Harrison Bergeron Pacifism Essay

Kurt Vonnegut expresses the theme of pacifism by using humor to depict equality in a negative light. Kurt Vonnegut expresses the theme of pacifism by using humor to depict equality in a negative light by showing the inability to resist using violent means. In “Harrison Bergeron”, a short story about George and Hazel Bergeron who live in a fictional America in the year 2081. Everyone in this short story is suppressed by the government, which is trying to make every citizen completely equal. In the story, Harrison Bergeron realizes what the government is doing to the people around him and he tries to stop it. Harrison Bergeron forced his way into the studio where everything was being controlled from and said "I am the Emperor! Do you hear? I

The humor enters the scene of the story when Harrison and the ballerina kiss because they think they now have control over the government, but all of a sudden, they are shot and both of them die. “Vonnegut's fiction mixes a wide range of humor from slapstick to dark satire with fantastic characters and narratives as well as disturbing horrors…” (Thomas) Harrison’s failed attempt at saving the people from the government is an example of Vonnegut’s dark humor. He uses this humor to convey a theme of pacifism by saying what Harrison did was foolish. At the end of the story, George points out that Hazel was crying. When he asked why, she said “I forget, something sad on television.” (“Harrison Bergeron”) Hazel had been crying because of what happened to Harrison, but she forgot because the handicap, that Harrison originally was trying to stop, made her forget. This is another example of how Vonnegut puts humor in his stories to make the mood lighter after a negative scene. He is quoted saying "Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion, to the futility of thinking and striving

Throughout “Harrison Bergeron”, Vonnegut describes handicaps that the government has forced people to wear to achieve ultimate equality throughout the society. This forced equality promotes violence because someone has to make sure the people are wearing their handicaps. If anyone goes against the government, they will get killed, just as Harrison did. For example, Vonnegut writes:
“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. It was tuned to a government transmitter. Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains.” (“Harrison