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The True Meaning Of Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

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The real meaning of the ballerina: Harrison Bergeron
The ballerinas in the television a mystery in itself. “Harrison Bergeron” written by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr, in 1961. The short story is about a new society far into the future, were people are now equal in every which way. But some people that cannot suppress there mental capability they are punish by the government, and make them feel like the people around them. One man single handily tries to fight against the system, but he meant a terrible end (Vonnegut, Jr.). Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., was born in Indianapolis, 11 November 1922; third child (Bellow, Kerouac, Mailer, Nabokov, Updike, and Vonnegut). Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., creates a fictional character, the ballerinas, whose presents in the beginning of the story give the readers a foreshadowing moment. The word ballerina comes from the ballet which means “kind of dancing that is performed on a stage and that uses dance, music, costumes, and scenery to tell a story” (Merriam-Webster). …show more content…

“One the television screen were ballerinas”(Vonnegut, Jr. 1) with this use of ballerinas at almost the beginning of the story Vonnegut tries to give a foreshowing of were the climax will happen. The setting in where everything is a studio set “Two of of the eight ballerinas had collapsed to the studio floor” (Vonnegut, Jr. 2). The studio is where Harrison a.k.a. the Emperor meets his end by the Diana Moon Glampers, “the Handicapper General. Came into the studio with a … shotgun. She fired twice, and the Emperor and the Empress were dead” (Vonnegut, Jr.

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In the short story “ Harrison Bergeron” written by Kurt Vonnegut the solemn, melancholy and nightmarish moods are expressed by the theme and figurative language, and it helps the reader understand better the story. Vonnegut used simile to describe when the buzzer went off in George's head(22). Also, when Harrison showed how easy it was to take off the handicaps showing that it was as fragile as tissue paper(25). People were impressed on how easy it was to take the handicap off. Vonnegut used hyperbole to describe events that were exaggerated.

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There are many ways an author can convey the message of any story. Elements such as the Plot, Conflict, Character/Characterization, Setting, Symbolism, Narration, and Imagery are used in these ways. For example, in the In the story "Harrison Bergeron", the author Kurt Vonnegut uses the characterization, and the conflict to communicate the message to the reader that Uniformity and strict laws lead to a loss of personal freedom and individuality. Vonnegut uses the element of characterization.

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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.

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Kristiana Alva Dr. Russell ENG 102 28 Feb 2020 Masking the Obvious To be equal to others, in terms of intelligence, appearance, and fitness, seems like the perfect solution to stop competition among citizens of the United States; however, Kurt Vonnegut contradicts this idea in his dystopian short story, “Harrison Bergeron.” Vonnegut uses irony, symbolism, and setting to portray how the danger of conformity lies in stripping people of their individuality.

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“Harrison Bergeron” is a short fiction written by Kurt Vonnegut, the story is set in the year 2081, and it talks about a futuristic society where all people are equal. No one is smarter, beautiful or stronger than the other, and if someone happens to be better than the others they find themselves compelled by The United States Handicapper General to wear what they call “handicaps” in order to bring down their abilities to the most basic levels as the others. Throughout the story, Vonnegut expresses a strong and vigorous political and social criticism of some historical events in the US during 1960s such as the Cold War and Communism, television and American Culture and Civil Rights Movement. “Harrison Bergeron” was published in 1961 during that time several events were happening around the world in general and in the US in specific which was engaged in a series of political and economic crisis with the communist Soviet Union know as The

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