The point of the story is to show that there has never been a time when everybody is equal. Vonnegut is showing the reader that the government is not equal to the citizens. The gunshot at the end that kills Harrison truly shows that the government has total power over the handicappers.
I think that the point of Kurt Vonnegut's story was to show that without competition, society would be complete and utter chaos. Those who are considered to be above normal are given handicaps so that the "normal" people do not feel bad about themselves. For example, Harrison and his father are given handicaps because they are stronger and a lot smarter than the average human whereas his mother, Hazel, is not given any handicaps because she is "normal".
I believe the point of this story was to show people what the world might be like if we were all made equal. People are given talents, or looks, or brains for a reason and the author of this story wants us to realize that not being as smart, or as talented as someone else is okay. The story shows that we should not let others tell us who we can be. We should be grateful for the gifts we are given, and even if someone is more talented than we are...would you really want everyone to be exactly the same?
The point of this story is to show reader's what would happen if everyone was the same, if everyone was "normal." As I was listening to the story, I became more and more heartbroken for this equally broken society. The second someone tried to reach their full potential, they were killed on the spot. Anyone who was seen with an "advantage" in any sense of the word, was forced to wear a handicap device to make them equal to everyone else. This gives the government complete and total control of every movement, thought, and idea of its citizens. Again, the point of this amazing work is to show that we are each different, and without these differences we are worthless, as well as holding each other back from our true talents and capabilities.
I believe that the point of Vonnegut's story is to show that normal is not always great. If everyone is equal the world can not evolve and people cannot prosper. We would have a world filled with brainwashed citizens. I think he is trying to show that people are all different and we need to respect every individual person for their differences. Some people are smarter and others are more attractive, but if everyone is the same, our government will take advantage of us. I think he is also saying that we need to be less naive and make sure the government does not have too much power in order to cause a chaos like this is. Kurt wants to show us that total equality is something that would have a negative effect on the world.
The point of Kurt Vonegut's story is to warn the envious of society. The envious want what they cannot have and hate those who have what they want. They intend to bring down others to their levels and make them average, but people cannot be truly average. Everyone's individual, unique strengths is what makes society strong and function. If everyone were a doctor, then we would have few sick people, but we would also have no houses to live in and no food to eat. Without individualism, society would wither and die. We as a society, must celebrate each other's accomplishments, because in the long run, it makes everyone's life better.
The point of Kurt Vonnegut's story was to show that although making everybody equal may seem at first thought like a good idea, it in fact is not. If the government were to try and force equality on all of its people, it would be physically and psychologically detrimental to those of society. It also shows that with total equality, society will make no advancements. Generally, those who are eccentric or extremely intelligent have the largest impact throughout society.
I think that the point of Vonnegut's story is to show how being different is a good thing and making everyone be the same is a bad and dangerous thing. Killing people for dancing, loving, and being different seems so wrong and the way they were just shot down out of the air had to be so jolting to the readers to show that being different is a good thing and wanting everyone to be the same is dangerous. It would mean having to take drastic measures to keep everyone the same and I believe this story is to try to warn people of what might happen if we try to control how people are.
The point of Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron" is to show that being equal may not be the best. America was founded on the idea that "All men are created equal" but as we can observe in this short story equality on all aspects leads to a very boring life and people having to change who they are. Because this was written in the 1960s, it can be a critique of communism. McCarthyism and the Red Scare occurred during this time and the threat of communism loomed; many were worried it was going to take over America. Like in a communistic country, anyone not abiding by the rules of communism are sought out and punished. Vonnegut is showing how foolish these principles are and how unnatural this is of the human nature.
In Harrison Bergeron, Kurt Vonnegut aims to show that equality isn't always a virtue. In fact, much of what makes us human is the inequality and differences between. Removing all these differences producing a vanilla, soulless society--similar to the one portrayed by Lois Lowry in The Giver.
Of course, like most Vonnegut stories, Harrison Bergeron is absurd and nothing like it will probably ever happen. But by taking equality to such an absurd extreme, Vonnegut shows the dangers of governments getting involved in "fairness".
I think that the point of Vonnegut's story was to show that life wouldn't necessarily be better if everyone was equal in every way. In the story, everyone is forced to wear different devices to make them moderate, like everyone else. This suppresses everyone's individual talents, and it is supposed to make life better by forcing equality. No one is able to think straight or remember details for very long. Music and dance were mediocre, because those performing are not allowed to do any better than anyone else could have done. This situation takes away what makes people unique, and I agree with Vonnegut that this extreme form of equality that takes away people's talents is not a better way to live.
I think the purpose of the story is to portray, albeit an exaggeration, how the push for equality can be, in some ways, detrimental. The story may represent some peoples' jealousy for those who were born more gifted. It may also show a fear for the government having too much control. In the story, the government is the entity that requires the handicaps be worn; the government may fear that the people would turn against them if not handicapped. The point of the story is to possibly show people what it would be like, even if this was a hyperbole, if those who were gifted were forced to hold back; the world would be bland, mediocre, average, and there would be a lack of freedom.
The point of the story is to show people that we are nothing but slaves without diversity. He made the reader realize that it is good to be different and that it makes the world a better place. We should embrace what makes us special because that is what makes a person who they are. Once everyone becomes equal there is nothing that you can appreciate about yourself and others.
2 Williams I believe the point of Kurt Vonnegut's story was that society's main goal is to make everyone the exact same in how they think, act, and feel. The story goes on to indirectly show that if you let this happen to yourself that you will become unhappy, mindless robots much like the musicians who would only play simple music until their handicaps were removed. On the contrary, if you don't let this happen you can express yourself, you can be beautiful, you can have power, and you can do anything. This is exactly what the government is afraid of because they don't want their power to be taken over by civilians. To prevent this the government feels that they must handicap those who pose a potential threat to their power and if they are a direct threat they kill them. So, in conclusion, I believe this story is trying to tell its readers that not only should they not let society dictate how they are, but also that they CANNOT let society dictate what they are for that will truly be the demise of a successful civilization. A civilization where a father and a mother does not even realize they have just witnessed the murder of their son.
I find this short story to be absolutely incredible. The government has made up to at least 123 Amendments to the Constitution, just so that all people are equal. But they are not equal at all; some wear masks to cover their beauty, others wear weights to weigh them down. The meaning of this story should be that not all people should be equal, because if there were, someone else will still govern them. If everyone were equal, there would be no progress, no happiness, no understanding. Because they all had handicaps, they were afraid when they broke loose. Even in the midst of bliss in freedom, they were under control. Without differentiation, life would be dull, like a snowy TV.
The point of Vonnegut's short story is to make people realize that total equality is insane and impossible. While our society as continue to grow, he have tried to make everyone equal with each other. First, white men became equal with each other, than women, african-americans, other minorities, even homosexuals. Is mental and physical ability the last frontier? How far will our society go to make sure that everyone is equal? While we all deserve equal RIGHTS, that does not mean we need to be equal in other ways. Some people are naturally gifted and others have natural handicaps. But instead of looking at who is better at something and who is worse, I believe Vonnegut is saying that we should celebrate our differences and be our own person. An individual. Trying to make everyone have the same capability as the weakest person would only cripple our society as it did in Vonnegut's story.
I believe that the point of this story is to show how powerful the government can get. The government forces people to conform to the government's ways so that everyone is equal. They don't want the general public to remember all of the crimes that the government has committed, so they put handicaps on their bodies to make people forget. Breaking the social norm is also not allowed as seen by the killing of Harrison and the wearing of masks by the beautiful ballerinas. This form of government would probably never happen in the United States as U.S. citizens often speak out and rebel against things they don't approve of. However, this story is a great example of what can happen if the government becomes too powerful and the people become too dependent on the government.
The point of Vonnegut’s story “Harrison Bergeron” is to express his ideas of conformity. While the story’s setting is in the year of 2081, Vonnegut is showing what could happen to society. Every man and woman would be equal with their handicaps; no one would outshine the others. I think Vonnegut wants to ensure that society will never reach the point in the story. Whether or not he meant the story to be an idea of conformity, he could be showing people to be themselves. Harrison revolted against the government because he could. He was physically able to defy anything the Handicapper General put on him. The ballerinas and musicians took their handicaps off because the saw change in Harrison that could make their lives better. Too bad the government restricts them from being and doing what they want at their full potential.
