Ignorance In Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

Imagine a world where the government is a looming shadow over every choice its people make. Imagine that if a person shows a sign of innovation or initiative, they are immediately stopped and handicapped to the point where they are a beast of burden, just another cog in the workforce with no meaning in life. In Kurt Vonnegut’s short story, “Harrison Bergeron,” he explores this notion in a dystopian science fiction story. The story starts with George and Hazel, who are married with a child, watching television. Their child, Harrison, has been taken away by the government for being too gifted, although George and Hazel have all but forgotten; George has forgotten because of his mental handicap, prescribed by the government, to limit his thinking

He then tears off all of his handicaps, revealing a large, seven-foot frame, a handsome face, and exceptional intelligence. Before he can convince all of the viewers to shake off their handicaps as well, the Handicapper general, Diana Moon Glampers, marches in and shoots Harrison. George and Hazel soon forget all about this incident due to the handicaps they have and return to “normal” life. In Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron,” the message is that excessive government control leads to oppression and ignorance, making people worse off than they started. One example in the text that shows that the government exercises too much control, making people have worse lives than previously, is by loading them up with weights around their neck if they are too strong. "Why don't you stretch out on the sofa, so you can rest your handicap bag on the pillows, honeybunch." She was referring to the forty-seven pounds of birdshot in a canvas bag, which was padlocked around George's neck. Considering this, some people may think that the theme of “Harrison Bergeron” is one of equality, or that excessive equality is not equality at

Even if they do realize that, once someone, or some organization, has that much power over someone, they are very unlikely to relinquish it without a fight. Another instance in the story, when Harrison and his bride are dancing, shows one more way that government control is destructive to society: “It was then that Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun. She fired twice, and the Emperor [Harrison] and the Empress were dead before they hit the floor.” Harrison, although a criminal in the eyes of the law at the time, was shot and his life ended early simply as a result of him deciding to think for himself. When he finally awakened to the unfairness of the situation he was in, he decided to rebel and try to show the people what true freedom looks like. He was punished accordingly by a corrupt government and a fanatical woman. There are countless examples of this throughout history, where someone tries to stand up for what is right and is immediately silenced in the name of “peace.” As such, Vonnegut’s story serves as a warning to all who read it to not allow themselves to be silenced and oppressed by the