Harrison Bergeron

Imagine being in a world where everyone is the same. No one can be better than anyone at anything. When you are talented or gifted with something you are looked down upon and depending on your talent you receive and are forced to wear “handicaps” that prohibit you from doing or pursuing these talents and gifts. In the story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. it is 2081, years from now and society has taken a turn for the worse, Everyone is forced to be the same. A world where if you strive to be different your toll is jail or even death. A world filled with despair and sorrow, the world in so much chaos it seems that if hell is reaching up with its ever expanding fingers and overbearing arms and pulling you down, like being thrown into a deep lake with an iron weight attached to you. And honestly what’s the point in getting up in the morning? We all have our reasons but these poor helpless are depressed and weak and sadly have nothing to really look forward to. They are stuck almost as if they are frozen in a moment of time. The same moment that never changes-- time seems to be almost nonexistent and there almost like walking, talking, breathing ghosts there but as if invisible and nonexistent,waiting to be forgotten.




Talents and gifts. We all have them; they are what makes us unique and precious like a pearl in the mouth if a clam. Each and every pearl is unique and delicate, to be handled with care and compassion. Rather your gift or talent has to do with sports, being a complete genius or just getting the gift of beauty, the difference between us and the people of 2081 is we're allowed to express our talents and gifts. What I mean by that is if we want to show people what we can do, we're free and able to do so. In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” the people have been totally demolished and brainwashed by the government. All their hopes and dreams crushed in a moment's time. Nothing new ever happens because all the people with ideas are looked down upon, anyone with a talent is put under a microscope, even if you're just blessed enough to have a beautiful face, it’s not tolerated. Just for the simple fact that it wouldn’t make your equal to everyone else. A question that may be running through your head is okay their looked down upon and get watched a lot, why don’t they just not care and do what they want anyway? Well the very sad answer to that question is that based on your talent or gift you are given “handicaps” by the government to wear until you die, An example of these “handicaps” is on page 245 Hazel one of the main characters in the book is watching television with her husband George another main character in the story and she sees a ballerina on the television. When seeing her she says “She must have been really beautiful, because her mask is so hideous." In that example the girl is “to beautiful” and it is not tolerated so she had to wear an ugly mask for the rest of her life. She could never take the mask off ever, and if she dared there would be serious consequences. This part brought tears to my eyes. Because who does the “big bad government” think they are, by diminishing and taking away all these people’s gifts and talents? Taking away their hopes and dreams. Not only that but a thought crossed my mind that really upset me. The thought was by taking away people’s gifts and talents, you could be taking one’s purpose for life away. Think about it we all have a purpose and what if someone’s purpose was to inspire people everywhere with their dance or smarts or whatever there gift or talent . And that inspiration makes the person getting inspired a better person, in the end making the world a better place all around. But then the government has the audacity to come forward and say nope that’s all over, who do they think they are? How can anyone think their great enough to take all that away? The fact is that no matter what anyone thinks or feels no one is, no one ever will be. That’s because we are all human, we are not god, we are just all human beings and based on the people in the story we need to start acting like it.






All the talk about the government has brought me to symbolism and characters. Some examples for symbolism being that on page 242 it starts talking about clammy weather which sets up the story as a depressing one. Also although this one wasn’t so obvious the book says that all this chaos was the government’s doing. This shows that if the government can do that, what else are they capable of, ans that we just kind if all need to watch our backs. Overall this story didn’t make me as much sad as mad. Some things that helped add to my frustration were the characters. Hazel for example one of the main characters in the book, she was very annoying because she was so dumb. The plotline was already very bad and I hated it and I didn’t need some stupid lady in there to. Also her husband George was another main character and he kind of just added the sadness and depression level to the story. Rather it was him being almost over-ruled by handicaps or forgetting his sons own death, once again because of the handicaps. The purpose of this story has a deep meaning; it’s not only saying that everyone in the world has a purpose so fulfill your purpose in this life while you can, it was also making you look at what could happen. Also that we should be happy for what we have now, and to just live our lives while we can.




Just imagine a little boy alone in this big bad world, but then suddenly he has a hero, a shimmer of hope, finally something to look forward to, a reason to get up in the morning. But then in an instant all of it is gone, like a shooting star, it’s breath taking and great while it’s here but gone in a flash. Like the people of the Harrison Bergeron story, it started this way but because of the government all hope for them is gaone. Isn’t it funny how one moment can change so many after.