The point of the story is to show how society crushes individuality in order to make us all equal. As people, we try to celebrate individuality, but society always wrecks us with its impossible standards for beauty and brains. If we are too smart then we are made fun of, the same if we are not smart enough. The same goes with our bodies. If you are too thin, people call you anorexic and judge you because they do not look the same. If your body is bigger, you will be labeled fat and lazy. There is really no in between for us, no matter how you look you will be judged. Mediocre and average is best way you can be. You can be the perfect peach in every way possible--smell, taste, color--but there will still be someone who does not like peaches.
I find this short story very powerful. I think the purpose is to teach us to not be threatened by variety, but instead, embrace it. We should be careful with what we wish for because many people get jealous of people who seem better than them. I have seen this with hockey. Girls on my team see a better player and ultimately want to hurt her in some way so she stops beating us. I tell them that that is wrong because you do not harm athletes who have worked hard to get better than you. If we hurt or put a disadvantage on the good players and excel the bad players then there would be no competition. That would be a boring game that would benefit no one because everyone is the same. That is the same with this story. Competition is healthy and in the market it makes products cheaper and better quality. Somewhere along the line, someone has felt threatened and decided everyone needed to be equal. It hurts everyone in the end. It turns into a Communist country.
Kurt Vonnegut is trying to portray that freedom and equality do not mix. The United States government states that people have freedom, and also that everyone is equal at the same time. The story shows what happens in society where competition is no longer allowed because the government has decided what is "normal" and what isn't. People who are considered normal is handicapped and people who cannot keep up are left free from baggage. Harrison is a superhuman of society, he is not allowed to live or show freedom because he tries to overthrow the government's control. The Handicapper General uses radio signals to punish those who think the wrong thoughts or say the wrong things. The television has a numbing effect on the people who watch it. Hazel cannot even remember her son's own death. The ballerina's also represent a lost of freedom, they are horrible to watch even though they hold the most baggage of all in the society.
Kurt Vonnegut is trying to portray that freedom and equality do not mix. The United States government states that people have freedom, and also that everyone is equal at the same time. The story shows what happens in society where competition is no longer allowed because the government has decided what is "normal" and what isn't. People who are considered normal is handicapped and people who cannot keep up are left free from baggage. Harrison is a superhuman of society, he is not allowed to live or show freedom because he tries to overthrow the government's control. The Handicapper General uses radio signals to punish those who think the wrong thoughts or say the wrong things. The television has a numbing effect on the people who watch it. Hazel cannot even remember her son's own death. The ballerina's also represent a lost of freedom, they are horrible to watch even though they hold the most baggage of all in the society.
I think the point of Kurt Vonnegut's story is to show the government's power and how we are not equal to the government. The scrap metal handicaps is the government's power over society.
Vonnegut is trying to show that if everyone was actually equal not only in political standing but also in looks, skills, and even intelligence then there wouldn't be a lot of great and outstanding people or things in the world. Everything and everyone would just be average or normal and people wouldn't defy the odds or challenge things in life.
The point of this story is to show the readers that no one will ever be the same. We will always have our different characteristics and personality differences. Vonnegut is absolutely incredible for writing this piece of literature. Humans were not made to be the same or to act the same. That is what life is all about. It is about differences in people that make it so exciting. This writing is also a warning for us now to never let the government over rule the people. This is something that even in today's world has an incredibly strong message.
What I got out of Vonnegut's story was that everyone is meant to be different. I think he was attempting to show how ridiculous people's lives would be if the government made it so everyone was exactly the same. We would have geniuses forced to wear mental handicap devices, amazing athletes wearing weight so heavy that they cannot show off their skills, and even loving parents who could not realize that their son is dead because they cannot properly think. Everyone is born different and it is for a reason.
Equality is an ideal that many people hold dear. However, like all ideals, it has the ability to be taken too an extreme. Vonnegut (a master of taking things to the extreme) expresses this concept through the story.
Harrison Bergeron was published in 1961 at the beginning of the counter-culture movement in America. Hegemony was one of the main targets of the counter-culture movement; the ideas of conformity and normality. Vonnegut's story serves to warm people of the dangers of hegemony (and perhaps excessive government control).
Kurt Vonnegut's point is that equality is not equal. It only ruins lives in different ways. The above normal people are only made stupid by their handicaps and the average people are made to never achieve more.
Kurt Vonnegut's story is an interesting one, but it contains a deeper message. The idea that everyone is equal is absurd. Everyone is inherently made unequal--some better than the rest. The point of the story isn't to show how the government will become corrupt, but to show that the government we have is not corrupt. Luckily, our government is nothing like this and we should be thankful. This is a sort of anti-communist short story.
Kurt Vonnegut's point for this story was to show how society is reckless and evil. All of the perfect people must wear handicaps to make them like the disabled people. Everyone is changed to become an ugly monster so no one is better than another. This story is probably my favorite because it show how messed up society is to have less dominate characteristics. Society is so manipulating that they try to weigh personality characteristic down by their scrap metal.
Vonnegut's story was written as a warning to the people about the power of the government. He was warning everyone that if they become weak against the government, they would lose all sense of individuality and freedom. Vonnegut is showing that freedom and equality cannot simply coexist. One must be of lesser force in order for humanity to exist without chaos. The sad reality of life is that no matter how hard one might try to achieve equality and freedom together, it likely won't happen. Individuality is too prominent in life and the idea of freedom to be achievable in the views of equality.
Kurt Vonnegut writes this short story to teach an important lesson. He wants the reader to be wary of a government or person that tries to hide the excellence in another individual. Individuality is a blessing, not a burden. Creating a society full of mindless bodies destroys the one thing that makes this world special: originality. If individuals do not have a chance to showcase their talents and strengths, are they individuals any more? Vonnegut may be advising us to place judgement upon those who govern in our own lives.
Kurt Vonnegut's story displays a clash between individualism and equality. The US government has completely limited their citizens to a dull zombie-like state so everyone may feel equal and no one could cause chaos. We know that without individualism we as a society will never advance, or improve in any such way such as; technologically, ideologically, or politically. The main theme to this story for me is maintain your individualism and do not give in to the majority.
The point of the story is to say that we are not equal to the slightest. Also, it is showing what happens when the government has full control over us as humans. It shows what can happen to the world if the government takes away individual freedom and controls our lives. Competition is a good thing in society. Without competition, everything is mediocre at best and in this story it was the fault of the awful government. In the story, the killing of the two who try to stand out crushes societies hope as nobody really remembers what just happened in turn not letting them know how great individuality is.
I think the point of the story is to show that the need for technology, as it was already rising in 1961, can and will overtake the human race. As we read this in 2015, the need for some equality is too great. We want everyone to be beautiful (plastic surgery) and we want everyone to succeed educationally (different leveled classes). However, the government taking control of both our need for technology and our need for success can go devastatingly wrong. In the story, people are given handicaps if they are better at other things than another person. In reality, the government implies taxes.
The true nature of living things is to compete with each other to better ourselves and to help spread a stronger gene throughout the pool. What the author was portraying was a universe where everyone was hindered in some way. Not advanced, but handicapped as he had put it in the story. The Bergerons must have had a stroke of luck when they had Harrison, but that did not matter because of the government's regulations. With these regulations, there will be no advancements with human life and ability. Intelligence frowned upon and physical abilities hindered, only for people to be equal. That is not how life works. George, if it were not for his ear radio, could possibly have been a philosopher for all we know. We should work to better ourselves and not take a step backwards to be equal.
The point in Kurt Vonnegut's story is to warn the masses about the consequences of their present actions. In 1961 America was coming off of a decade of equality. Everybody was trying to become equal. Vonnegut wanted to warn the people about the ramifications of their actions. He was saying that if society stayed on the current path it was on, there would be serious problems in the future. These problems are what he was trying to portray in this short story. With everyone equal, discrimination becomes a problem if you are not equal. We can see this with Harrison. He was saying that society did not fix the problem of equality. Rather they turned the tables of discrimination to place the burden upon a different groups shoulders.
I think the author is trying to show us that we are all created with talents, we can't be forced to be equal. When we are forced to be burdened and dragged down it only makes us stronger. The people in this story believe that everyone is equal, but in reality anyone with talents, like George's intelligence, is unable to use them. People with beauty are made into a mockery. I also believe it shows how in the 1960's people were living in a suburbia where every house was the same, men all worked, women stayed home, children did what they were told to do. The 1960's was a huge time where anyone who was different was ridiculed. I think the author was trying to show that different talents are great and amazing things, not things that one should be ridiculed for.
