The Dangers Of Government In Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

Kurt Vonnegut expresses to his audience the dangers of an equal society and how the government is in complete control of its people through his characters, plot, and symbolism in the short story Harrison Bergeron. In this short story the free will of thinking, academic intelligence and people’s body from attractiveness to muscle power are being controlled by the government. The government has reached this harsh equality among its people by handicapping their citizens. If а person is too attractive they are forced to wear а repulsive mask. If somebody has а high intelligence quotient they are given head gear to obstruct their train of thought. If somebody is stronger then the average person they get weighed down by heavy handicaps. If anybody …show more content…
The government needs to have people forget or lose hope about any kind of savior-like figure. Harrison is extraordinary. Harrison is fourteen years old and his image is flawless. Harrison towers with а height of seven feet; he is extremely strong and attractive. “He flung away his rubber-ball nose, revealed а man that would have awed Thor, the god of thunder” (564). Harrison was immediately classified as а threat and the government didn’t hold anything back with restricting Harrison. Harrison was given hundreds of weighs to slow him down, а red-nose piece to obstruct his beauty, eyebrows were shaven off, and black caps to suppress his white teeth. “Nobody had ever borne heavier handicaps” (563). Harrison was not only above average physical but mentally as well. When Harrison is at the theatre he declares for а mate to join him on his throne. Soon а woman steps up and he delicately takes off his empress handicaps like the beautiful and fragile woman she is. Also, Harrison tells the musicians to play their best work but stops them and starts to sing how he wants them to play. Harrison