KURT VONNEGUT

• Born November 11, 1922
• Died April 11, 2007
• Born in Indianapolis, Indiana
• Died in New York City, New York
• Known for his humanist beliefs, and was horrified at Allied bombings of Dresden, a defenseless city.

Summary
In April, Harrison Bergeron, a fourteen year old boy, is taken away from is parents by the government. The parents cannot comprehend what happened due to various factors. In 2081, the US government established new laws that make everyone equal, physically, and mentally. Harrison's mother cannot understand the tragedy, because of her lack of intelligence, and his father has an equalizer that prevents prolonged periods of thinking. The mother says she would be a good handicapper, and she looks like the handicapper, but then the father begins to think of his son before the equalizer rings and prevents him from thinking anymore. One day while watching television a bulletin is read that Harrison Bergeron has escaped prison. Harrison arrives at the station and begins to tell everyone to take their equalizers off. He boasts of making an empire, and chooses an empress. They then start using their God-given abilities and jump 30+ feet to the ceiling. Their happiness is cut short when the Handicapper arrives in a helicopter, and guns both Harrison and his empress dead. The mother is crying, but she cannot remember why. The father tells her
not to think too much about anything, and the story ends.

THEMES

• Censorship: "They were burdened with sash weights and bags of bird shot, and their faces were masked.."
• Despotism: "Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double barrel ten gauge shotgun. She fired twice. and the Emperor and Empress were dead.."
• Tragic Ignorance : "Forget sad things," said George. "I always do," said Hazel

Protagonist

Antagonist

Static Characters
The parents are static, due to the fact that they could never figure out that their son was taken away, and shot on the television while they were watching.

Dynamic Characters
The ballerinas are dynamic, because they start off by obeying the government, but when Harrison comes to liberate them, they throw off their handicappers, and proceed to dance how they were meant to dance.

Story told in 3rd person omniscient

• Because the story is told in third person omniscient, the author is able to show the true thoughts of everyone in the story. It captures the absolute sadness of the parents, and the will of Harrison.

Plot Diagram

Exposition

• Main Characters: Harrison Bergeron, Hazel Bergeron, George Bergeron, Diana Moon Glampers
• Setting: The Bergeron House, TV studio
• Time: April 2081
• Situation: Government forces equality on citizens
• Parents of Harrison watch TV

Rising Action

• Harrison goes to the studio and takes off handicappers on himself, and he declares himself Emperor

Climax

• Harrison tells orchestra to play joyful music
• He and his empress dance and jump around
• They jump to the ceiling and defy gravity

Falling Action

• Diana Moon arrives in studio with shotgun
• She kills Harrison and his empress
• She threatens everyone else, unless they put their gear back on

TONE WORDS

• Afriad
• melancholy
• pitiful
• gloomy

MOOD WORDS

• dark " She fired twice, killing the Emperor and Empress
• haunting "Everyone was finally equal, no one was smarter, stronger, or quicker than anyone else."

Setting
The story takes place in 2081, where the government has passed laws that equalize everyone. Setting is extremely important to the story, because if it was not the future or past this story line would not make any sense. It makes sense when in the future, the government is able to use the ignorance of the people to exert totalitarian power. " THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everyone was finally equal..."

Foreshadowing
"The minute people start cheating on laws, what do you think would happen?"

Conflict

• Everyone is completely equal
• Diversity is prevented by the use of handicaps
• Government destroys freedom for equality

Symbolism

• "I don't mind the weight, said George. It's just a part of me."

Irony

• " H-G men took George and Hazel Bergeron's fourteen-year-old son, Harrison, away."
• " You've been crying, said George..." "Something real sad on television, said Hazel."

Metaphor

• "George had a little mental handicap radio on his ear"

Connections can definitively be made, with the totalitarian government in the story, and the same type of government in North Korea today. North Korea censors everything, and the population is too ignorant to rise up, or do anything to stop the tyranny. Much like the government in "Harrison Bergeron.

CITATIONS
PHOTOS: http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/122/3/e/harrison_bergeron_by_kanaru9...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BvpCRDJGtNtTK4PXBngfOvPLt2UmCzAYZouwRzyol...