Harrison Bergeron Critical Analysis Essay - 761 Words

Harrison Bergeron Critical Analysis In the story Harrison Bergeron in the year 2081 everyone is equal, no one is smatter, better looking, stronger, faster, etc. than anyone else, but rather everyone is â€Å"average†. This story raises the idea of tall poppy syndrome. A derogatory term used to describe a social phenomenon in which people are resented, attacked, put down, and criticized by society because their talents or achievements place them above and distinguish them from their peers. This is evident in the characters Harrison Bergeron, George Bergeron, and the ballerina whose talents are being hindered by the government (handicapper general) in the story. Harrison Bergeron is and absurdly handsome, strong, genius who outpaces his peers.†¦show more content†¦This story suggests that total equality amongst one another is not something worth striving for, suggesting that it implantation is dangerous and will have unintentional outcomes. This is true because in the s tory in order to achieve equality physically and mentally the citizens were treated inhumanly by the government. The beautiful were forced to hide their beauty under masks, the strong forced to wear hundred pound weights around their necks, and the intellectual suffered unbearable noises making it impossible for them to concentrate. Citizens dumb themselves down and hide their talents fearing government punishment. Equality is achieved in a sense but at the expense of freedom and personal achievement. When summarizing the idea of human equality as naà ¯ve cautioning that â€Å"The quest for equality is either a desire to bring everyone down to one’s level or raise oneself and everyone else up† Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and Kurt Vonnegut beliefs on equality are interrelated. Author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. criticizes America’s political system being that equality is and cherished principle in the Declaration of Independence which states that â€Å"All men are c reated equal†. Vonnegut suggests that if the idea of equality is taken too literally people will be forced to be equal in appearance, behavior, and achievement which is irrational and illogical. Nietzsche believed that the idea that people are equal wasShow MoreRelatedEquality And Diversity In Kurt Vonneguts Harrison Bergeron1263 Words   |  6 Pagesequality? Kurt Vonnegut’s â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† answers that question with a solid no, we should not. Through his comical and sarcastic tone, many forms of irony, and absurd hyperboles, Vonnegut supports his work as a satire that both critically analyses and mocks the idea of total equality; Overall, emphasising the idea that society should strive for equality of justice, liberty, and rights, but not of things like the attributes that make us individuals. In â€Å"Harrison Bergeron,† sarcasm is expressedRead MoreHumes Ideas Present In Kurt Vonneguts Harrison Bergeron444 Words   |  2 PagesUpon analysis of Kurt Vonneguts, Harrison Bergeron, evidence suggests that the story imitates the basic structure of the monomyth. However, unlike the sequence and obvious events presented in a monomyth Vonnegut cleverly applies his own unique play on the iconic structure. What is to be noted first is the definition of amonomyth. Joseph Campbell defines the term, monomyth, as the standard cycle of events that occur to which the hero endures during the progression of the story (kfjakhfakjf).