I believe that the point of this story is to show that we should not let the government have too much power. If they have too much power they will take over everyone and control everything. Vonnegut is also trying to show that we cannot be free and equal at the same time. The metal handicaps represent the governments power they are trying to force over us. The Handicapper General represents a presidential figure or someone who controls the government.
The point of Vonnegut's story is to portray what would happen if everyone was the same or "normal". This would be as if everyone went through Nurse Ratchet's combine. Vonnegut is portraying his views on conformity. At the same time we see how the government holds total control over everyone. Someone began to stand out and were shot almost instantaneously. However, the Handicapper General does not have to be a symbol of the government, she could also portray what society and their views do to individuals. But total equality is an insane idea merely impossible to reach.
The purpose of Kurt Vonnegut's story is, like many other stories, to get the reader to think and contemplate the themes in the story. Everyone is equal in the story, but only because they are under the complete control of the Handicapper General. When one man, Harrison Bergeron tries to buck the system, the Handicapper General kills him and the other person he has liberated. Perhaps Vonnegut is saying that it is natural for their to be inequality in the world. People try so hard to make everyone equal and Vonnegut may be trying to show that people should embrace their differences instead of suppressing them. The government determines what is normal and uses several techniques to suppress differences in people.
I believe the point of Kurt Vonnegut's story is to show us the complications of what society would be like if everyone was equal. The differences between individuals in our society today help form our country and our world. If everyone is equal it may provide a smoother society, but it will also lack intrigue and competition which builds character in individuals.
I believe that the author, Kurt Vonnegut, is trying to tell the reader that life would not be perfect if everyone would be treated equally across the board. Everyone is made differently, each with our own quirks and talents, and if everyone was treated equally those quirks and talents would never be realized. I think this because of the signal in George's head, and the mask on the ballerina. Every time George thinks differently than the government says, a loud signal goes off in his head kind of masking his own thoughts. The ballerina is wearing a mask, but underneath she is "blindingly beautiful", but the government makes her wear her mask because if people saw her beauty she may be treated differently.
Mykayla Palmer Pd. 3 In Vonnegut’s short story, “Harrison Bergeron,” he describes a world in which the government has taken everybody’s personality in an attempt to equalize them. He shows how if we all strive to be equivalent in every which way, we lose our personalities, our talent, and our individuality. We become unable to think for ourselves. Vonnegut wants to show us the importance of being different and having our own strengths and weaknesses. The government, while stifling the individuality of each person, was able to control their emotions and thoughts. When Harrison breaks free of this and dances with the ballerina, he finds love and feeling. The government breaks in to stop this, and thus they are trying to control him. I also believe this connects much to the American Dream and the promise of equality in America. No person has equal chances at achieving their dreams, because some people are born with advantages. Vonnegut is telling us that it is better this way, so people will keep striving to achieve more and do better.
The story is about the control of society through the government. I feel that the author is trying to point out that difference is a beautiful thing and that not everyone is the same, nor should they be. I think that Harrison is supposed to illustrate anyone who opposes the government, he is to illustrate an intelligent and beautiful human being, athletic and strong as well as articulate and graceful. The fact that Diana Moon shoots the two minors, I think might be trying to say something about conformity to society and how sameness could be the end of us, the literal end. Maybe saying that randomness and individuality are how we thrive as a society.
The point of this story is to show what would come about if conformity became an international reality. The world will become boring and plain, as the music was. I feel as though Vonnegut's story was a humorous presentation on how everyone really should simply be themselves.
I think the point of the story was to show that everyone's going to be different but that's okay. Differences create society. Of course there will always be the leaders who actually have more power even though the constitution says everyone is equal but that doesn't matter I guess.
I think Vonnegut wrote this story to make a statement about how people were not meant to all be completely equal. People were born with certain advantages and to handicap them for those advantages can leave the world in utter chaos.
Vonnegut's story emphasizes the fact that in order to have total equality, freedom and individual achievement must be sacrificed. The story points out the fact that although complete equality is appealing in the abstract, it is not appealing in the concrete. Complete physical, mental, and fiscal equality would mean losing all our talents and attributes that make us who we are; in result, lessening our society as a whole.
Kurt Vonnegut's story was to inform the reader that if everyone was equal the world would turn into a scene of complete chaos. I also think that with so much power in the governments hands, there is no way for everyone to be free and equal. The government steals our freedom and our personalities. The Handicapper General is someone I see as a high authority, someone like the president.
I believe that the story is showing all of societies bars set on people. Society rejects people who are different when in fact we should praise them and acknowledge their differences for the better. I feel he is also showing what it would be like if society was equal and how it would not work. Another take on the story I came up with was maybe society in the story did not know how to love and when Harrison broke all of the others handicaps off, that was him showing them how to love for the first time. The government is trying to control the people to be lifeless sheep.
The point of Vonnegut's story is to show the scary possibility of a government expressing too much control.The government limits everything that the citizens do, down to the citizens brains and good looks. This short story shows that everyone being the same is not a good thing. The story is even darker when the man attempting to get rid of his handicaps is shot and killed. As outlandish at this story sounds there is always a sliver of possibility of this happening.
The story of Harrison Bergen is quite extraordinary. Vonnegut places his characters in a world where everyone is impaired if they are not normal. Or what I would call stupid and weak. That is the best way to control people, keep them ignorant and weak. It also goes to show that will of ones mind is a powerful thing. Harrison got stronger but so did his will. Without it he would have stayed imprisoned and not have tried to escape. The Handicapped General is the Villain in this story because in the effort to keep everyone the same, she is killing off innovation and change.
I believe Vonnegut's reason for creating this story is to warn society about control. This control could come from the government, like in the novel, society, or even both. The people in the story probably supported those two amendments that were created by the government, in fact they had to. However, they did not see the impacts that could happen by limiting others to the level that each individual in society can achieve. Progress ground to a halt after people were limited. The idea of making everyone equal is definitely ideal, however, I do not believe it could ever be achieved. We need innovators and specialists to take part in their respective areas. The ballet would have been much more inspiring if they were not hindered.
The point of Kurt Vonnegut's story was to warn people of the expense of blindly following the government. More than books like 1984 warn readers of the potential power of government, it warns us of the world that might ensue if we as a society struggle so hard for equality. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and people should learn to embrace themselves for such strengths, rather than being angry at others for the ways they are better or worse. Dr. Seuss once wrote the line "If you tell a fish to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid." He put words to the idea that everyone succeeds and fails in different ways. Without these differences, the beauty and talent in the world would disappear.
In Vonnegut's story, the point shows what will happen if equality is valued over humanity. Humans are naturally unequal in ability to others, which is what allows the human race to advance. In this futuristic tale of events, the new humans who are "equal" are unable to tell when their own son is killed. Because some humans are more gifted than others, people like Albert Einstein and Steven Hawking are able to make great scientific advancements. If all humans were equal, as this story shows, humanity would regress.
I believe that the point of the story is to show that the world is better off when people are not exactly the same and that everyone should keep and be proud of what talents they are born with. The people in the story are given handicaps even though they excel compared to other individuals in the story and the author writes it in a way that the reader would think that the world they live in has a lot of chaos similar to the events in the story since the ending is just like the beginning which makes it seem like a cycle. It also might be a anti-establishment message as well since the government is controlling people's lives and giving them handicaps that the reader should disagree to.
Vonnegut is making a statement about normalcy. Sometimes the most brilliant people are labeled as as dangerous. The true danger lies in everyone being "normal." The government in this story could be anything. I think the government could be an allusion to society. Everyone has what they come to believe as their own handicaps and when they break free of those handicaps it is quite beautiful and astonishing, but eventually they get put back in their place.
I believe that Kurt Vonnegut is trying to warn us about big government trying to make everyone equal. The government wants complete control over the people so they take away the uniquely brilliant thoughts, and attributes of their citizens. In the story, Harison is represents all the beauty, strength, and brilliance that the government is trying to fight against and he gets destroyed and everything goes back to normal, as if it never happened. This short story reminded me a lot of the book 1984 because of the strong government and the man and women trying to change things.
The point of Kurt Vonnegut's story is to warn the readers that total equality will ruin any civilized society. Individuality and difference bring excitement into people's lives. People being better than the rest of the population at certain things is how society functions as it does.
