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Civil Disobedience In Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

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April, 1930. The coastline in Dandi, India is dotted with millions of people illegally extracting their own salt from the water, each feeling a mixture of triumph and fear. They have come together to protest the British salt laws, which they believe are wrong. But it is also understood that in doing so, many will face consequences. Civil disobedience is vital to bringing a positive change to society, under the circumstances of tyranny and/or discrimination. However, fear is induced by the danger of oppression or other attacks, which may influence a person. But when one person takes action and does something that they believe is important, they start a revolution, and have no regret for keeping the truth from others. One act of civil disobedience could potentially bring a positive chain reaction, eventually succeeding in changing society. Kurt Vonnegut’s 1961 short story, “Harrison Bergeron” shows that civil disobedience is effective and necessary in forming a revolution. After Harrison enters the studio in an attempt to take control he demands that the first dancer stand up to be his …show more content…

This compels them to understand that their conditions can be improved. In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave,” he explains the duty of an enlightened person to educate his peers on truth: “We need to train young men to be virtuous and good, that they can work in the Cave but not be enslaved there; that they may help the community from the darkness of ignorance.” (Plato). Through this, Plato suggests that after one person is enlightened on the truth, it is their obligation to bring knowledge to those who are unaware. Plato later explains that he believes this is imperative in forming a healthy society. The phrase “darkness of ignorance” suggests that society should educate others on the truth. Pulling others out of the “darkness” is necessary for forming a

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Often times, it is assumed that learning does not have negative consequences and leads to one’s enlightenment What people don’t realize is that being thrown into the light can burn. Associating learning with pain is clearly illustrated in both Plato’s Republic and Frederick Douglass’ The Education of Frederick Douglass. Both works represent people who move past their ignorance through the acquisition of knowledge and step into the light, both literally and metaphorically; they become aware of their own situations and with that comes pain. Book seven of Plato’s Republic (trans. 1968) presents the allegory of the cave and the idea that learning isn’t always pleasant.

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In the world that we live in today, civil disobedience is a subject that has been and continues to be an extremely relevant issue in life. But even though it is a relevant topic, it is one that brings much disagreement when conversed about. The topic that is widely debated to what is the most effective way that civil disobedience can be used by citizens against unjust laws and rulings by those in power, using words or in the most extreme cases getting violent. There is a wide range of ways that civil disobedience is used, in Sophocles Antigone and Dr. King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail two different methods can be seen. King uses the power of his words to unite a nation against the unjustness of a country, while Antigone uses the power of

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There are many ways an author can convey the message of any story. Elements such as the Plot, Conflict, Character/Characterization, Setting, Symbolism, Narration, and Imagery are used in these ways. For example, in the In the story "Harrison Bergeron", the author Kurt Vonnegut uses the characterization, and the conflict to communicate the message to the reader that Uniformity and strict laws lead to a loss of personal freedom and individuality. Vonnegut uses the element of characterization.

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In the story Harrison Bergeron, Kurt Vonnegut explores the idea of total equality. His use of irony which is present for the duration of the entire story reveals the concept that equality may not be as good as it seems. The unpredictable ending, surprising situations, and shocking character reactions all serve as illustrations to help convey Vonnegut’s theme.     The society Vonnegut creates is ironic because it is based off the United States-- a place which values freedom-- but in the pursuit of equality, citizens lose their freedom to be themselves. Through the creation of the handicap system above average citizens are required to wear physical and mental handicaps in order to maintain a fair playing field for all.

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Education, a life-altering event that involves the development of being more open- minded. When one’s horizons expand they begin to have a shift of perception. The process of becoming knowledgeable through education can differ from the individual or situation. It can also have one acquire gratitude for their change of insight. Two passages, “Learning to Read” by Malcom X and “The Allegory of the Cave” by Plato, each contain an individual who goes through the path of gaining wisdom.

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When someone grows enlightened, they utilize their newfound comprehension and knowledge to unshackle themselves from their lifelong ignorance to pursue a superior understanding of the world around them. This lengthy process often times entails detrimental consequences. It can be a traumatizing experience to disband yourself from a way of thinking that has been deeply ingrained into your psyche. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave showcases how enlightenment and education go hand in hand. His analogy connects directly to the struggles detailed in Frederick Douglass’s essay, Learning to Read and Gwendolyn Brooks poem,

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Julia “Butterfly” Hill and her act of Civil Disobedience Julia “Butterfly” Hill, an environmental activist and author once said, “What happens on the planet is the outward reflection of what’s happening inside of us.” (Sacred.) Hill’s involvement in civil disobedience was due to personal influences, she chose to participate in civil disobedience to protest against the clear cutting of redwood trees, and she achieved success using the controversial method of standing up for what she thoroughly believes to be right. Civil disobedience is when a person goes against the law to prove a point, and make a difference in an idea or act they disagree with. Usually the person knows the consequences and goes against laws without causing violence.

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Equality is a great idea that we should strive for and achieve; however, being made equal physically and mentally by the government could be very unfair. People should still have characteristics that make us different. One can be diverse but still equal to his neighbor. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s use of point of view, conflict, and imagery in his short story “Harrison Bergeron,” illustrates how difficult living in a world where everyone is the same would be.

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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.

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Plato, or Socrates used very unique metaphors to explain how humans are sort of trapped within their own ignorance, and the only way to get out is to acquire knowledge and wisdom. He says things such as “human beings living in an underground cave”, to compare our lack of knowledge to trapped in a cave. In then goes to say that we’ve spend all of our lives stuck in this cave, chained down with the only way to escape is to get to the other end of the cave closer to the sun or the light. The sun or the light represent the truth and the knowledge we wish to obtain, because light makes things visible for the eyes to see.

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Civil disobedience makes a statement. It is a tool that can be used to make a difference. Peaceful resistance to unjust laws helps a free society by allowing people to be heard without violence. Anyone can attack brutally, either verbally or physically, to get attention. But the best way to be noticed is to, “create such a crisis and establish such a creative tension...that it can no longer be ignored,” as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in his letter from a Birmingham jail.

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Those that do decide to seek the truth do they find what they are looking or are they disenchanted by the fact that they can’t purely erase what they now know. Is ignorance bliss, is it the best means to continue living your life or is it imperative to pursuit for a profound meaning, while searching for the truth. There is no right or wrong way of thinking when deciding whether you want to know what is out there or you want to go on with your life unaware. Those considered to be ignorant by not wanting to know the truth or are satisfied with the way they do benefit. As portrayed in the allegory of the cave, as we could see what ended up happening to the freed prisoner, he wasn’t the same; he couldn’t go back and enjoy what he had been enjoying

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Plato says the responsibility of an enlightened person is to share their knowledge with others and that those who rule should not have a desire for power but rather a desire to help the people who don’t see the light. Those with enlightenment

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Ignorance Ignorance is a recurrent problem presented in today’s world. People tend to believe that they are be all, know all. Yet they often forget that one can always obtain more knowledge. Ignorance shall block someone from seeing reality as it really is and steer them in the direction of their own opinionated points of view. Harper Lee’s

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