Carol Brown Mr. Neuburger Eng.

102-127 19 September 2012

Response Essay Kurt Vonnegut Jr.-Harrison Bergeron In the short story Harrison Burgeron, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. illustrates what society would be like if universal equality exists. One can conclude that in order for true equality to exist, individuality must cease to exist. First in order to create equality among the population the government must create physical handicaps to make sure that no one is able to be better than anyone else. Vonnegut writes, They were burdened with sash weights and bags of birds shot, their pretty faces masked (204). Then in order for the government to gain control of the thoughts of the population, they create mental handicaps, and George while his intelligence was way above normal had a little handicap radio in his earthe transmitter would keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brain(204). Once the government takes control of how the population looks and even how they think, they are able to create universal equality. Since the government forbids all expression to be different or unique, you have a society with no individuality and thus true equality among the nation. Word Count 175 Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr. "Harrison Bergeron." Power of Language/ Language of Power. Second ed. Boston: Pearson Learning Solution, 2011. 293-99. Print. Ozarks Technical Community College.