Harrison Bergeron: A Symbol of Rebellion Harrison Bergeron: A Symbol of Rebellion By Arik, Grade 9 In the futuristic short story by Kurt Vonnegut, “Harrison Bergeron,” Harrison Bergeron, who is the protagonist, defies the pursuit of the government for everybody to be created completely equal. The story also takes place in the year of 2081. The government adds weights to the people who are physically strong, adds transmitters to people to prevent them from using their brains, and adds a policy for everyone to wear a mask to hide beauty and elegance. However, Harrison Bergeron differs from everybody else. He is not only super strong but also has high intellect abilities, which sets him apart from other people. Harrison Bergeron represents the idea that all-around equality isn’t beneficial and tries to overthrow the government. Harrison Bergeron is a truly unique character, as he has all the abilities that other people do not. The government in his society truly believes that everybody needs to be equal. However, Harrison Bergeron does not satisfy the aim of the government, so he is put into jail. Instead of staying in jail for too long, Harrison breaks out of jail showing his extreme strength compared to others. He defies the definition of equality and makes his presence known. Harrison Bergeron behaves this way as he thinks that the government isn’t right at its current state and that he wants to have all the power. Although Harrison is strong, he ends up getting killed by the Handicapper General, ruining his chance of overthrowing the government. Harrison Bergeron is also a symbol of present-day society. He doesn’t have the handicaps that other people do and he is extremely handsome. Harrison doesn’t want everybody to be equal and believes that overthrowing the government has to be done. That Harrison Bergeron doesn’t have handicaps and his aim to overthrow the government shows that he believes that not having everyone equal is the best. His extreme power, handsomeness and ability to do many things puts him as a threat to the government and society. In the short story “Harrison Bergeron,” Harrison is the definition of a person who the government does not want. Harrison Bergeron has the intentions of overthrowing the government and he uses the “party” as a chance to do so. He shows what beauty is and appreciates it. Harrison’s personality, which differs from the intentions of the government, causes him to be the subject of disagreement between the government and the people. This short story shows what the future of our lives might look like and shows the contrasting thinkings of Harrison Bergeron and the government.
