“The Allegory of the Cave” by Plato depicts the life of a group of men who since birth had been chained up in a cave. Their only outlet to the world above was the shadows that danced across the cave walls. “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. describes a utopian society where everyone is equal. Both of these readings show a struggle of some to learn more and the wish of some to not know.
Both “The Allegory…” and “Harrison Bergeron” have a lot in common. Vonnegut talks about how people are intentionally impaired and changed to fit the mold of equality, they called these methods “handicaps”. No one in their society has any memory due to the transmitters put in their ears to keep the people from thinking too long. While in “The Allegory…” the men are kept chained up in the dark and kept away from the light. The men in the cave knew nothing of how the world worked just like the society in “Harrison Bergeron” knew nothing about the world. …show more content…
Harrison was the most handicapped person in the society and he was arrested for attempting to overthrow the government. He escaped from jail and went to the stage where they were broadcasting a ballet. Harrison grabbed a dancer, tore off her handicaps and they danced until the Handicapper General shot Harrison on live television. Hazel witnessed the atrocity and started crying. When they cut the scene from the screen and she forgot why she was crying. All she could say when George asked her what was wrong was “Gee – I could tell that one was a doozy” (pg. 56). In “The Allegory…” all the men saw was the shadows. That’s all they had ever known Plato states “To them, I said, the truth would be literally nothing but the shadows of the images.” (pg. 29). In both readings all the people know is what they are limited to. Limited to what they can see and experience and what they can think about or remember. Restricted to only what they want to know or care to
Both “The Allegory…” and “Harrison Bergeron” have a lot in common. Vonnegut talks about how people are intentionally impaired and changed to fit the mold of equality, they called these methods “handicaps”. No one in their society has any memory due to the transmitters put in their ears to keep the people from thinking too long. While in “The Allegory…” the men are kept chained up in the dark and kept away from the light. The men in the cave knew nothing of how the world worked just like the society in “Harrison Bergeron” knew nothing about the world. …show more content…
Harrison was the most handicapped person in the society and he was arrested for attempting to overthrow the government. He escaped from jail and went to the stage where they were broadcasting a ballet. Harrison grabbed a dancer, tore off her handicaps and they danced until the Handicapper General shot Harrison on live television. Hazel witnessed the atrocity and started crying. When they cut the scene from the screen and she forgot why she was crying. All she could say when George asked her what was wrong was “Gee – I could tell that one was a doozy” (pg. 56). In “The Allegory…” all the men saw was the shadows. That’s all they had ever known Plato states “To them, I said, the truth would be literally nothing but the shadows of the images.” (pg. 29). In both readings all the people know is what they are limited to. Limited to what they can see and experience and what they can think about or remember. Restricted to only what they want to know or care to