vonnegut’s stand seems to insist that only certain people (the majority, for instance) are capable of intelligence and artistry, and refuses to acknowledge that the minority can also have these virtues and only need an objective platform for them to also prevail.

Vonnegut’s stand also assumes that egalitarianism suppresses one’s strife and the ability for individual success. On the contrary, egalitarianism calls for giving everyone an equal chance for optimum self-realization. Vonnegut’s argument takes a rather utopic approach to egalitarianism, reflected in the futuristic utopic setting of his story. In his effort to objectify America’s popular distrust for the so-called intellectuality, he ends up exaggerating it.

To an extent, Vonnegut’s reflection on identity and individualism can also be seen in Steinbeck’s ‘Chrysanthemum’; one, because both stories seem to argue that individual success and excellence involves taking risks. For as long as Harrison Bergeron, for instance abides by the governments treatment of him, the efforts meant to put him down, there is no possibility he will come to realize his full potential. In order to excel, he must go against the government, a risk that costs him his life.

But he may as well be dead if he cannot achieve his full potential; similarly, Steinbeck’s Elisa must also fight against the suffocating male chauvinism if she is to be free. By doing this, she risks being considered as an outcast or even being left by her husband, but she does manage to take that risk. In doing so she remains in her emotional, sexual and physical isolation since there is simply no way that she will excel.

In line with this, both stories also seem to argue that individualism is not independent of society; that in the struggle for self realization, one is bound to encounter conflict which may at times be detrimental. The society that defines boundaries for human behavior and the scope of individual will then presents the obstacles.

For Harrison Bergeron, it costs him his life. For Elisa in ‘Chrysathemum’, not only does it promise war with the prevailing male chauvinism psychology, but it also starts a conflict in her between the new ‘character’ who has been nurtured by the tinker and the one that her society ‘knows’. In the end, she loses the fight as “fog does not go with rain” (Steinbeck 1). This does not end her conflict as reflected in her continued ‘slipping between masculine and feminine characters” (Budnichuk).

Works Cited

Steinbeck, John. “The Chrysanthemums.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction.” Poetry, and Drama, (1999): 219-27. Print.

Budnichuk, Monica. “The Chrysanthemums:” Exposing Sexual Tension through Setting and Character.” Universal Journal. 2009. Web.

Equality is a concept which has become exceptionally prominent in recent years and is now regarded as a topical issue both in the United States and worldwide. The short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut describes a dystopian world where people have achieved true equality. Despite the fact that the author tries to portray an equal society, it is discriminatory since it ensures equality through suppression of citizens’ rights, while the current American society espouses the equality of opportunity.

“Harrison Bergeron” is set in 2081, which highlights Vonnegut’s intention to show the reader how society would evolve in a century. The short story depicts the United States, where new amendments guarantee that no one can be in any way better than others (Vonnegut, 2017). As a result, people who excel in a certain sphere or possess qualities which can be considered above average have to intentionally curtail their abilities.

It clear that such a society is not equal because it does not let people realize their potential fully. For instance, dancers who could deliver superior performance had to wear sash weights and mask their faces in order to conceal their elegant movements and beautiful faces (Vonnegut, 2017). Harrison Bergeron’s world is different from ours because it imposes absolute equality, which ultimately eliminates individual freedom.

Modern society promotes the equality of opportunity, which means that all individuals are treated the same way regardless of their religion, sex, or ethnicity. For example, the Black Lives Movement is working towards attaining equality among all races in terms of the criminal justice system treatment. Personally, I would not want to live in Harrison Bergeron’s world because, in it, my personal rights would not be respected, and my life would be dependent on the state and its actions.

The short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut allows the reader to get an insight into the aspects of society which embraced total equality. Such a society puts people with talents and abilities at a disadvantage since they have to hide and hamper their qualities. Modern society espouses a different path, the one which is based on the equality of opportunity and respect for the personal rights of citizens.

Reference

Vonnegut, K. (2017). Complete stories. Seven Stories Press.