Trenton Eiken Mr.

Neuburger Comp 102 101 13 February 2012 One Paragraph Essay Harrison Bergeron Kurt Vonnegut Jr.s Harrison Bergeron is a story set in a future America where everyone is made equal. After reading Vonneguts story, one can conclude that total equality is a bad thing. In his story, Vonnegut describes some of the various handicaps used on the above average people. For the people that are too smart or think too much, the Handicapper General uses headphones and radios to make them equal. George Bergeron, Harrisons father, had a very high intellect; therefore, he had to wear a radio transmitter in his ear. Vonnegut Jr. says these would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains, and gave them a sharp pain in their ears. Weights were used for the people who were too strong, people like Harrison. Harrison grew too quickly and Scrap metal was hung all over him. Ordinarily, there was a certain symmetry, a military neatness to the handicaps issued to the strong people, but Harrison looked like a walking junkyard, describes Vonnegut Jr. All the people made equal through the H-Gs handicaps experience great pain. If total equality was a good thing, people would not suffer.

Vonnegut Jr., Kurt. Harrison Bergeron." Power of Language - Language of Power. Vol. Second Custom Edition for Ozarks Technical Community College. Boston: Pearson Printing Learning Solutions. 293-99. Print.
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