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How Does Harrison Bergeron Relate To Society

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In the film Harrison Bergeron, every person is equal. No one is more advanced in any human activity including intelligence. However, Harrison has deviated from this norm by having a higher intelligence level than most people. This conflicted with the society that the National Administration Center had created in order to prevent tension due to the differences between humans. With Harrison deviating from the norm, this caused problems for him and the Center because it was possible that he could form some type of revolution against the Center. Since Harrison was threat to the society that the National Administration Center had created, his death was the only answer to the problem due to his intelligence conflicting with the society that required everyone to be equal. Harrison’s intelligence was a big reason of why he killed himself in the movie. His mind was incompatible to the society he lived …show more content…

Harrison was expecting that the American people would listen to his ideas and understand his feelings about what a true society, which is that all persons would be able to express themselves in a unique matter that is part of their personality, and real equality is. However, the people portrayed this is a gag and didn’t take anything Harrison was saying seriously. Even in the book, Harrison takes over the broadcasting system with no effect to those who were watching. George and Hazel were momentarily affected till their handicaps wiped the idea of Harrison from their minds. After the failing, it would seem that the people are content with their daily lives and will not ( or can not ) accept the idea that the sense of equality they believe in is false because of the treatment that people ,like Harrison, must go through to be accepted in the

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229 Words | 1 Pages

Writing Prompt: “Harrison Bergeron” A major theme in Harrison Bergeron would be, equality doesn’t always mean better. Before you read something like this you think that if everyone was equal that the world would be a better place to live, but as Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. showed us in his writing that equality isn’t all cut out as it says it is. You can see this on page one, “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”.

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321 Words | 2 Pages

The first reason that shows that Harrison Bergeron is a danger to society is that at his young age of 14, he went to prison because he was accused of trying to overthrow the government. He also has handicaps because he had talents that where above

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1515 Words | 7 Pages

By rebelling against the government, he was sending a weak message that people can be free if they take action, but Harrison is not a strong role model to look up to if you are wanting to rebel, since he acts more like a child. On the other hand, Tuttle took it upon himself to create a hero for the enslaved people. In 2081, Harrison is a twenty year-old man whose goal is to show the people what they could become if they thought for themselves. This message is quite similar to Vonnegut’s, but Tuttle sends the message in a more emotional and powerful way that touches the viewers. While on stage, Harrison gives a speech about himself and then goes on to really reach into the minds of the audience.

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733 Words | 3 Pages

This is one example of how George Bergeron was forced to surrender individuality to the society in order to make himself equal to others - by neutralizing the qualities that make him unique from everyone else. When Harrison attempted to keep the traits that give him his individuality, he met fatal consequences. “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 and the Empress were dead before they hit the floor.” Vonnegut uses Harrison to show how dangerous and harmful a society that punishes individuality is.

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259 Words | 2 Pages

Is Harrison Bergeron a hero or threat to society. Perhaps one could argue he is both a hero and a threat; however, my argument is going to be based on as a threat to society. Harrison Bergeron is a brave young man who one day tries to overthrow the government. He is too overconfident and thinks he is going to become the emperor.

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1612 Words | 7 Pages

In Harrison’s society, what everyone wants, is mistaken. People do not need limitations, to be “equal”. They are meeting equality, but maybe they should try meeting equity. If that happened to the world right now, everyone would not be above, they would be meeting every low traits. If everyone was meeting every low trait, then no one would compete with each other, they would just be the same.

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481 Words | 2 Pages

Harrison is smarts enough to notice what the government isn’t doing right. Harrison Bergeron was imprisoned for plotting about going against the idea of an equal society and its government. As a result of Harrison Bergeron being

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554 Words | 3 Pages

During World War One, Austria-Hungary was destroyed and Hungary was once again a free country. Hungary was a primarily agricultural country, and was rather peaceful, with no particular enemies. However, the newly found peace wouldn't last. By the early forties, the European nation was at war. Hungary wanted to remain neutral, but through a cyclone of bribes, Hungary joined the Axis Powers in the war.

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695 Words | 3 Pages

He is deemed as highly dangerous since he is the epitome of all desirable human traits which is why so many constraints were enforced upon him such as 300 pound weights and goggles that make him half blind. Unlike Rainsford, Harrison deals with his constraints by fighting against without any rational thought. Despite knowing that removing his handicaps will result in his inevitable death,”[He] tore the straps of his handicap harness like wet tissue paper, tore straps guaranteed to support five thousand pounds”(Vonnegut). We see how Harrison savagely abolishes his dreadful constraints in an attempt to escape the injustice of his world. By doing this, Harrison looks more like an animal rather than a human as he does not take into consideration of his actions.

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1055 Words | 5 Pages

Laws are the key to having a well-mannered society. They are created with the intention of bringing good to the civilization. However, even actions with good intentions can end with devastating results. This is what occurs in Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s “Harrison Bergeron”. “Harrison Bergeron” is about a dystopian- like future that has had citizens stripped of their individuality due to an Amendment.

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822 Words | 4 Pages

Government Glitches Conflicts between governments and their respective societies has been a long existing battle. Moderated censorship, limited input in the lives of citizens, and evenly distributed power are at the heart of most issues under the vast umbrella of this topic. Many people have found ways to creatively express their opinions on the matter. For instance, authors Kurt Vonnegut and W.H. Auden used their skills to create pieces that do just that. In Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron,” a futuristic American society has achieved complete “equality.”

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544 Words | 3 Pages

The character Harrison, in the story “Harrison Bergeron” written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr, has many traits that help aide the theme of the story. Harrison was a strong, good looking, determined young individual with a goal to be different than everyone else. To begin with, Harrison is a good looking 14 year old that is 7ft tall with big goals in life. Harrison is one that was made handicapped by the Handicapper General because he is better than the others.

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316 Words | 2 Pages

As time went, Jazz became part of the mainstream media and a new style of Jazz developed. Large bands with orchestra, lively tone with dancing clubs, and formally dressed musicians emerged at New York. It was the era of the Swing Band. The author of the book “Jazz” explained that as the era began, Jazz became commercial (DeVeaux 104). A lot of bands were formed with the popular musicians including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, and Artie Shaw.

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1735 Words | 7 Pages

Harrison Bergeron, a story written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr, shows a society where everyone is the same, no one is- or allowed to be, better than anyone else. The story takes place in a futuristic society during 2081. The main two people in this story are Hazel and George Bergeron. George, along with most people, has sacks filled with birdshot, and a handicap radio.

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1823 Words | 8 Pages

Kurt Vonnegut uses characterization to describe how the characters act in this society. Vonnegut also uses style to show how he uses science fiction and dystopia in “Harrison Bergeron”. The theme demonstrated in “Harrison Bergeron” is equality is not meant to make one person better than another. Kurt Vonnegut in “Harrison Bergeron”, demonstrates that equality based on characteristics is not a good thing for society. Harrison Bergeron is a short story based on the year 2081, where everybody is equal.

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