Dystopian Equality In the short story "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., the story is about a dystopian government taking control over the civilians by enforcing laws of equality. However, the civilians are actually in a state of captivity where technology erases their individual features, personalities, and characteristics. Everyone is forced to be the same through so-called ‘handicaps’ and is prohibited from expressing themselves and being free. Everyone cannot really be all equal because everyone is different, there can really only be equity because since everyone is different, they each have their own needs. The previous statement will be proven true by examining quotes relating to equality in the short story. Equality and equity are two different concepts. Equality …show more content…
For example, "George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear. He was required by law to wear it at all times. [...] The transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains" (Vonnegut 1). To further explain, the dystopian government has forbidden anyone to surpass another in anything, causing the handicaps. This is essentially equity, whereas they are focusing on turning an above average individual into just an average individual. It is not real equality, for this to be equality, everyone should all have the same handicaps, or just no handicaps in general. Secondly, people are not getting treated as equally as they think they are. In the short story, Hazel, a little envious, says, "I’d think it would be real interesting, hearing all the different sounds" (Vonnegut 2). With this in mind, not everyone is getting the same treatment. There is still some equality; there are those with handicaps who want to get rid of their handicaps and those without handicaps who want to know what the handicaps are like. These handicaps are