The thing that really got to me -- as a sports fan -- was the mediocre ballet dancers. As it is March Madness time, imagine a season in which there is no March Madness tournament because every team finished with the same record because every game ended in a tie. What an awful world that would be.
I believe the point of the story is to show that people should not be moderated. Every person is special and unique in their own way, and to limit this would create a bland society. Each person will have their own strengths and weaknesses, this is natural. To try to force equality upon everyone would not be right, and it would create a culture of plainness.
The story of Harrison Bergeron is to show that without competition or individuality society would be complete chaos. Kurt Vonnegut shows readers that being different is a good think and is something we should be thankful for. I think Harrison is meant to portray the individuals that are against the government and their strict rules and what happens to some people that speak out against them.
I think that this short story is showing how it is important to encourage using ones self for their full potential instead of allowing society to handicap your potential to societies benefit. We were not created to be all a like and I think it is important to remember that when you feel like you are in a situation that you need to "fit it". I think that the government is purposely used in this story to warn people that both society and the government are dangerous and that to keep an eye on both in your life time. Both in many situations may be positive and helpful, but both can also cause much danger and pain.
Vonnegut's main point for this story is that individualism is what defines us as a person and as a society as a whole. Being equal in the law is one thing, but becoming equal in intelligence, appearance, and talent is completely different. Taking away someones own quirks and differences makes for a very gray world. Individuality and expression is so precious to life and it is something that can never be taken away.
The story is about how equality can create corruption. Fairness and equality is very idealistic and doesn't actually work. I felt as it was a hit on communism. In that economy, no once can improve themselves.
I feel that the point of this story is to show why civilization cannot function properly if everyone is equals. Equalizing everyone causes the total loss of individuality and aspirations.
I would like to believe that Kurt Vonnegut wrote that story to make a point on people's originality. I think that he is trying to show that everyone is different and that life will not always be fair. I also believe that he was showing a corrupt government, and what the possibilities could be if we had a corrupt government.
The story basically gives you a world where everyone is the same and when you're all the same, nothing gets done. Things change quickly when there is intelligence and individualism behind an idea. Harrison became an emperor, there was much better music, and people could actually dance the way they wanted to,
I believe that this story is similar to communism. In this story, the theory of everyone being equal in intelligence, looks, and strength sounds promising but when put into action, it crumbles and causes rebellions. While in Communistic countries, it is corrupt and the common people are equal but very far from those in power who benefit from the so called equality.
I believe that the story is about equality and how it will never truly work. Even in the story, the people "government" trying to encourage and create equality are not following the rules themselves. They hold power over the average person, and with power comes corruption, as shown by the death of Harrison and his empress.
I believe the point of this story was to explain how being unique is a good thing, but is hard to control. Everyone should be able to think for themselves, and not be ruled completely by a government. As a very wise man once told me, "you have won the genetic lottery." And I think everyone has in a sense that they should be unique and diversity, that is what makes people interesting.
Vonnegut was showing that equality among everyone is a very hard thing to achieve. Everyone becoming equal is boring and there is no individuality when everyone is equal. We need change and difference. He is also trying to show the power the government has the potential to have. In the 1960 there was a large portion of America that did not trust the government, I believe he was trying to get people to understand the possibilities that could come about if people let the government control them.
The story is about how even though you can go through all of that work making laws and amendments, you will never have true absolute equality. As displayed when the woman comes in; she was not handicapped as far as we were able to tell. Showing how the government didn't even follow the laws they were enforcing, showing government corruption.
Vonnegut's short story really blew my mind. I did not know what to think of it at first or even how to interpret it. I think that Vonnegut is trying to teach his readers about equality. No matter how hard the world tries, there will always be people who judge one another and look for differences in one another, but that is what makes humanity so great. If everyone was the same, then we wouldn't be able to appreciate the differences people have and life wouldn't be as fun.
Ripperda 7 The author, Kurt Vonnegut, clearly writes this short story to mock and warn against governments with far too much power. He is also warning us of the dangers of socialistic policies, socialistic reformers will not just stop at the redistribution of wealth. Money was not enough, they want to make each person 100% equal in every way.
People shouldn't be inhibited, whether it be in spirit, in ability, or in thought. Ideally, total equality seems like a nice thing, something sweet and shiny and preferable. Introduce it to reality, though, and human nature will distort it, inevitably. Forcing everyone to be equal fails in and of itself, for the equalizer cannot possibly be on par with the standard, the average, the normal. In order to control the equal masses, some greater power, most definitely NOT equal, must oversee them.
So essentially total equality fails. It's doomed to fail in this world. Truly, it isn't fair.
Darrington 7 This story was an extreme example of an attempt on equality gone wrong. It was to show how if we were to try and make everyone the same, life would be bleak and many people would be held back. I think this story is mainly to warn of the Utopian equality that many people dreamed of and also make people consider the times they are currently living in. The best way for a society to advance is to allow creativity and individuality,even though it will not be "fair" for some who are less gifted in certain disciplines.
Vonnegut's intentions for this story would have been to dis the government and the education system. He was against people being average and that was what our education system was all about: making sure everyone is equal. Though, equality is bad because change is unable to occur if everyone is equal. Only equal opportunity is good. This is his point. He sees that our government and education system will lead to corruption and prejudicial decisions. Maybe he was treated badly and told to be average when he was young.
Alex Hillestad Period 7 I think Vonnegut wrote the story to show that we need competition in our world in order to thrive. Without smarter or stronger people, we as humans wouldn't or couldn't learn or do new things. It also shows that individuality needs to be expressed.
Vonnegut's point for this story is to show how much can change under someone's(Diana Moon Glampers) rule. How unfair those who are normal and not normal are treated. Taking away their individuality that makes them who they are. And without the individuality and differences in the world it could be plain chaos. Destroying whoever breaks the rules. Showing how boring it could be if everyone was exactly the same. Telling us it is ok to be different and to be yourself.
The point of this story was to show that being totally equal is not a good thing. Being different is okay and good for society. To be equal, mentally and physically, in the story the government tortured its citizens and did not want anyone to be different. The beautiful had to wear masks, the intelligent had to listen to earsplitting noises, and the graceful had to wear weights around their necks. This story showed how dangerous it would be if everyone was the same. Everyone is born different and it is for a reason.
Huizenga 7 In my opinion, the point of Kurt Vonnegut's story is to show the extreme of society's conformist nature. The more exceptional a person is, the more society tries to conform them to the level of everyone else.
Vonnegut wrote "Harrison Bergeron" at the beginning of the Counter-Culture Movement in the early 60's. One of the counter-culture's most tightly held ideals is that of breaking societal norms and constraints.
In the story, Harrison Bergeron is an extremely talented, skilled, and handsome person who is handicapped by the government to be on an equal level with those who are considered "normal".
Vonnegut is trying to convey that although equality is necessary when it comes to societal opportunities, it can be taken to a manipulatively dangerous extreme. Conformity becomes/is corrupt, individuality defines.
Kate is smartest in this story when she makes up how her husband is bad when he really isnt. She just likes flirting with the neighbor and playing with his mind. I would say that one symbol is the rose which symbolizes love on the outside but it has thorns and can hurt you when you try to touch them, but they are nice to look at. And I didn't snicker because I didn't actually understand the story till Mr. C told me.
Vonnegut is clearly enlightening readers of the possibilities that could come of the future if the government were to increasingly take control of our lives. There isn't a possibility of this in my eyes. Harrison is an intelligent boy who is handicapped to be "normal". Vonnegut is showing how important individuality is among people. Nobody is created the same which is why it is incredibly obtuse to think that people should be exactly alike. Some possess intelligence, while others possess physical dominance. A world in which this was even close to being true would be awful!!!
The point of Kurt Vonnegut's short story is to draw an exaggerated, silly version of our society. Instead of compassionately and gently teaching children that life isn't fair, we do our best to make sure that there aren't losers (in the end, society is filled with bratty, self-entitled grownups). We strive for equality and end up suffocating some people while babying others. Vonnegut's story goes to show that perhaps equality should not be our first priority. I would argue that "equality" is a form of social communism. By taking away talents and intelligence, a dictatorship run by society is formed.
Total equality is not always the best thing. It doesn't quite work. It reminds me of Animal Farm when it says "Some animals are equal...but some are more equal than others". There will always be someone who tries to hold too much power over others.
87 comments:
The point of the story is to show that there has never been a time when everybody is equal. Vonnegut is showing the reader that the government is not equal to the citizens. The gunshot at the end that kills Harrison truly shows that the government has total power over the handicappers.
