Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

When you read a story of any kind you become immersed in the story. You think about it in your waking moments or you can critique it in every way, but when that story ends you feel like something in your life went missing. In the end you realized it still was great experience and learning that has come out of that story. From courage and hope or motivation you still gained something and will cherish the book and the new world around you. Author George Saunders has said “ when you read a short story, you come out a little more aware and a little more in love with the world around you.” I do agree with Saunders claim from my experience interacting with stories from class. Two stories that left a impact on my and made me fall in love with the world around me was Shirley Jackson, “ The Lottery” and Kurt Vonnegut, “Harrison Bergeron”. Jackson taught me that some people can blindly follow tradition even though they do not know or understand its true meaning, and Vonnegut taught me that being yourself is better than being in a cage. Shirley Jackson short story “The Lottery” taught me that not all people understand or know the true meaning of their traditions. I believe that the theme of Jackson’s short story is about tradition. Tradition to a lot of people mean one or two things. They mean the world to them and should be followed with no questions or ideas about it, or that some just don’t care at all. This is some of the things that Jackson’s short story dives into, and gives that readers some ideas to ponder about. “ Old Man Warner snorted. “Pack of crazy fools,” he said. “Listening to the young folk , nothing’s good enough for them. Next thing you know, they’ll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work anymore, live that way for a while. Used to be a saying about “lottery in june corn be heavy soon. First thing you know we’d all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There’s always been a lottery” (Shirley Jackson 628). I feel as though this quote gives …show more content…
I believe that you should always try and be yourself no matter what anyone says or even cost you your life. Laying down your life for being yourself or something you believe in is the noblest thing that someone can do. Being yourself and not letting others restrick you for who you are is the best thing someone can do for themself. I believe Kurt Vonnegut short story “Harrison Bergeron” shares some of the values I have on being true to yourself even if the world is against you or are restricting you from being you. “ Harrison placed his big hands on the girl’s tiny waist, letting her sense the weightlessness that would soon be hers. And then, in an explosion of joy and grace, into the air they sprang! Not only were the laws of the land abandoned, but the law of gravity and the laws of motion as well”( Kurt Vonnegut 1309). I believe that this quote gives light onto just how free someone is when he breaks his chains that are keeping them from being themself. When Harrison is free you can see a different side to him a more open