Beller 1

Tyler Beller

Professor Chambers

Comp 1

November 21, 2019

Harrison Bergeron

The United States is all about creating equal opportunities among citizens. That being

said, not everyone is willing to work and compete for it but to have equality among money, jobs,

houses, etc. to be given to everyone. In the story “Harrison Bergeron,” everyone is equal not only

in opportunities but all aspects of life. No one shall be as pretty, smart, or better then any other

when it comes to anything. The story “Harrison Bergeron’s” main topic is to have equality with

everything.

The story takes place in the year 2081 where everyone is equal. Handicapper General, the

person who is in charge into making sure no one has a advantage as another. George and Hazel,

who are married, get there son taken away from them at the age of fourteen. They are both very

unaware of the tragedy because they can’t remember anything because of their handicaps.

George has a radio in his ear that has to be worn twenty-four seven, it lets out a loud sound to

disrupt his thoughts. Hazel has average intelligence and in 2081, anyone with average

intelligence are unable to think for extended periods of time. The government transmits the

sounds in George’s ear to disrupt intelligent people like his self. They are watching ballerinas on

television and Hazel is crying but cannot remember why. They are remarking on the prettiness of

the dance but George gets interrupted by the sound in his ear and notices the people on stage hear

the same sound. The dancers are weighed down and masked to set back their gracefulness and

how pretty they are. George is very fatigued because he has a 40-pound weight on his neck to
 Beller 2

counteract his strength. His wife begins to tell him she wished she was handicapper general

because she would make the sound in people ears sound like chimes on Sunday to make it more

religious. George claims she would be a good handicapper General because she knows what

normalcy feels like. On the television a broadcaster pops up and starts reading a story but is very

hard because he has a speech impediment. He could no longer continue with his message

because of it so he hands it to the ballerina to finish. She started reading in a very beautiful voice

but then changes it to a growly voice to make viewers not feel bad. She states that Harrison

escaped prison and is on the loose. A picture of Harrison flashes the screen, he is seven foot tall

and covered in 300 pounds of metal, has huge earphones instead of the small radio, giant glasses

meant to blind him, and eyebrows shaved off. Harrison then pops up on the screen in the studio

and says “he is the greatest emperor, and everyone should obey him”. He rips off all his

handicaps and tells everyone to do the same. Finally, one ballerina takes her mask off and her

beautiful face is put on the screen. He tells the musicians to play music as him and the ballerina

dance. They define gravity and float 30 feet up and kiss in still air. Then Diana Moon Glampers

comes in and kills Harrison and the ballerina with a shotgun. George who left to get a beer asks

Hazel “why are you crying” and she tells him “something sad happened on TV” but she can’t

remember what. George tells her not to remember the sad thoughts. The noise goes off and Hazel

says it sounded like a doozy. George says “you can say that again”, so hazel repeats “man that

was a Doozy”, and the story ends.

The most important thing that stood out to me was how competition in today’s world

makes for a exiting and happy lifestyle. Having to work for goal and makes you appreciate being

successful even more.