I think that the point of Kurt Vonnegut's story was to show that without competition, society would be complete and utter chaos. Those who are considered to be above normal are given handicaps so that the "normal" people do not feel bad about themselves. For example, Harrison and his father are given handicaps because they are stronger and a lot smarter than the average human whereas his mother, Hazel, is not given any handicaps because she is "normal".
I believe the point of this story was to show people what the world might be like if we were all made equal. People are given talents, or looks, or brains for a reason and the author of this story wants us to realize that not being as smart, or as talented as someone else is okay. The story shows that we should not let others tell us who we can be. We should be grateful for the gifts we are given, and even if someone is more talented than we are...would you really want everyone to be exactly the same?
The point of this story is to show reader's what would happen if everyone was the same, if everyone was "normal." As I was listening to the story, I became more and more heartbroken for this equally broken society. The second someone tried to reach their full potential, they were killed on the spot. Anyone who was seen with an "advantage" in any sense of the word, was forced to wear a handicap device to make them equal to everyone else. This gives the government complete and total control of every movement, thought, and idea of its citizens. Again, the point of this amazing work is to show that we are each different, and without these differences we are worthless, as well as holding each other back from our true talents and capabilities.
Chmela 2
I believe that the point of Vonnegut's story is to show that normal is not always great. If everyone is equal the world can not evolve and people cannot prosper. We would have a world filled with brainwashed citizens. I think he is trying to show that people are all different and we need to respect every individual person for their differences. Some people are smarter and others are more attractive, but if everyone is the same, our government will take advantage of us. I think he is also saying that we need to be less naive and make sure the government does not have too much power in order to cause a chaos like this is. Kurt wants to show us that total equality is something that would have a negative effect on the world.
The point of Kurt Vonegut's story is to warn the envious of society. The envious want what they cannot have and hate those who have what they want. They intend to bring down others to their levels and make them average, but people cannot be truly average. Everyone's individual, unique strengths is what makes society strong and function. If everyone were a doctor, then we would have few sick people, but we would also have no houses to live in and no food to eat. Without individualism, society would wither and die. We as a society, must celebrate each other's accomplishments, because in the long run, it makes everyone's life better.
The point of Kurt Vonnegut's story was to show that although making everybody equal may seem at first thought like a good idea, it in fact is not. If the government were to try and force equality on all of its people, it would be physically and psychologically detrimental to those of society. It also shows that with total equality, society will make no advancements. Generally, those who are eccentric or extremely intelligent have the largest impact throughout society.
I think that the point of Vonnegut's story is to show how being different is a good thing and making everyone be the same is a bad and dangerous thing. Killing people for dancing, loving, and being different seems so wrong and the way they were just shot down out of the air had to be so jolting to the readers to show that being different is a good thing and wanting everyone to be the same is dangerous. It would mean having to take drastic measures to keep everyone the same and I believe this story is to try to warn people of what might happen if we try to control how people are.
The point of Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron" is to show that being equal may not be the best. America was founded on the idea that "All men are created equal" but as we can observe in this short story equality on all aspects leads to a very boring life and people having to change who they are. Because this was written in the 1960s, it can be a critique of communism. McCarthyism and the Red Scare occurred during this time and the threat of communism loomed; many were worried it was going to take over America. Like in a communistic country, anyone not abiding by the rules of communism are sought out and punished. Vonnegut is showing how foolish these principles are and how unnatural this is of the human nature.
Eitreim
Period 2
In Harrison Bergeron, Kurt Vonnegut aims to show that equality isn't always a virtue. In fact, much of what makes us human is the inequality and differences between. Removing all these differences producing a vanilla, soulless society--similar to the one portrayed by Lois Lowry in The Giver.
Of course, like most Vonnegut stories, Harrison Bergeron is absurd and nothing like it will probably ever happen. But by taking equality to such an absurd extreme, Vonnegut shows the dangers of governments getting involved in "fairness".
I think that the point of Vonnegut's story was to show that life wouldn't necessarily be better if everyone was equal in every way. In the story, everyone is forced to wear different devices to make them moderate, like everyone else. This suppresses everyone's individual talents, and it is supposed to make life better by forcing equality. No one is able to think straight or remember details for very long. Music and dance were mediocre, because those performing are not allowed to do any better than anyone else could have done. This situation takes away what makes people unique, and I agree with Vonnegut that this extreme form of equality that takes away people's talents is not a better way to live.
I think the purpose of the story is to portray, albeit an exaggeration, how the push for equality can be, in some ways, detrimental. The story may represent some peoples' jealousy for those who were born more gifted. It may also show a fear for the government having too much control. In the story, the government is the entity that requires the handicaps be worn; the government may fear that the people would turn against them if not handicapped. The point of the story is to possibly show people what it would be like, even if this was a hyperbole, if those who were gifted were forced to hold back; the world would be bland, mediocre, average, and there would be a lack of freedom.
The point of the story is to show people that we are nothing but slaves without diversity. He made the reader realize that it is good to be different and that it makes the world a better place. We should embrace what makes us special because that is what makes a person who they are. Once everyone becomes equal there is nothing that you can appreciate about yourself and others.
2 Williams
I believe the point of Kurt Vonnegut's story was that society's main goal is to make everyone the exact same in how they think, act, and feel. The story goes on to indirectly show that if you let this happen to yourself that you will become unhappy, mindless robots much like the musicians who would only play simple music until their handicaps were removed. On the contrary, if you don't let this happen you can express yourself, you can be beautiful, you can have power, and you can do anything. This is exactly what the government is afraid of because they don't want their power to be taken over by civilians. To prevent this the government feels that they must handicap those who pose a potential threat to their power and if they are a direct threat they kill them. So, in conclusion, I believe this story is trying to tell its readers that not only should they not let society dictate how they are, but also that they CANNOT let society dictate what they are for that will truly be the demise of a successful civilization. A civilization where a father and a mother does not even realize they have just witnessed the murder of their son.
I find this short story to be absolutely incredible. The government has made up to at least 123 Amendments to the Constitution, just so that all people are equal. But they are not equal at all; some wear masks to cover their beauty, others wear weights to weigh them down. The meaning of this story should be that not all people should be equal, because if there were, someone else will still govern them. If everyone were equal, there would be no progress, no happiness, no understanding. Because they all had handicaps, they were afraid when they broke loose. Even in the midst of bliss in freedom, they were under control. Without differentiation, life would be dull, like a snowy TV.
Lundberg 2
The point of Vonnegut's short story is to make people realize that total equality is insane and impossible. While our society as continue to grow, he have tried to make everyone equal with each other. First, white men became equal with each other, than women, african-americans, other minorities, even homosexuals. Is mental and physical ability the last frontier? How far will our society go to make sure that everyone is equal? While we all deserve equal RIGHTS, that does not mean we need to be equal in other ways. Some people are naturally gifted and others have natural handicaps. But instead of looking at who is better at something and who is worse, I believe Vonnegut is saying that we should celebrate our differences and be our own person. An individual. Trying to make everyone have the same capability as the weakest person would only cripple our society as it did in Vonnegut's story.
I believe that the point of this story is to show how powerful the government can get. The government forces people to conform to the government's ways so that everyone is equal. They don't want the general public to remember all of the crimes that the government has committed, so they put handicaps on their bodies to make people forget. Breaking the social norm is also not allowed as seen by the killing of Harrison and the wearing of masks by the beautiful ballerinas. This form of government would probably never happen in the United States as U.S. citizens often speak out and rebel against things they don't approve of. However, this story is a great example of what can happen if the government becomes too powerful and the people become too dependent on the government.
The point of Vonnegut’s story “Harrison Bergeron” is to express his ideas of conformity. While the story’s setting is in the year of 2081, Vonnegut is showing what could happen to society. Every man and woman would be equal with their handicaps; no one would outshine the others.
I think Vonnegut wants to ensure that society will never reach the point in the story. Whether or not he meant the story to be an idea of conformity, he could be showing people to be themselves. Harrison revolted against the government because he could. He was physically able to defy anything the Handicapper General put on him. The ballerinas and musicians took their handicaps off because the saw change in Harrison that could make their lives better. Too bad the government restricts them from being and doing what they want at their full potential.
