Harrison Bergeron Research Paper

The story “Harrison Bergeron” is about a society in the future where people with beauty, strength, or intelligence are given handicaps in order to decrease these abilities they were born with so they are able to be brought down to a level that would make everyone equal to each other. Due to this, one Harrison Bergeron stood against the government by removing his handicaps as to regain his freedom from them, all while being watched on television by George and Hazel Bergeron. The book “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut is a story that teaches readers that you should never let anyone take away your freedom from you.

Everyone believes that utopias are perfect for everyone, but not everybody has the same opinion. Utopias are up to no good, nothing new ever happens, it’s always the same. Some may think that their utopia is the same for everyone else but it’s not. No one is allowed to be themselves in utopias.

I think that utopias are impossible to achieve. There is a lot of evidence supporting this. I will be writing about three reasons a utopia is impossible to achieve. Reason number one, almost always there is one person or more that revolts against the rules. Reason number two is somethings are not reachable, like if I wanted unicorns.

Egalitarianism can be absurd and detrimental to American society. In the story, heavy weights are put on strong people, and grotesque masks are put on

In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” there are many thought-provoking themes including individuality, the media’s effects on society and equality. No one in this dystopian society was allowed to be themselves. Any differences, which made characters superior to the rest in the community, were hindered by handicaps. People like Harrison and his father George had to wear these handicaps because they were too attractive, strong, fast or smart. Almost all individuality was taken away as no one was aloud to think differently then the rest; those who tried were quickly sent an unbearable noise to the ear; made to stop their mind from expanding and pondering around. Many of the citizens feared being more than normal. At the first sight of defiance

Imagine a world where everyone is obligated to be equal in every way, shape, and form whether it be their looks, intelligence, or even their physical attributes. This was the reality for the characters portrayed in the short story “Harrison Bergeron.” In "Harrison Bergeron," the constant threat of punishment and suppression inhibits an individual's natural development, creating a society that prioritizes conformity over personal growth and self-expression. This prioritization is accomplished by the Handicapper General's role, the value of individuality versus conformity, and the suppression of talents and abilities. Enforcing physical limitations on people to achieve equality is essential to the Handicapper General's role.

Animal Farm by George Orwell. In Animal Farm there is utopia that was started by Napoleon (a boar). He wanted everyone to follow him. There was a pig that was named snowball that got banned and the animals

The government developed new laws in order to bring equality among the Americans. However, they soon became influenced to change Americans to make them all equal. The government created devices that would weaken citizens abilities, looks, or talents. If a person was smarter, more athletic or good-looking compared to the other citizens, then they would force them to wear a “handicap”. “[The ballerina] must have been extraordinarily beautiful, because the mask she wore was hideous.

“Harrison Bergeron” is a short story by Kurt Vonnegut about an extreme egalitarian themed dystopia, where in everyone is made to be equal in every area of their life. A man named Harrison goes against the system showing his natural potential they tried to hinder, and was killed for in the name of the status quo. Through out the story the egalitarian government seeks to make life equal and fair for everyone involved. So that no one person is better than anyone else. Uncontrolled equality being applied to people themselves, and the not how the system treats different people, may grow into shackles that chain down individuals. Hindering their natural ability and growth in exchange for emotional placation. Creating a

Picture a society, far in the future, where everyone, by government control, must be on the same level. Would this be Hell or a utopia? This is the subject of Kurt Vonnegut’s short story, “Harrison Bergeron”. In this society, the gifted, strong, and beautiful are required to wear multiple handicaps of earphones, heavy weights, and hideous masks. In turn, these constraints leave the world equal, or arguably devoid of, from brains to brawn to beauty. With the constant push for equality among all people, Vonnegut reveals a world that society is diligently working toward. “Harrison Bergeron” is written as a form of satire with heavy irony, to demonstrate the clear difference between equity and equality in society. “Harrison Bergeron” is

The short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut is thought out in the not so distant future of 2081. Vonnegut introduces us to a whole new world in which all people are to be created equal entirely, by altering their looks, strength and intelligence. The character George is forced upon by the government to wear handicaps that keep him from being able to function beyond an average IQ, while his wife Hazel displays a perfect picture of average intelligence. Their son Harrison Bergeron on the other hand is a rebel towards the laws and ends up being labeled as a dangerous fugitive on the run trying to rise up against the government. Harrison Bergeron is quickly put to his death when the handicapper general, Diana Moon shoots him down for not complying with the laws. Through the characters, language styles and conflict, Vonnegut’s story

The desire to be different in a world full of people trying to be equal, is a challenge most people have encountered. In the short story “Harrison Bergeron,” by Kurt Vonnegut, the main character, or the character which the story is based upon, lives in a futuristic society, which the government has tried to make equal. Harrison is forbidden to use his above average intelligence and physic to stand out, or to become anything more than equal to the average person. The reader becomes aware that Harrison has been imprisoned due to rebellion against the government, which controls his every move or action. Harrison escapes from prison, breaks rules, and is ultimately killed for his actions. Harrison’s character development and desire to be different

Despite these efforts, utopias are impossible because of human nature, not being able to satisfy everyone, and the impossible sacrifices that have to be made. Here’s why they are all doomed to fail. First of all, utopias have to make sacrifices. In “Why Utopias Fail,” it says, “ideals are constraints, and the more constraints one tries to impose, the less viable the community will be.” (88).

The main conflict of the story is between Harrison Bergeron and the government. Harrison disagrees with the government’s way of controlling and handicapping society, especially since he has been given several handicaps. Harrison does not believe one should be limited, however, he is

Utopia is said to be a place where a good society is created, where one can live a good life and where power is not abused. But throughout George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the reader learns that a utopian society is in fact impossible. The reader learns this when Old Major tells of a dream he has where everything is perfect and no humans are involved, however when the revolution occurs and the humans are chased off the farm, the pigs become in charge and start to manipulate their power and the other animals, proving that no matter how hard the animals try, they will never have the good life that they want. Furthermore, in Peter Weir’s the Truman Show, we see that your own utopia can not be shaped by another being, because although being in power, Christof makes everything as perfect as he can for Truman, Christof can never give Truman the good life he actually wants which then leaves Truman finding his life unsatisfactory. The good life is determined by freedom and to be able to go where you want and do what you want to do, thus proving that a utopian society can not actually be made because if everyone could do what they want, there’s no guarantee that people would do the right thing which is why we have people in power.