Harrison Bergeron Character Analysis

600 Words3 Pages
In “Harrison Bergeron” Kurt Vonnegut shows how fairness and absolute equality roles the near future. George, Hazel, and Harrison Bergeron are the three main characters in this story. They live in a time when the 211th, 212th, and 213th are the laws of the land, which makes being different basically impossible. The agents of the Handicapper General make sure that all laws are properly enforced. No matter what abilities God has blessed them with they are unable to showcase their personal strengths to the world. Kurt Vonnegut illustrates a civilization where everyone is mentally, physically, and socially equal in every way. Being a person in this story’s day and time, your mental state really doesn’t matter. No one person can think better or…show more content…
If you are considered as good-looking person in this civilization you have to wear a ugly mask that makes you look like everyone else, “ She must have been extraordinarily beautiful, because the mask she wore was hideous” (142). Even if God didn’t bless you with a high intelligence or outstanding strength, there is still no way for you to feel good about your looks. Even people with a certain physical talent also had to wear a handicap, “they were burdened with sash weights and bags of birdshot” (141). No certain person could see better, jump higher, run faster, or be stronger than the next, “They were equal every which way” (140). In this society there is no such thing as competition. Also In “Harrison Bergeron,” social equality is inevitable do to the handicap devices. It is seemingly impossible to hold a conversation longer than a few seconds because afterwards the conversation is completely forgotten,” His thoughts fled in panic, like bandits from a burglar alarm” (141). If it isn’t any way for you to converse with an individual, it would also not be possible to express your problems, emotions, or goals with one another. But in this society these three things don’t matter at

More about Harrison Bergeron Character Analysis

Open Document