Harrison Bergeron: An Analysis
One might pretend for a second that they’re trapped in a world of oppression and ironically unfair egalitarianism. This world is one that forces the smart to become mentally tormented, the beautiful to wear masks, and the strong to be weighed down in the name of equality. This world boasts a tyrannical Handicapper General as the enforcer of the laws; she punishes anyone who does not accept their constraints, and will authorize the government to seize anyone with even a rebellious thought. This is the world of Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s “Harrison Bergeron.” Though topics covered in this story are extremely political and significant, Vonnegut uses several literary elements to convey his opinion with ease and substantial …show more content…
The weights were used as symbols for the oppression happening in the story, as anyone who was not equally handicapped physically was “required by law to wear [them] at all times” (Vonnegut 216). This can be seen as the government literally weighing the citizens down, and punishing them for seeking freedom. This simple and ironically literal metaphor shows the burden imposed by the government’s presence in physical, social, and ultimately complete ways throughout every citizen’s life. Another symbol in this story happens to be the television that “George and Hazel were watching” (Vonnegut 216), because this television forcibly creates the distance from reality and society that they seem to feel. In simple terms, this literary device distances George and Hazel from the outside world and makes the harsh reality of their oppression seem like something that they’re only watching on TV. When one considers how the narration feels detached and cold, this makes perfect sense. Finally, the masks symbolize the necessity for all citizens to hide their true selves, and to submit to the “agents of the United States Handicapper General” (Vonnegut 216). This is the most straightforward symbol in the short story, as the entire conflict is based around the fact that all citizens must alter themselves to be equal. Observably, one can view Vonnegut’s point in this symbol: big governments may entice society with offers of utopian ideals, but in the end, these proposals (in the hands of a presumably evil big government) will ultimately turn themselves into oppressive situations. All in all, these symbols add depth to Vonnegut’s perspective, and create a hatred for the omniscient, omnipotent government in this
One might pretend for a second that they’re trapped in a world of oppression and ironically unfair egalitarianism. This world is one that forces the smart to become mentally tormented, the beautiful to wear masks, and the strong to be weighed down in the name of equality. This world boasts a tyrannical Handicapper General as the enforcer of the laws; she punishes anyone who does not accept their constraints, and will authorize the government to seize anyone with even a rebellious thought. This is the world of Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s “Harrison Bergeron.” Though topics covered in this story are extremely political and significant, Vonnegut uses several literary elements to convey his opinion with ease and substantial …show more content…
The weights were used as symbols for the oppression happening in the story, as anyone who was not equally handicapped physically was “required by law to wear [them] at all times” (Vonnegut 216). This can be seen as the government literally weighing the citizens down, and punishing them for seeking freedom. This simple and ironically literal metaphor shows the burden imposed by the government’s presence in physical, social, and ultimately complete ways throughout every citizen’s life. Another symbol in this story happens to be the television that “George and Hazel were watching” (Vonnegut 216), because this television forcibly creates the distance from reality and society that they seem to feel. In simple terms, this literary device distances George and Hazel from the outside world and makes the harsh reality of their oppression seem like something that they’re only watching on TV. When one considers how the narration feels detached and cold, this makes perfect sense. Finally, the masks symbolize the necessity for all citizens to hide their true selves, and to submit to the “agents of the United States Handicapper General” (Vonnegut 216). This is the most straightforward symbol in the short story, as the entire conflict is based around the fact that all citizens must alter themselves to be equal. Observably, one can view Vonnegut’s point in this symbol: big governments may entice society with offers of utopian ideals, but in the end, these proposals (in the hands of a presumably evil big government) will ultimately turn themselves into oppressive situations. All in all, these symbols add depth to Vonnegut’s perspective, and create a hatred for the omniscient, omnipotent government in this