Review for "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut

"Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut published in 1961 by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. 

Summary
     The story takes place in the year 2081 where future amendments to the U.S. Constitution have declared that all people were to be equal in strength, beauty and intelligence. People are given devices known as "handicaps" to try and make them equal with the average person. Some one who is really smart has to wear a radio earpiece that makes loud, sharp sounds every 20 seconds, which causes them to lose their train of thought. People who are physically strong have to wear weights and people who are beautiful have to wear masks, and so on. These laws are enforced by a person known as the Handicapper General. One couple, George and Hazel, had a teenage son that was taken away from them and placed in jail because he defied the government. Hazel is considered "average" and thus has no handicaps, while George has both weights and the earpiece. While watching a ballet program one night they witness on television the escape of their son Harrison, as he takes over the broadcast. Harrison removes his many handicaps with ease and declares himself the new ruler of the country. He is eventually shot by the Handicapper General. As she sees this on TV, Hazel begins to cry. George gets a sound shot in his ear and forgets what she was crying about. When asked, Hazel says that she cannot remember.

Analysis
     The theme of the story deals with censorship and government control. It serves as a cautionary tale of what would happen to society if egalitarian ideals were taken to the extreme. This is noted in the opening paragraph where it states that people were equal in every way, not just in human rights. The character of George is seen to be a hard working man, who does not question his handicaps. His wife asks him to remove his weights if only for a bit, and he refuses because he does not want to go to jail. He believes in the system, and that people are better off not being competitive. As the story progresses the noises in his ear get louder and more painful. Symbolizing the the escalation of their son's escape and ultimate death.
     Hazel is stated to be "average" but what that really means is that she has a simple mind and easily distracted. Harrison is shown to be a person that believes in individual freedom and self expression. He represents the people that will fight for their rights and refuse to have their abilities handicapped. He is the passion that people have towards living life, in what has become a passion-less society. The idea of having an equal society comes at the cost of individual freedom. At the end of the story, neither parent can remember what has happened to their son. This shows the extent of the governments control on people, and how little outside influences affect them. 

Review
     This a great story that I always enjoy reading and analyzing. I am a sucker for a good dystopian story. "Harrison Bergeron" brings up a lot of good questions about individual rights and the extent of government control. It's not clear in the story whether or not the Handicapper General, or any high power government officials, have to where the handicap devices. It would be hypocritical of them if they didn't but also I can see the government giving this privilege to people in power. Since beauty is sort of a subjective matter, who is the one that determines if a person is too beautiful, thus requiring a mask?

     While the purpose of the handicaps was to create equality among people, it still remains a bit unfair. In the story the more attractive a person is the uglier their mask. This is clearly not the same as being equal to someone like Hazel who is considered average. She doesn't have to wear any devices, which actually could mean she is better off than most. She doesn't have anything external hindering her. I think the idea is that, no matter what you do, there is no such thing as being truly equal because it is in our very nature to be different. 
     Everyone has a different idea of what equality is. I like that Harrison refuses to be held down by the government and is willing to risk his life in order to do what he believes is right. The sad part is that not even his own parents remember what happened to him, and the message that he was trying to spread. One man tries to fight the system and no one cares or will remember. It makes you think what it would take to bring down the government in this society. I highly recommend this story for everyone even if you're not a fan of the genre, it's still a good and quick read. Enjoy!



     I have also recorded a short audio of my review, that basically talks about the same things. It was a bit rushed, I apologize. If podcast are something that interest people I will consider doing more then. Next time I will be reviewing another favorite short story of mine called "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. 

Read the Story Here

Podcast for story Review

Welcome to my Fantastic Review of Literature

Hello everyone!

     Welcome to the Fantastic Literature review blog. The main purpose of this blog is to review short stories and novels. Occasionally, I'll post informational articles, such as book news and author segments. The goal of the reviews is to provide insight into the story and give my opinions on how I interpreted the story. The love to discuss story plots and characters. I always try to find some value in each story whether it's a moral lesson or cautionary tale. Another reason I wanted to do the blog is to expose people to stories they might not have heard of before.

    As a writer, I prefer the short story genre. I have a Master's degree in English and creative writing. I started the blog in part to motivate myself to read more books. I prefer to read Young Adult fantasy and science fiction. I'm a big fan of classic fairy tales, like the original Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White. With short stories and almost every work of fiction that I read, I like to dissect the story, the words and the themes that are present. I always like to discuss a good story whether it is a written story or a TV show or a movie.

    Post will go up at least twice a week. There may be some delays, due to the fact that I'm a slow reader so novels take a while for me to finish. That's why I focus more on short stories. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. I can't guarantee I will review it but it's still good to expand my knowledge of literature.  So I hope that everyone enjoys the blog. Feel free to leave me any comments and feedback. Thank you!