The point of the story is to show how society crushes individuality in order to make us all equal. As people, we try to celebrate individuality, but society always wrecks us with its impossible standards for beauty and brains. If we are too smart then we are made fun of, the same if we are not smart enough. The same goes with our bodies. If you are too thin, people call you anorexic and judge you because they do not look the same. If your body is bigger, you will be labeled fat and lazy. There is really no in between for us, no matter how you look you will be judged. Mediocre and average is best way you can be. You can be the perfect peach in every way possible--smell, taste, color--but there will still be someone who does not like peaches.
I find this short story very powerful. I think the purpose is to teach us to not be threatened by variety, but instead, embrace it. We should be careful with what we wish for because many people get jealous of people who seem better than them. I have seen this with hockey. Girls on my team see a better player and ultimately want to hurt her in some way so she stops beating us. I tell them that that is wrong because you do not harm athletes who have worked hard to get better than you. If we hurt or put a disadvantage on the good players and excel the bad players then there would be no competition. That would be a boring game that would benefit no one because everyone is the same. That is the same with this story. Competition is healthy and in the market it makes products cheaper and better quality. Somewhere along the line, someone has felt threatened and decided everyone needed to be equal. It hurts everyone in the end. It turns into a Communist country.
Kurt Vonnegut is trying to portray that freedom and equality do not mix. The United States government states that people have freedom, and also that everyone is equal at the same time. The story shows what happens in society where competition is no longer allowed because the government has decided what is "normal" and what isn't. People who are considered normal is handicapped and people who cannot keep up are left free from baggage. Harrison is a superhuman of society, he is not allowed to live or show freedom because he tries to overthrow the government's control. The Handicapper General uses radio signals to punish those who think the wrong thoughts or say the wrong things. The television has a numbing effect on the people who watch it. Hazel cannot even remember her son's own death. The ballerina's also represent a lost of freedom, they are horrible to watch even though they hold the most baggage of all in the society.
KIPP
Kurt Vonnegut is trying to portray that freedom and equality do not mix. The United States government states that people have freedom, and also that everyone is equal at the same time. The story shows what happens in society where competition is no longer allowed because the government has decided what is "normal" and what isn't. People who are considered normal is handicapped and people who cannot keep up are left free from baggage. Harrison is a superhuman of society, he is not allowed to live or show freedom because he tries to overthrow the government's control. The Handicapper General uses radio signals to punish those who think the wrong thoughts or say the wrong things. The television has a numbing effect on the people who watch it. Hazel cannot even remember her son's own death. The ballerina's also represent a lost of freedom, they are horrible to watch even though they hold the most baggage of all in the society.
I think the point of Kurt Vonnegut's story is to show the government's power and how we are not equal to the government. The scrap metal handicaps is the government's power over society.
Vonnegut is trying to show that if everyone was actually equal not only in political standing but also in looks, skills, and even intelligence then there wouldn't be a lot of great and outstanding people or things in the world. Everything and everyone would just be average or normal and people wouldn't defy the odds or challenge things in life.
The point of this story is to show the readers that no one will ever be the same. We will always have our different characteristics and personality differences. Vonnegut is absolutely incredible for writing this piece of literature. Humans were not made to be the same or to act the same. That is what life is all about. It is about differences in people that make it so exciting. This writing is also a warning for us now to never let the government over rule the people. This is something that even in today's world has an incredibly strong message.
What I got out of Vonnegut's story was that everyone is meant to be different. I think he was attempting to show how ridiculous people's lives would be if the government made it so everyone was exactly the same. We would have geniuses forced to wear mental handicap devices, amazing athletes wearing weight so heavy that they cannot show off their skills, and even loving parents who could not realize that their son is dead because they cannot properly think. Everyone is born different and it is for a reason.
Zeke Wieser
Equality is an ideal that many people hold dear. However, like all ideals, it has the ability to be taken too an extreme. Vonnegut (a master of taking things to the extreme) expresses this concept through the story.
Harrison Bergeron was published in 1961 at the beginning of the counter-culture movement in America. Hegemony was one of the main targets of the counter-culture movement; the ideas of conformity and normality. Vonnegut's story serves to warm people of the dangers of hegemony (and perhaps excessive government control).
Kurt Vonnegut's point is that equality is not equal. It only ruins lives in different ways. The above normal people are only made stupid by their handicaps and the average people are made to never achieve more.
Kurt Vonnegut's story is an interesting one, but it contains a deeper message. The idea that everyone is equal is absurd. Everyone is inherently made unequal--some better than the rest. The point of the story isn't to show how the government will become corrupt, but to show that the government we have is not corrupt. Luckily, our government is nothing like this and we should be thankful. This is a sort of anti-communist short story.
Kurt Vonnegut's point for this story was to show how society is reckless and evil. All of the perfect people must wear handicaps to make them like the disabled people. Everyone is changed to become an ugly monster so no one is better than another. This story is probably my favorite because it show how messed up society is to have less dominate characteristics. Society is so manipulating that they try to weigh personality characteristic down by their scrap metal.
Vonnegut's story was written as a warning to the people about the power of the government. He was warning everyone that if they become weak against the government, they would lose all sense of individuality and freedom. Vonnegut is showing that freedom and equality cannot simply coexist. One must be of lesser force in order for humanity to exist without chaos. The sad reality of life is that no matter how hard one might try to achieve equality and freedom together, it likely won't happen. Individuality is too prominent in life and the idea of freedom to be achievable in the views of equality.
Kurt Vonnegut writes this short story to teach an important lesson. He wants the reader to be wary of a government or person that tries to hide the excellence in another individual. Individuality is a blessing, not a burden. Creating a society full of mindless bodies destroys the one thing that makes this world special: originality. If individuals do not have a chance to showcase their talents and strengths, are they individuals any more? Vonnegut may be advising us to place judgement upon those who govern in our own lives.
Kurt Vonnegut's story displays a clash between individualism and equality. The US government has completely limited their citizens to a dull zombie-like state so everyone may feel equal and no one could cause chaos. We know that without individualism we as a society will never advance, or improve in any such way such as; technologically, ideologically, or politically. The main theme to this story for me is maintain your individualism and do not give in to the majority.
The point of the story is to say that we are not equal to the slightest. Also, it is showing what happens when the government has full control over us as humans. It shows what can happen to the world if the government takes away individual freedom and controls our lives. Competition is a good thing in society. Without competition, everything is mediocre at best and in this story it was the fault of the awful government. In the story, the killing of the two who try to stand out crushes societies hope as nobody really remembers what just happened in turn not letting them know how great individuality is.
I think the point of the story is to show that the need for technology, as it was already rising in 1961, can and will overtake the human race. As we read this in 2015, the need for some equality is too great. We want everyone to be beautiful (plastic surgery) and we want everyone to succeed educationally (different leveled classes). However, the government taking control of both our need for technology and our need for success can go devastatingly wrong. In the story, people are given handicaps if they are better at other things than another person. In reality, the government implies taxes.
The true nature of living things is to compete with each other to better ourselves and to help spread a stronger gene throughout the pool. What the author was portraying was a universe where everyone was hindered in some way. Not advanced, but handicapped as he had put it in the story. The Bergerons must have had a stroke of luck when they had Harrison, but that did not matter because of the government's regulations. With these regulations, there will be no advancements with human life and ability. Intelligence frowned upon and physical abilities hindered, only for people to be equal. That is not how life works. George, if it were not for his ear radio, could possibly have been a philosopher for all we know. We should work to better ourselves and not take a step backwards to be equal.
The point in Kurt Vonnegut's story is to warn the masses about the consequences of their present actions. In 1961 America was coming off of a decade of equality. Everybody was trying to become equal. Vonnegut wanted to warn the people about the ramifications of their actions. He was saying that if society stayed on the current path it was on, there would be serious problems in the future. These problems are what he was trying to portray in this short story. With everyone equal, discrimination becomes a problem if you are not equal. We can see this with Harrison. He was saying that society did not fix the problem of equality. Rather they turned the tables of discrimination to place the burden upon a different groups shoulders.
I think the author is trying to show us that we are all created with talents, we can't be forced to be equal. When we are forced to be burdened and dragged down it only makes us stronger. The people in this story believe that everyone is equal, but in reality anyone with talents, like George's intelligence, is unable to use them. People with beauty are made into a mockery. I also believe it shows how in the 1960's people were living in a suburbia where every house was the same, men all worked, women stayed home, children did what they were told to do. The 1960's was a huge time where anyone who was different was ridiculed. I think the author was trying to show that different talents are great and amazing things, not things that one should be ridiculed for.
