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Communism In Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

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Communism can be summarized in this sleek maxim, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” (“What is Communism”). Communism as we know it today is based on the writings of two German economists, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (“What is Communism”). In their book “The Communist Manifesto” published in 1848 they argued that the problems in society were caused by an unequal distribution of wealth (“What is Communism”). In order to obtain happiness for all the distinctions between rich and poor must be abolished, since the rich will not give up their possessions the poor must rebel (“What is Communism”). In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. it portrays a future America in which all are equal. The citizens are forced …show more content…

“Harrison Bergeron” highlights the many imperfections of Communism.
There are many different lens through which literature can be viewed. These different lens are known as critical literary theories. The critical literary theory through which i chose to view “Harrison Bergeron” is Marxism. The critical literary theory of Marxism compares the rich,middle and lower classes. It also discusses how these different classes interact with each other. In addition, there are several questions that one can ask when viewing the text through the critical literary theory of Marxism. One such question is what class does the author fall into, and which class do the characters represent. Furthermore, the character Harrison Bergeron helps reveal one of the major flaws of Communism.
There are several aspects of “Harrison Bergeron” that bring to light the shortcomings of Communism. Harrison Bergeron is great example of what Communism does to an individual and society as a whole. Vonnegut Jr. wrote about Harrison Bergeron, “He is a genius and an athlete, is under handicapped, and should be considered extremely dangerous” (Vonnegut 245). Harrison

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How does the short story “Harrison Bergeron” by author Kurt Vonnegut, incorporate the common characteristics of dystopian literature? The short story “Harrison Bergeron” by author Kurt Vonnegut, typifies the characteristics commonly associated with dystopian literature. Whereas in the text, everyone is described as the same. “They were equal every which way.” (Vonnegut 1), In which “The society is an illusion of a perfect utopian world.”

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Harrison Bergeron is a short story and film, 2081, that tells about a man who lives in a world where everyone is equal. Due to the 211, 212, and 213 amendment, everyone stong wears weights, everyone who is smart wears an earpiece, and everyone beautiful wears a mask. The film and story are similar and different in many ways. There are different descriptions of characters and different dialogue. The are similar in ways such as the image of Harrison and the death of Harrison.

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Dystopia, an imaginary place where people live dehumanized and often fearful lives. In Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut and The Giver by Lois Lowry, both societies are robbed of their human attributes and live in fear of the government. Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut illustrates how life would be if everyone was equal in every aspect. The citizens are attached to “handicaps” that deprive them of their intelligence, an attempt to prevent a rebellion. For the most part, people followed the regulations that were evident until Harrison Bergeron, son of George and Hazel Bergeron, realized that the handicaps were inhumane.

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Harrison Bergeron is a satirical science fiction story written by Kurt Vonnegut published in 1961. Around the the time of the civil rights movement. It points out the flaws in a truly equal society. Vonnegut uses satirical tone to show how far the constitution would have to stretch in order to communicate true equality.

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There are so many things wrong with the society of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. including the forceful usage of handicap and unnecessary, harsh punishments and improvements are not being made. The society of “Harrison Bergeron” refuses to accept their failure in creating an equal society. Vonnegut is trying to show his readers how forcing equality onto a society takes people’s freedom away and even some of their equality too, by using exaggeration in his short

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“Harrison Bergeron,” written by Kurt Vonnegut at the time of the Cold War, is a short story that takes place in a future world of the year 2081 where the Handicapper General and the law force the beautiful to wear masks, the intelligent to wear earpieces that disrupt their thoughts, and the athletic to wear heavy physical restraints, so that everyone may be equal in the categories of beauty, intelligence, and athleticism; a world where the people “[are] equal in every which way.” (Vonnegut 1) What the many readers of “Harrison Bergeron” seem to misinterpret is that the entire story is an allegory to the political systems of Socialism/Communism and that Vonnegut utilizes symbols in the story that either expose the glaring flaws of left-wing politics or advance the supposedly far-superior ideology of American capitalism. In actuality, Vonnegut’s use of symbols in “Harrison Bergeron,” and the entire story itself is a satire of the common American’s ignorant misunderstandings of left-wing politics at the time of the Cold War. Vonnegut once said at a college commencement speech, “I suggest that you work for a socialist form of government … It isn 't moonbeams to talk of modest plenty for all.

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Kurt Vonnegut uses characterization to describe how the characters act in this society. Vonnegut also uses style to show how he uses science fiction and dystopia in “Harrison Bergeron”. The theme demonstrated in “Harrison Bergeron” is equality is not meant to make one person better than another. Kurt Vonnegut in “Harrison Bergeron”, demonstrates that equality based on characteristics is not a good thing for society. Harrison Bergeron is a short story based on the year 2081, where everybody is equal.

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