Control In The Dystopian Society

As it is the power to influence, control is an important concept. Because of this, control directs many things, such as people’s behavior. People can use the power of control for many things. You can control large things, like your future, or just everyday things, like what you’re going to eat for lunch. Control, overall, is a very big concept that is extremely influential as it directs many actions that happen daily. In the dystopian society short stories, “Harrison Bergeron” and “2BRO2B” by Kurt Vonnegut, the theme of control is present and is very important. Both “Harrison Bergeron” and “2BRO2B” deal with control, but they do so in different ways. In “Harrison Bergeron”, the theme of control is developed through the uniform structure of the society. In “2BRO2B”, the same theme is developed through the population control in the society. However, in both texts, the theme is developed through the flawed form of the society. First, In “Harrison Bergeron”, the theme of control is developed through the equal needs of the society. As the

As George is figuring out how all three of his children are going to be born, he says, “All I have to do is pick out which one of the triplets is going to live, then deliver my maternal grandfather to the Happy Hooligan, and come back here with a receipt” (Vonnegut 6). In the society of “2BRO2B”, their rule that no one can be born without another person dying displays an example of control. Every birth in the society is controlled, and no one witness a birth without a death. The society is taking their problem of overpopulation and using the power of control to “fix” it. This shows how the theme of control is present, because the society is taking control to fix an issue, in this case, overpopulation. In summary, “2BRO2B” shows a theme of control through the one death per birth rule in the story’s