I believe that the point of this story is to show that we should not let the government have too much power. If they have too much power they will take over everyone and control everything. Vonnegut is also trying to show that we cannot be free and equal at the same time. The metal handicaps represent the governments power they are trying to force over us. The Handicapper General represents a presidential figure or someone who controls the government.
The point of Vonnegut's story is to portray what would happen if everyone was the same or "normal". This would be as if everyone went through Nurse Ratchet's combine. Vonnegut is portraying his views on conformity. At the same time we see how the government holds total control over everyone. Someone began to stand out and were shot almost instantaneously. However, the Handicapper General does not have to be a symbol of the government, she could also portray what society and their views do to individuals. But total equality is an insane idea merely impossible to reach.
The purpose of Kurt Vonnegut's story is, like many other stories, to get the reader to think and contemplate the themes in the story. Everyone is equal in the story, but only because they are under the complete control of the Handicapper General. When one man, Harrison Bergeron tries to buck the system, the Handicapper General kills him and the other person he has liberated. Perhaps Vonnegut is saying that it is natural for their to be inequality in the world. People try so hard to make everyone equal and Vonnegut may be trying to show that people should embrace their differences instead of suppressing them. The government determines what is normal and uses several techniques to suppress differences in people.
Breitzman 3
I believe the point of Kurt Vonnegut's story is to show us the complications of what society would be like if everyone was equal. The differences between individuals in our society today help form our country and our world. If everyone is equal it may provide a smoother society, but it will also lack intrigue and competition which builds character in individuals.
I believe that the author, Kurt Vonnegut, is trying to tell the reader that life would not be perfect if everyone would be treated equally across the board. Everyone is made differently, each with our own quirks and talents, and if everyone was treated equally those quirks and talents would never be realized. I think this because of the signal in George's head, and the mask on the ballerina. Every time George thinks differently than the government says, a loud signal goes off in his head kind of masking his own thoughts. The ballerina is wearing a mask, but underneath she is "blindingly beautiful", but the government makes her wear her mask because if people saw her beauty she may be treated differently.
Mykayla Palmer Pd. 3
In Vonnegut’s short story, “Harrison Bergeron,” he describes a world in which the government has taken everybody’s personality in an attempt to equalize them. He shows how if we all strive to be equivalent in every which way, we lose our personalities, our talent, and our individuality. We become unable to think for ourselves. Vonnegut wants to show us the importance of being different and having our own strengths and weaknesses. The government, while stifling the individuality of each person, was able to control their emotions and thoughts. When Harrison breaks free of this and dances with the ballerina, he finds love and feeling. The government breaks in to stop this, and thus they are trying to control him.
I also believe this connects much to the American Dream and the promise of equality in America. No person has equal chances at achieving their dreams, because some people are born with advantages. Vonnegut is telling us that it is better this way, so people will keep striving to achieve more and do better.
The story is about the control of society through the government. I feel that the author is trying to point out that difference is a beautiful thing and that not everyone is the same, nor should they be.
I think that Harrison is supposed to illustrate anyone who opposes the government, he is to illustrate an intelligent and beautiful human being, athletic and strong as well as articulate and graceful. The fact that Diana Moon shoots the two minors, I think might be trying to say something about conformity to society and how sameness could be the end of us, the literal end. Maybe saying that randomness and individuality are how we thrive as a society.
The point of this story is to show what would come about if conformity became an international reality. The world will become boring and plain, as the music was. I feel as though Vonnegut's story was a humorous presentation on how everyone really should simply be themselves.
I think the point of the story was to show that everyone's going to be different but that's okay. Differences create society. Of course there will always be the leaders who actually have more power even though the constitution says everyone is equal but that doesn't matter I guess.
I think Vonnegut wrote this story to make a statement about how people were not meant to all be completely equal. People were born with certain advantages and to handicap them for those advantages can leave the world in utter chaos.
Vonnegut's story emphasizes the fact that in order to have total equality, freedom and individual achievement must be sacrificed. The story points out the fact that although complete equality is appealing in the abstract, it is not appealing in the concrete. Complete physical, mental, and fiscal equality would mean losing all our talents and attributes that make us who we are; in result, lessening our society as a whole.
Kurt Vonnegut's story was to inform the reader that if everyone was equal the world would turn into a scene of complete chaos. I also think that with so much power in the governments hands, there is no way for everyone to be free and equal. The government steals our freedom and our personalities. The Handicapper General is someone I see as a high authority, someone like the president.
I believe that the story is showing all of societies bars set on people. Society rejects people who are different when in fact we should praise them and acknowledge their differences for the better. I feel he is also showing what it would be like if society was equal and how it would not work. Another take on the story I came up with was maybe society in the story did not know how to love and when Harrison broke all of the others handicaps off, that was him showing them how to love for the first time. The government is trying to control the people to be lifeless sheep.
The point of Vonnegut's story is to show the scary possibility of a government expressing too much control.The government limits everything that the citizens do, down to the citizens brains and good looks. This short story shows that everyone being the same is not a good thing. The story is even darker when the man attempting to get rid of his handicaps is shot and killed. As outlandish at this story sounds there is always a sliver of possibility of this happening.
The story of Harrison Bergen is quite extraordinary. Vonnegut places his characters in a world where everyone is impaired if they are not normal. Or what I would call stupid and weak. That is the best way to control people, keep them ignorant and weak. It also goes to show that will of ones mind is a powerful thing. Harrison got stronger but so did his will. Without it he would have stayed imprisoned and not have tried to escape. The Handicapped General is the Villain in this story because in the effort to keep everyone the same, she is killing off innovation and change.
I believe Vonnegut's reason for creating this story is to warn society about control. This control could come from the government, like in the novel, society, or even both. The people in the story probably supported those two amendments that were created by the government, in fact they had to. However, they did not see the impacts that could happen by limiting others to the level that each individual in society can achieve. Progress ground to a halt after people were limited. The idea of making everyone equal is definitely ideal, however, I do not believe it could ever be achieved. We need innovators and specialists to take part in their respective areas. The ballet would have been much more inspiring if they were not hindered.
The point of Kurt Vonnegut's story was to warn people of the expense of blindly following the government. More than books like 1984 warn readers of the potential power of government, it warns us of the world that might ensue if we as a society struggle so hard for equality. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and people should learn to embrace themselves for such strengths, rather than being angry at others for the ways they are better or worse. Dr. Seuss once wrote the line "If you tell a fish to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid." He put words to the idea that everyone succeeds and fails in different ways. Without these differences, the beauty and talent in the world would disappear.
In Vonnegut's story, the point shows what will happen if equality is valued over humanity. Humans are naturally unequal in ability to others, which is what allows the human race to advance. In this futuristic tale of events, the new humans who are "equal" are unable to tell when their own son is killed. Because some humans are more gifted than others, people like Albert Einstein and Steven Hawking are able to make great scientific advancements. If all humans were equal, as this story shows, humanity would regress.
I believe that the point of the story is to show that the world is better off when people are not exactly the same and that everyone should keep and be proud of what talents they are born with. The people in the story are given handicaps even though they excel compared to other individuals in the story and the author writes it in a way that the reader would think that the world they live in has a lot of chaos similar to the events in the story since the ending is just like the beginning which makes it seem like a cycle. It also might be a anti-establishment message as well since the government is controlling people's lives and giving them handicaps that the reader should disagree to.
Vonnegut is making a statement about normalcy. Sometimes the most brilliant people are labeled as as dangerous. The true danger lies in everyone being "normal." The government in this story could be anything. I think the government could be an allusion to society. Everyone has what they come to believe as their own handicaps and when they break free of those handicaps it is quite beautiful and astonishing, but eventually they get put back in their place.
Ashley Guthmiller pd. 6
I believe that Kurt Vonnegut is trying to warn us about big government trying to make everyone equal. The government wants complete control over the people so they take away the uniquely brilliant thoughts, and attributes of their citizens. In the story, Harison is represents all the beauty, strength, and brilliance that the government is trying to fight against and he gets destroyed and everything goes back to normal, as if it never happened.
This short story reminded me a lot of the book 1984 because of the strong government and the man and women trying to change things.
The point of Kurt Vonnegut's story is to warn the readers that total equality will ruin any civilized society. Individuality and difference bring excitement into people's lives. People being better than the rest of the population at certain things is how society functions as it does.
