When individuals consider the meaning of equality, they usually envision everyone possessing the same liberties and opportunities, regardless of any personal differences. Therefore, people often think of equality in a positive manner; what they do not realize is that equality can also refer to everyone living together under miserable conditions, including a lack of freedom or individuality. “Harrison Bergeron,” a short story by Kurt Vonnegut, and “The Unknown Citizen,” a poem by W.H. Auden, describe societies that reflect the latter. In “Harrison Bergeron,” the Handicapper General, an official in the American government, controls the thoughts and actions of every citizen through mental and physical handicaps. However, a young man named Harrison…
One theme the stories share is to be oneself even if society tells one not to. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., the author of “Harrison Bergeron,” incorporates the theme writing the character with uniqueness that is forbidden.…
The Story Revision of Harrison Bergeron. It was the year 2081. Everyone is equal and no one is different. The story takes place in a house and in a cathedral.…
The author, Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s use of hyperboles, symbolism, and similes develop the theme that forcing people into equality could be abortive. Essentially, hyperboles help develop the theme in Harrison Bergeron for several reasons. In the text it states “Ordinarily, there was a certain symmetry, a military neatness to the handicaps issued to strong people, but Harrison looked like a walking junkyard. ”This quote helps support the reoccurring theme of bad equality because Harrison looks very atrocious in his handicaps, while most don’t look that lousy. When you try to make everyone equal, of all sizes and shapes, you are certain to mess up on some part.…
In Raymond Carver’s short story Cathedral, he establishes an ignorant narrator, dependent on alcohol and fixated upon physical appearance. He juxtaposes the narrator to a blind man who feels emotion rather than sees it. Through indirect characterization and first person limited point of view, Carver foils the narcissistic narrator to the intuitive blind man while utilizing sight as a symbol of emotional understanding. He establishes the difference between looking and seeing to prove that sight is more than physical.…
He begins mentioning the little flaws in the system. Vonnegut explains how humans no longer have the ability to express themselves, to have thoughts and greatest of all - to feel. This then creates an empty and defeated mood because they can not change anything about the situation. Alone, these two elements already mock the idea of equality, thus developing the theme that true equality doesn’t do any good, but rather ruins lives by robbing them of their…
The son warns his father, “I have to watch you all the time” (39). When the father promises to take food, but later refuses it to give to the boy, the son urges, “If you break little promises, you’ll break big ones”(39) Without it being presented in the narration, conversation between the two alludes to man’s promise to not leave him alone in the world. The boy is basically saying the man may not keep that promise either, thus foreshadowing to the end of the story when the father dies and leaves the son to continue without him. The son’s sense of independence is relayed through dialogue when he boasts, “We have to be vigilant” (183) after his father warns him about other people that may be “carrying the fire” (183).…
Both Oscar Zetas Autobiography of the Brown Buffalo and Ana Castillo’s Novel So Far From God are examples of the use of magic realism and mythology in Chicano/a literature. However, both pieces of Chicano/a literature display their own unique interpretation of self-identity. Beginning with the plot of the Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo, Oscar is a lawyer at the East Oakland Legal Aid society. He drives to his office in downtown San Francisco only to discover that his secretary, who usually does most of the work for him, has died over the weekend.…
“Harrison Bergeron”, by Kurt Vonnegut, is a short story about a dystopian universe in which everyone is equal through various handicaps. Vonnegut purposely makes this society equal on levels of intelligence, strength, and beauty. Other equality concerns, such as race, are avoided whether intentional or accidental. Vonnegut, throughout his story uses an array of imagery, details, and a particular type of syntax/language. He uses this not only when portraying his characters through their thoughts, actions and speech, but also to set the stage for the entire story.…
What’s got Billy so Spooked? Kurt Vonnegut. American World War Two survivor and famous author published Slaughterhouse-Five in 1969, 24 years after his experiences in World War Two. More specifically, his time as a prisoner of war (POW) and his survival of the Dresden bombing. The protagonist of this sci-fi anti-war novel, Billy Pilgrim, went through similar events as his auth0r however dealt with them much differently.…
“So it goes.” These three words convey the fatalistic mindset of Kurt Vonnegut through the voice of Billy Pilgrim, the protagonist of Vonnegut’s novel, Slaughterhouse Five. The strength of Vonnegut’s novel lies in his own personal experiences, as he himself was an American prisoner of war, was captured in Germany, and then was transferred to the city of Dresden. Throughout the novel, Billy Pilgrim suffers flashbacks of the horrors of war, specifically those associated with the bombing of Dresden. By narrating the novel through the voice of Billy, Vonnegut conveys his belief that war is absurd, exemplified by the causes and effects of the firebombing of Dresden.…
Harrison Bergeron In Harrison Bergeron Kurt Vonnegut writes a short story about an american dystopia of the future. This short story is a satire and work of black humor. His tone throughout the story is sarcastic and sardonic and he also displays a dry witty sense of humor he adopts the same tone throughout the story even though he is talking about a dangerous and worrying situation. He uses satire to point out the absurdity of a society where everything is controlled, “The year was 2081 and everyone was finally equal.” The use of the word finally hints at sarcasm and his dry tone implies the absurdity of everyone being equal because obviously, they can't be.…
Every author has their own unique writing style. Kurt Vonnegut’s just so happens to be very effective. The unique pairing of black humor, social satire, and science fiction make the stories of Kurt Vonnegut both intriguing and effective. His way of satirizing contemporary society using themes such as war, sex, and death makes his stories bluntly honest. To verify the assumption made, three novels were read.…
The study of literature is very complex and multifaceted. While writing can and does often speak for itself, a great deal of works can be understood more thoroughly by understanding the historical and social influences that may have impacted the author. The most affecting stylistic influences often take the form of literary movements. Studying these various movements can help offer insight into the mind of the author and the story they are telling. One of the more interesting and lesser known literary movements is naturalism (Newlin 24).…
Postmodernism arose in the mid to late 20th century and was a movement that mainly impacted the arts such as music, architecture and literature. Postmodernism arose hugely due to the events in America at the time and the failures of Modernism. Because of this, many postmodernists have a very skeptical look into elements of their society. To properly analyze Vonnegut’s unique writing style and literary choices, one must first take a look some of the basic elements of a postmodern novel of which Vonnegut’s style for this book is based on. The postmodern style can be very different from author to author, thus making it very hard to categorize all American postmodern literature into one specific style.…