The Paradox of Equality The story “Harrison Bergeron,” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., is set in the year 2018. Everybody is equal, and nobody is more intelligent, athletic, or faster than anyone else. The Handicapper General agents have ensured that everyone is at the same level by giving those above average devices such as mental radios to interrupt their thoughts, masks to hide their looks, or weights to weaken them. One day, the government takes George and Hazel Bergeron’s fourteen-year-old son, Harrison, to jail. However, the parents are not concerned about this because the average person cannot concentrate on any given idea for an extended period of time. While the Bergerons are watching a ballet on the television, a reporter interrupts to announce that Harrison has …show more content…
This could have been seen as a warning to the world to remind them of the consequences of disobeying the laws and discarding their handicaps. Conversely, after seeing the Handicapper General shoot down their son, Hazel and George immediately forget and move on. Due to Hazel’s lack of intelligence, and George’s mental handicap, they are not affected by the media. As a direct result of society’s attempts to achieve equality, they are not able to think deeply due to their low level of intelligence, which is not necessarily a byproduct of the media. Instead, Vonnegut may have included Diana Moon Glampers shooting Harrison down to represent that equality can figuratively shoot people down. Vonnegut shows the theme of equality throughout the story “Harrison Bergeron,” describing that complete equality is impossible to achieve, it can be counterproductive and make it less challenging to gain power over others, and equal does not always mean fair. The handicappers ensure that everyone is at the same below average level so that nobody is offended or insecure about