Similes And Irony In Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

Imagine the perfect society. Secure, honest, balanced, organized, and equal. Well, in this story, the society is all of those things; but the government takes equality to a whole new level. Citizens are forced to wear “handicaps” that make them be deprived of their strength, thoughts, and even the ability to see. A man named Harrison had finally had enough, so he decided to rebel, but the little support he had diminished his whole plan. In Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron”, he uses the elements of similes and irony to convey the idea that when a person tries to change a broken system, they must have a thorough plan and support from society to achieve their goals because one person cannot change the world.

The author uses similes

Harrison was described as looking “like a walking junkyard” (Vonnegut). The many handicaps Harrison was forced to wear made him look scary to the public. Everyone, including the government, feared him because he was so perfect. Harrison was even put in prison for his threatening flawlessness. While in prison, Harrison planned his half-baked rebellion by himself. When the time came, Harrison used his God-given strength to tear “the straps of his handicap harness like wet tissue paper” (Vonnegut). Harrison succeeded in freeing himself infront of the audience, but it didn’t stop there. His poor plan continued when he requested an accomplice, some support. He invited any ballerina to step up with him. Surprisingly, one actually did. The ballerina “arose, swaying like a willow” (Vonnegut). Although Harrison now had support from someone, it wasn’t enough. He was no longer alone, but the ballerina had limited faith in him which caused them a fault in the long run. Harrison didn’t plan far enough ahead, and he got lost in the happiness of freedom. The second that Harrison summoned the ballerina without thinking, he led her right to death alongside with

The ballerina “must have been extraordinarily beautiful because the mask she wore was hideous.” She was easily “the strongest and most graceful of all the dancers.” She wore handicaps that were “as big as those worn by two-hundred-pound men” (Vonnegut). This ballerina was very similar to Harrison. Since they were both plagued with the strongest of handicaps, they both yearned for a way out, a little taste of freedom. If only they had conspired together, maybe they would have had the strength and support to finally overthrow the government for good. The same ballerina explained on the news to not "try [and] reason with [Harrison]," for he was dangerous (Vonnegut). This proves once again the fear that the people had for Harrison due to the government making him out to be foul in the name of the law. Due to the lack of likeness people had towards Harrison, he would have never gotten the support to plan an uprising. After seeing Harrison killed on live TV, Hazel and George have a simple exchange of words. Hazel, Harrison’s mother, announced, "Gee - I could tell that one was a doozy." George jokingly responded, "You can say that again." Hazel, not understanding his sarcasm, exclaimed "Gee… I could tell that one was a doozy" (Vonnegut). Hazel does not wear any handicaps because she already lacks intelligence,