An Analytical Essay On Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

Analysis Essay on “Harrison Bergeron”

The author of “Harrison Bergeron” is Kurt Vonnegut. He was born in Indianapolis,
Indiana, on November 11, 1922. Vonnegut is well known for his satirical literary style, as well as the science-fiction elements in much of his work. He first published “Harrison Bergeron” in
October 1961. This short story is mainly about equality for everyone and it’s a Utopian society that becomes a Dystopian society. A Utopian society is, “an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its citizens”(“Utopia”). On the other hand, a Dystopian society is, “an imaginary society that is as dehumanizing and as unpleasant as possible”(Dystopian). The setting of “Harrison Bergeron”

Harrison and his ballerina are the ones who are trying to make a stand, but not everyone can be like that, so Vonnegut made George Bergeron. He lives a very sad life, but who wouldn’t be sad all the time when forced to wear heavy weights and have an ear-piercing radio in their ear.
His wife tries to talk him into taking some of the weights off, but he is so whipped by the government that he refuses to do so. George follows all the rules and submits to the government

completely and he is that man that no one wants to be, the man that sits on the sidelines and watches the world go to hell little by little and doesn’t give a second thought about what will happen to him or the people around him. “George and Hazel Bergeron have bought into the
Handicapper General's propaganda hook, line, and sinker. They think it's right that George has

The mere thought of changing things? Blasphemy”(Shmoop)!
There are some who will say that he should be a man and go against the rules of the government for himself, but he is only one man and we all know what happened to Harrison when he tried to take a stand, so why should George try to do the same.
All in all, “Harrison Bergeron” is a scary interpretation of what our government and future lives may look like in the year 2081. Kurt Vonnegut may have either missed the interpretation by a long shot or he may have pinned the tail right on the donkey, but no one will know till that time comes. Will we be like Harrison and try to make a stand for ourselves and live our lives the way we deserve, or will we be like George and just let the government walk all over us and not have a care in the world about what happens to us? This story is either trying to tell us that we need to have all these rules to keep us in check or it is trying to tell us to push against the government and take control.

Cited Sources

“Harrison Bergeron.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Feb.