Harrison Bergeron

The central theme of “Harrison Bergeron” is not entirely difficult to comprehend. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. uses his short story to satirize the notion of an egalitarian society in what could be considered a warning for the many aspects of American society including the government, the consumer, or the education system. Through his use of narration and characterization, Vonnegut is able to create an absurd world which forces the reader to determine the important aspects of the story.

Vonnegut’s use of third person narration plays an important role throughout the short story. Viewing the story from the eyes of someone detached from the event makes sure we see each character through the same lens and it also ensures that we do not get attached to any one character because they all bring different views to the story. The narrator’s reliability comes into question with statements such as, “Harrison tore the straps of his handicap harness like wet tissue paper, tore straps guaranteed to support five thousand pounds” (56) and the description of Harrison and his “empress” defying gravity while dancing. The narrator’s unreliability adds to the Vonnegut’s idea of the absurd. Vonnegut’s presentation of the story in such illogical terms allows him to fully maximize his point on the dangers of total government control throughout the story. Placing the story 120 years into the future allows readers to accept many of Vonnegut’s premises throughout the story. Another important aspect of narration is the limited knowledge of the narrator. This allows Vonnegut to make his point without having to deal with obvious holes and other pertinent issues. For example, if everybody was finally equal, then why does not everybody have handicaps to prevent them from seeing, hearing, or even walking? Another important issue Vonnegut does not have to deal with is income distribution or government services. During the 1960s, tensions were at an all time high with the Soviet Union, and Vonnegut’s exclusion of wealth management allows him to skirt around a potential controversy.

Each of the characters also adds a different dimension to the story. George and Hazel seem to represent opposite ends of the spectrum. Hazel represents the view of the weak who are often the first people to be at a disadvantage in the real world. While weak characters are often thought of as the sympathetic characters, in the year 2081 she is clearly at an advantage because the gap has been closed. Instead the reader is forced to feel sorry for George because of the extensive handicaps he must wear just because he was born naturally gifted. In many cases, strong characters receive very little sympathy but Vonnegut was able to turn the tables in this instince. The duo of Diana Moon Glampers and Harrison Bergeron work much in the same way. Often times Glampers is seen to be the evil character in the story, but it is important to note that Harrison is not a great moral character either as can be seen by his conduct pertaining to the musicians. Once he escapes from prison, his intentions are to rule the world are shown when he claims, “‘I am the Emperor!’… ‘Do you hear? I am the Emperor! Everybody must do what I say at once!’…” (54). Bergeron serves as a warning as to what is possible in a world where people have too much freedom. On the other hand, Glampers is in a position where she is in charge of taking away freedom from people and keeping them repressed. The contrast between Harrison and Glampers can serve as a caution as to what happens when people have too much freedom or too little freedom.

Vonnegut’s story could be viewed as a warning sign for the American society of the 1960s; however, many of his same messages can be applied to our times. A recent Time article highlighted the glaring lack of resources gifted children receive when compared to the average child. Now more than ever, there seems to be an endless supply of television commercials implying that it is only cool to dress and act a certain way. American rights are slowly eroding as we continue to fight the global war on terror. It is during these times such as ours that we can really appreciate the message Vonnegut sent over 40 years ago.

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