No One Is Equal In Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

No One Is Equal What if every person on earth was the forced to be the same? Imagine a world filled with people who count their strengths as weaknesses. In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., the world is exactly like that. Main characters, George, Hazel, Harrison, and the Ballerina all wear mental and physical handicaps given to them by the Handicapper-General. These devices attempt to make everyone equal. In the story, George and Hazel’s son, Harrison, is taken at a young age and appears later on the television. He was able to escape the handicaps he had on and declare himself emperor before being shot by the HG. Hazel and George soon forget what they were watching and don’t even know that their son is dead. This story

The reader can see that she is still a better dancer than the others when George makes this observation. “She must have been extraordinarily beautiful, because the mask she wore was hideous. And it was easy to see that she was the strongest and most graceful of all the dancers, for her handicap bags were as big as those worn by two-hundred pound men.” (pg.37) In a way, the handicaps the Ballerina is given not only show that she is the best dancer, but they also make her stronger in her abilities. It’s ironic that because of the handicaps that are supposed to make her equal, the Ballerina stands out in talent anyway. The reader can see that instead of making the Ballerina equal with the handicaps, they show she is

Harrison is a strong individual, mentally and physically. Harrison proves this when he escapes from the HGs, despite all the handicaps he has to wear. On the news, a reporter is sharing the news of Harrison’s escape. He states, “He is a genius and an athlete, is under-handicapped, and should be regarded as extremely dangerous.” (pg. 37) The reader can see that Harrison’s strengths are viewed as criminal and threatening when the author uses words such as “genius” and “athlete” to describe how he is dangerous to society. The reader can also see that even though Harrison is handicapped, he still is able to break free. This tells the reader that Harrison is stronger and more intelligent than the handicaps the HGs put on him. Efforts to make him equal are thwarted and inevitably end up in the killing of Harrison so the people watching wouldn’t get the same