Harrison Bergeron
Background of "Harrison Bergeron"
Picture a world where everyone is completely equal. A world where the government makes sure that everyone has equal wealth, equal intelligence and equal levels of attractiveness. This might seem like a perfect place to live -- until you wonder how the government would actually accomplish this monumental task.
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. wrote about just such a world in his 1961 short story 'Harrison Bergeron.' This story is an example of dystopian fiction, or a type of fiction in which a society's attempt to create a perfect world goes very wrong.
Picture a world where everyone is completely equal. A world where the government makes sure that everyone has equal wealth, equal intelligence and equal levels of attractiveness. This might seem like a perfect place to live -- until you wonder how the government would actually accomplish this monumental task.
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. wrote about just such a world in his 1961 short story 'Harrison Bergeron.' This story is an example of dystopian fiction, or a type of fiction in which a society's attempt to create a perfect world goes very wrong.
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1. What is a utopian society?
2. What is a dystopian society?
3. In which category does "Harrison Bergeron" fit into (utopian or dystopian)? Why?
4. What things have happened in our society when we try to make everyone equal that Vonnegut be eluding to in "Harrison Bergeron"? What ideas of equality motivate such policies and trends?
2. What is a dystopian society?
3. In which category does "Harrison Bergeron" fit into (utopian or dystopian)? Why?
4. What things have happened in our society when we try to make everyone equal that Vonnegut be eluding to in "Harrison Bergeron"? What ideas of equality motivate such policies and trends?
5. In the story, how is George "handicapped?" How is Hazel "handicapped?"
6. What do the "handicaps" say about each person?
7. Who is Harrison and what does he do? Who kills Harrison and who does she work for?
8. How do Hazel and George respond Harrison's death?
9. How would most parents respond to their son's execution on national television?
10. What's interesting about Vonnegut's story is its hyperbole (exaggeration): equality is enforced to the death. What are the limits we have to equality today?
6. What do the "handicaps" say about each person?
7. Who is Harrison and what does he do? Who kills Harrison and who does she work for?
8. How do Hazel and George respond Harrison's death?
9. How would most parents respond to their son's execution on national television?
10. What's interesting about Vonnegut's story is its hyperbole (exaggeration): equality is enforced to the death. What are the limits we have to equality today?
Your Task
Closely read "Harrison Bergeron" and write a well-developed, text-based response of two to three paragraphs. In your response, identify a central idea in the text and analyze how the author’s use of one writing strategy (literary element or literary technique or rhetorical device) develops this central idea. Use strong and thorough evidence from the text to support your analysis. Do not simply summarize the text. You may use the margins to take notes as you read and scrap paper to plan your response.
Guidelines:
Be sure to:
• Identify a central idea in the text
• Analyze how the author’s use of one writing strategy (literary element or literary technique or rhetorical evice) develops this central idea. Examples include: characterization, conflict, denotation/connotation, metaphor, simile, irony, language use, point-of-view, setting, structure, symbolism, theme, tone, etc.
• Use strong and thorough evidence from the text to support your analysis
• Organize your ideas in a cohesive and coherent manner
• Maintain a formal style of writing
• Follow the conventions of standard written English
Guidelines:
Be sure to:
• Identify a central idea in the text
• Analyze how the author’s use of one writing strategy (literary element or literary technique or rhetorical evice) develops this central idea. Examples include: characterization, conflict, denotation/connotation, metaphor, simile, irony, language use, point-of-view, setting, structure, symbolism, theme, tone, etc.
• Use strong and thorough evidence from the text to support your analysis
• Organize your ideas in a cohesive and coherent manner
• Maintain a formal style of writing
• Follow the conventions of standard written English
10 points for identifying and explaining the central idea (theme)
5 points for identifying and defining a literary element.
5 points for giving two example of the literary element in the text.
5 points for writing about how the literary element makes the theme clear.
5 points for identifying and defining a literary element.
5 points for giving two example of the literary element in the text.
5 points for writing about how the literary element makes the theme clear.
Example from student work:
The theme or main idea of the passage is that everyone is different. We are all human but have characteristics that develop who we are and differs from one person to the next. In this short story, handicaps represent the differences, being strong, athletic, intelligent, or average. This story portrays the idea of being different among humans.
Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality traits of the character. The author explains to the audience the personality traits with the use of direct characterization. An example of the author using direct characterization is "He is a genius and an athlete..." An example of indirect characterization is when the author says, "Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains."
Characterization plays a major role in explaining the theme. In the story it helps to explain how different people are from one another. It also helps show how equality can help and hurt people in society. One example from the text -- "Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise..." -- shows that people are punished for being different and shows he's more intelligent than most people.
-authors: Julie, Amber, and Kaitlyn
The theme or main idea of the passage is that everyone is different. We are all human but have characteristics that develop who we are and differs from one person to the next. In this short story, handicaps represent the differences, being strong, athletic, intelligent, or average. This story portrays the idea of being different among humans.
Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality traits of the character. The author explains to the audience the personality traits with the use of direct characterization. An example of the author using direct characterization is "He is a genius and an athlete..." An example of indirect characterization is when the author says, "Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains."
Characterization plays a major role in explaining the theme. In the story it helps to explain how different people are from one another. It also helps show how equality can help and hurt people in society. One example from the text -- "Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise..." -- shows that people are punished for being different and shows he's more intelligent than most people.
-authors: Julie, Amber, and Kaitlyn