Harrison Bergeron
“Harrison Bergeron” is a 1961 short story by Kurt Vonnegut.
| “Harrison Bergeron” | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kurt Vonnegut |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Dystopia, Science fiction, political fiction |
| Published in | The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction |
| Media type | Print (magazine) |
| Publication date | 1961 |
Plot
The story begins in the year of 2081, where the 211th, 212th and the 213th amendments control the lives of individuals. Nobody is allowed to be smarter than anybody else and people with mental disabilities have to wear handicaps. Then people who are better looking than others have to wear a face mask. Harrison Bergeron being taken away by the government at the age of 14 caused him to escape and invade the television studio in an attempt to overthrow the government. He then takes off his handicaps along with a ballerina's handicap and calls himself the Emporer and her the empress. After they dance, Diana Moon Glampers, the handicapped general walks in and kills them both.
Characters
George Bergeron
George Bergeron is Harrison Bergeron's father and Hazel Bergeron's husband. Despite his strength and "far above normal" IQ, George's abilities are limited by state-imposed mental and physical handicaps[1], making him equal to everyone else.
Harrison Bergeron
He is the son of George and Hazel Bergeron, he was taken away by the government at age 14.[1] He is seven feet tall[2] and appears to be the most advanced model the human species has to offer. Harrison is imprisoned for refusing to accept the government's regulations on himself and society, but he escapes, removes his handicaps, and in an act of disobedience against the government.
Hazel Bergeron
Hazel Bergeron is Harrison Bergeron's mother and George Bergeron's wife. Unlike her husband and son, Hazel is described as having "perfectly average" strength and intelligence, she can't think about anything except in brief spurts[1], hence she has neither mental or physical handicaps.
Ballerina/Empress
The Ballerina is one of the dancers in George and Hazel Bergeron's televised dance performance, which they watch for the duration of the story. She has serious mental and physical problems, as well as an ugly disguise, at first. When Harrison Bergeron storms onto the stage and orders, "Let the first woman who dares rise to her feet claim her mate and her throne,"[3] this dancer rises to her feet and becomes Harrison's Empress. Harrison takes away all of her handicaps, revealing her "blindingly attractive" beauty, and the two of them dance together brilliantly.[3] Diana Moon Glampers shoots and kills Harrison and the Empress after the dance.[4]
Diana Moon Glampers (Handicapper General)
She is the United States' Handicapper General. She is in charge of controlling the minds and bodies of all Americans in order to ensure that everyone is treated equally.[1] She is the one who shot and killed both Harrison and the Ballerina on live television[5] in order to silence their opposition and convey a message to all residents that individualism and skill will not be allowed.
Major Themes
From the start, it is evident that equality is a major theme. The equality represented in the satire isn't what most people think of when they say they desire equality. The intelligent have their thoughts disrupted by jolting sounds, musicians have an unstated handicap that limits their abilities, and the beautiful wear horrible masks. [6] Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else.[1]
Yet when we look at Vonnegut's own words and three distinct story elements-the characters, the climax, and the resulting meaning-we can see how muddled this once-thought-crysal-clear theme actually is.[7]
Development History
Publication History
This is a short story that was written in
Explanation of the Work's Title
Vonnegut named the story after the protagonist Harrison Bergeron, a all-American boy who tires to revolt and change the society in which he lives. [8]
Literary Significance and Reception
Awards and Nominations
Vonnegut received the 39th Prometheus award for the short story "Harrison Bergeron" on August 19,2019 during the 77th World Science Fiction Convention in Dublin,Ireland .
Adaptations
Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Sipiora 2002, p. 135.
- ↑ Sipiora 2002, p. 137.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sipiora 2002, p. 138.
- ↑ Sipiora 2002, p. 139.
- ↑ Sipiora 2002, p. 1139.
- ↑ Hattenhauer 1998, p. 387. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFHattenhauer1998 (help)
- ↑ American Literature & 1900-1999.
- ↑ Votteler 1991, p. 427.
Works Cited
- "Vonnegut wins Prometheus Award for 'Harrison Bergeron'". Kurt Vonnegut Museum Library. August 19, 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
- Hattenhauer, Darryl (Fall 1998). "The Politics of Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron". Studies in Short Fiction. 35 (4): 387.
- Hattenhauer, Darryl. Votteler, Thomas (ed.). The Politics of Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron". 35 Issue 4. Literary Criticism. pp. 387.6p.
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- Hattenhauer, Darryl (Fall 1998). "The Politics of Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron". Studies in Short Fiction. 35 (4): 387.
- {{Cite book |last=Hattenhauer|first=Darryl|title=The Poliitics Kutchers Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergron" |publisher=Darryl Hattenhauer
- Klinkowitz, Jerome (1973). The Vonnegut Statement. Library of Congress. pp. 147–148.