Repressive Society in Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut...

The story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† by Kurt Vonnegut is120 years in the future, which allows us to more easily accept some of the bizarre events that happen in the story such as when the character Harrison Bergeron is dancing with a ballerina and there is no law of gravity and motion, so they can almost touch the studio ceiling which is thirty feet high. The author emphasizes in his work themes such as freedom, mind manipulation, the American dream, and media influence, also the opposition between strength and weakness and knowledge and ignorance. The story illustrates that being equal to one another is not always the best way to live because everyone is different for a reason. Also, this is what makes everyone special in your particular way.†¦show more content†¦The author wants to get our attention to the major differences from the present world to Harrison Bergeron’s world and examine the notable similarities in both as well. The opposition of knowledge and p ower versus suppression and ignorance are used by the author to satirize the society because who has the knowledge also, has the power. The more knowledge the government has and does not share it with the population, the easier is to control people and their minds. For example when Hazel watches her son die on television after performing a beautiful dance that theoretically could have brought about radical change, and instead of gaining even an ounce of understanding, she ends where she begun. When George asked her why she had tears in her eyes, her memory had already failed her, but she takes his advice to simply forget sad things, commenting that she always does. Equality can be interpreted in many ways, as we can see throughout the history such as racial, gender, and socio-economic equality. The Civil Rights emphasize that everybody should be treated equally and another view is the one represented in the story that everybody is equal. It is a completely out of reality to have a perfect society or no competition at all because how we could make advancements if the government was allowed to impose handicaps on the naturally gifted. The great thinkers would not be able to have new ideas because of the mentalShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. s Harrison Bergeron1500 Words   |  6 Pagesothers, as we make choices in an effort to satisfy others and ourselves. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† offers a dark insight into an idealistic utopia, and the consequences of a ruthlessly equitable society. Although equality provides a beneficial component to a desirable society, forcing it upon society would ultimately b e at the expense of individuality. Initially, Harrison Bergeron is physically constrained by society, however through his willful arrogance and determination to gain controlRead MoreJames BaldwinS Sonnys Blues713 Words   |  3 PagesSonnys Blues, and in Kurt Vonnegut Jr.s short story Harrison Bergeron, are the title characters of each respective work. They both embody conceptions of youth within each story Sonny as the younger brother of the nameless narrator in Baldwins tale, and Bergeron as the son of the George and Hazel Bergeron. In their own way, each is antisocial and engage in practices that are disapproved of by their societies. Sonny is struggling with a heroin addiction/habit, while Harrison has plans to overthrowRead MoreRelationship Between V for Vendetta and Harrison Bergeron1752 Words   |  8 PagesAccording to the Oxford English Dictionary, Dystopia is defined as the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being  utopian. Dystopian societies feature different kinds of repressive social control methods and various forms of active and passive intimidation. Works about dystopian societies often explore the concept of humans neglecting technology and humans individually and collectively trying to manage or not being able to properly manage with technologyRead MoreA Dystopia Is Not A Contemporary Idea2159 Words   |  9 PagesA dystopia is an unpleasant and repressive society which usually has the intent to make equality an opportunity for all. 1984 and â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† are two examples of dystopia literature. In each, technological advances and psychological stimuli is designed to overwhelm an individuals thought. Based upon these pieces of literature, is it possible for a utopia exist? For clarification purposes, there are some definitions to keep in mind when reading this essay. The dictionary defines a utopia