Week 5: Alejandra Garcia

“Harrison Bergeron” begins with important details of setting and a strong opening statement, “The year was 2081 and everybody was finally equal.” From this first paragraph we begin to understand the world and time in which the story takes places. The dystopian society handicaps people in order to preserve equality. Vonnegut criticizes the notion of all being equal and presents characters repressed, stripped of their individuality, and left with absent minded 20second thoughts. As the plot approaches the climax the handicap of one of the main characters George becomes more violent and adds to the tension and intensity of the story. At first, his thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a buzzer but later on his thoughts about his son are eliminated by the sound of a gun, bringing him to tears and two ballerinas on tv to the ground.  Theses interruptions highlight the dysfunctional state of the society. After Harrison’s grand scene of defiance and display of strength and beauty he is killed by Diana Moon Glampers of the United States Handicapper General. In a humorously pathetic ending Hazel and George forget the death of their son and we are left with a stupid comment by Hazel.