Krissi Wester ENG 102-104 Mr.

Neuberger 21 September 2011 Harrison Bergeron Inequality of Utopia While the thought of utopian society may seem like the answer to world peace on the surface, this story demonstrates that Utopia is unrealistic at best. In the society described, equal was not exactly accurate. George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear. (Vonnegut, 294) This handicap radio impeded any thought that George may have that indicated above average intelligence, and his wife could not remember much of anything for any period of time including watching her son being murdered live on television. Even in society where there were certain apparatus designed to make everyone equal still someone was in control of making sure that everyone did as told. She had no handicaps and was not equal to everyone else. Vonnegut writes: Diana Moon Glampers loaded the gun again. She aimed it at the musicians and told them they had ten seconds to get their handicaps back on. (299) Had the Handicapper General worn handicaps, she would have been just as average as the next person and unable to determine who was breaking the law because she would have had a device that screamed in her head, or made her as forgetful as Mrs. Bergeron. (count 216)

Vonnegut Jr., Kurt Harrison Bergeron, Power of Language, Language of Power. Pearson Learning Solutions, 2011. 293-299. Print.