Harrison Bergeron Essay

Equality is a topic that is frequently discussed, argued, and even protested in today’s society. In his short story, “Harrison Bergeron,” author Kurt Vonnegut explores the theme of equality in a dystopian future society. The story begins in the year 2081, where everyone is forced to be equal through various means of control and manipulation. People who are too smart or too attractive are forced to wear handicaps that level the playing field. The protagonist, Harrison Bergeron, is a young man who is highly talented, fit, and good-looking. Throughout his life he has had to wear a variety of disabilities to achieve equality with everyone else. He was taken away from his parents, Hazel and George Bergeron, who witnessed Harrison’s attempt to overthrow

Equality of outcome is the belief that everyone should end up in the same place regardless of their starting point. In order to achieve this, the intelligent are made dumb, the beautiful are made ugly, and the talented are made ordinary. Nobody is smarter, stronger, quicker, or even better looking than anyone else (Vonnegut p. 1). Vonnegut used these examples to prove that there is no true equality. Extreme equality is achieved by taking away from those who have more and giving other advantages to those who have less. Most people are prevented and held back from reaching their full potential. In doing so, the maximum amount of fairness in this story creates a society where no one can excel and everyone is trapped in a cycle of mediocrity. George Bergeron wears an earpiece that blasts disruptive sounds in order to keep him from using his own brain that is above the average citizen (Vonnegut p. 1). He is unable to take advantage of what he already has because it would be unfair to anyone else that is not as smart as George. This restores equality; however, George is coerced into surrendering his freedom to think to the best of his ability. Everyone is equal and ends in the same place, but it costs many people their freedom in countless ways in order to be considered fair. This has resulted in a society that is stagnant and devoid of