The thing that really got to me -- as a sports fan -- was the mediocre ballet dancers. As it is March Madness time, imagine a season in which there is no March Madness tournament because every team finished with the same record because every game ended in a tie. What an awful world that would be.
I believe the point of the story is to show that people should not be moderated. Every person is special and unique in their own way, and to limit this would create a bland society. Each person will have their own strengths and weaknesses, this is natural. To try to force equality upon everyone would not be right, and it would create a culture of plainness.
Andrews 6
The story of Harrison Bergeron is to show that without competition or individuality society would be complete chaos. Kurt Vonnegut shows readers that being different is a good think and is something we should be thankful for.
I think Harrison is meant to portray the individuals that are against the government and their strict rules and what happens to some people that speak out against them.
I think that this short story is showing how it is important to encourage using ones self for their full potential instead of allowing society to handicap your potential to societies benefit. We were not created to be all a like and I think it is important to remember that when you feel like you are in a situation that you need to "fit it". I think that the government is purposely used in this story to warn people that both society and the government are dangerous and that to keep an eye on both in your life time. Both in many situations may be positive and helpful, but both can also cause much danger and pain.
Vonnegut's main point for this story is that individualism is what defines us as a person and as a society as a whole. Being equal in the law is one thing, but becoming equal in intelligence, appearance, and talent is completely different. Taking away someones own quirks and differences makes for a very gray world. Individuality and expression is so precious to life and it is something that can never be taken away.
The story is about how equality can create corruption. Fairness and equality is very idealistic and doesn't actually work. I felt as it was a hit on communism. In that economy, no once can improve themselves.
I feel that the point of this story is to show why civilization cannot function properly if everyone is equals. Equalizing everyone causes the total loss of individuality and aspirations.
I would like to believe that Kurt Vonnegut wrote that story to make a point on people's originality. I think that he is trying to show that everyone is different and that life will not always be fair. I also believe that he was showing a corrupt government, and what the possibilities could be if we had a corrupt government.
The story basically gives you a world where everyone is the same and when you're all the same, nothing gets done. Things change quickly when there is intelligence and individualism behind an idea. Harrison became an emperor, there was much better music, and people could actually dance the way they wanted to,
I believe that this story is similar to communism. In this story, the theory of everyone being equal in intelligence, looks, and strength sounds promising but when put into action, it crumbles and causes rebellions. While in Communistic countries, it is corrupt and the common people are equal but very far from those in power who benefit from the so called equality.
I believe that the story is about equality and how it will never truly work. Even in the story, the people "government" trying to encourage and create equality are not following the rules themselves. They hold power over the average person, and with power comes corruption, as shown by the death of Harrison and his empress.
I believe the point of this story was to explain how being unique is a good thing, but is hard to control. Everyone should be able to think for themselves, and not be ruled completely by a government. As a very wise man once told me, "you have won the genetic lottery." And I think everyone has in a sense that they should be unique and diversity, that is what makes people interesting.
Vonnegut was showing that equality among everyone is a very hard thing to achieve. Everyone becoming equal is boring and there is no individuality when everyone is equal. We need change and difference. He is also trying to show the power the government has the potential to have. In the 1960 there was a large portion of America that did not trust the government, I believe he was trying to get people to understand the possibilities that could come about if people let the government control them.
The story is about how even though you can go through all of that work making laws and amendments, you will never have true absolute equality. As displayed when the woman comes in; she was not handicapped as far as we were able to tell. Showing how the government didn't even follow the laws they were enforcing, showing government corruption.
Vonnegut's short story really blew my mind. I did not know what to think of it at first or even how to interpret it. I think that Vonnegut is trying to teach his readers about equality. No matter how hard the world tries, there will always be people who judge one another and look for differences in one another, but that is what makes humanity so great. If everyone was the same, then we wouldn't be able to appreciate the differences people have and life wouldn't be as fun.
Ripperda 7
The author, Kurt Vonnegut, clearly writes this short story to mock and warn against governments with far too much power. He is also warning us of the dangers of socialistic policies, socialistic reformers will not just stop at the redistribution of wealth. Money was not enough, they want to make each person 100% equal in every way.
People shouldn't be inhibited, whether it be in spirit, in ability, or in thought. Ideally, total equality seems like a nice thing, something sweet and shiny and preferable. Introduce it to reality, though, and human nature will distort it, inevitably. Forcing everyone to be equal fails in and of itself, for the equalizer cannot possibly be on par with the standard, the average, the normal. In order to control the equal masses, some greater power, most definitely NOT equal, must oversee them.
So essentially total equality fails. It's doomed to fail in this world. Truly, it isn't fair.
Darrington 7
This story was an extreme example of an attempt on equality gone wrong. It was to show how if we were to try and make everyone the same, life would be bleak and many people would be held back. I think this story is mainly to warn of the Utopian equality that many people dreamed of and also make people consider the times they are currently living in. The best way for a society to advance is to allow creativity and individuality,even though it will not be "fair" for some who are less gifted in certain disciplines.
Vonnegut's intentions for this story would have been to dis the government and the education system. He was against people being average and that was what our education system was all about: making sure everyone is equal. Though, equality is bad because change is unable to occur if everyone is equal. Only equal opportunity is good. This is his point. He sees that our government and education system will lead to corruption and prejudicial decisions. Maybe he was treated badly and told to be average when he was young.
Alex Hillestad Period 7
I think Vonnegut wrote the story to show that we need competition in our world in order to thrive. Without smarter or stronger people, we as humans wouldn't or couldn't learn or do new things. It also shows that individuality needs to be expressed.
Vonnegut's point for this story is to show how much can change under someone's(Diana Moon Glampers) rule. How unfair those who are normal and not normal are treated. Taking away their individuality that makes them who they are. And without the individuality and differences in the world it could be plain chaos. Destroying whoever breaks the rules. Showing how boring it could be if everyone was exactly the same. Telling us it is ok to be different and to be yourself.
The point of this story was to show that being totally equal is not a good thing. Being different is okay and good for society. To be equal, mentally and physically, in the story the government tortured its citizens and did not want anyone to be different. The beautiful had to wear masks, the intelligent had to listen to earsplitting noises, and the graceful had to wear weights around their necks. This story showed how dangerous it would be if everyone was the same. Everyone is born different and it is for a reason.
Huizenga 7
In my opinion, the point of Kurt Vonnegut's story is to show the extreme of society's conformist nature. The more exceptional a person is, the more society tries to conform them to the level of everyone else.
Vonnegut wrote "Harrison Bergeron" at the beginning of the Counter-Culture Movement in the early 60's. One of the counter-culture's most tightly held ideals is that of breaking societal norms and constraints.
In the story, Harrison Bergeron is an extremely talented, skilled, and handsome person who is handicapped by the government to be on an equal level with those who are considered "normal".
Vonnegut is trying to convey that although equality is necessary when it comes to societal opportunities, it can be taken to a manipulatively dangerous extreme. Conformity becomes/is corrupt, individuality defines.
Kate is smartest in this story when she makes up how her husband is bad when he really isnt. She just likes flirting with the neighbor and playing with his mind. I would say that one symbol is the rose which symbolizes love on the outside but it has thorns and can hurt you when you try to touch them, but they are nice to look at. And I didn't snicker because I didn't actually understand the story till Mr. C told me.
Vonnegut is clearly enlightening readers of the possibilities that could come of the future if the government were to increasingly take control of our lives. There isn't a possibility of this in my eyes. Harrison is an intelligent boy who is handicapped to be "normal". Vonnegut is showing how important individuality is among people. Nobody is created the same which is why it is incredibly obtuse to think that people should be exactly alike. Some possess intelligence, while others possess physical dominance. A world in which this was even close to being true would be awful!!!
Burch
Pd. 3
The point of Kurt Vonnegut's short story is to draw an exaggerated, silly version of our society. Instead of compassionately and gently teaching children that life isn't fair, we do our best to make sure that there aren't losers (in the end, society is filled with bratty, self-entitled grownups). We strive for equality and end up suffocating some people while babying others. Vonnegut's story goes to show that perhaps equality should not be our first priority. I would argue that "equality" is a form of social communism. By taking away talents and intelligence, a dictatorship run by society is formed.
Total equality is not always the best thing. It doesn't quite work. It reminds me of Animal Farm when it says "Some animals are equal...but some are more equal than others". There will always be someone who tries to hold too much power over others.
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