A Brief Analysis of the Theme of "harrison Bergeron"

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.'s "Harrison Bergeron" is set in the future, when Constitutional Amendments have made everyone equal. The people of this time are made equal by devices which bring them down to the normalcy level in the story, which is actually below-average in intelligence, strength, and ability. These people are denied individuality. They are not allowed to reach their full potential. In an attempt to make the world a place rid of inequality and competition, the Handicapper General, who enforces these laws, robs people of their freedom. These laws hinder every person's ability to live their life to its fullest. Forcing everyone to be equal is unfair.

At the beginning of this short story, the protagonist, Harrison, is in jail because he refuses to obey these laws of equality. It would seem that his parents, George and Hazel Bergeron, would be upset by their son's behavior; however, they are pretty much forbidden to form an opinion. Every twenty seconds, George is blasted by an incredibly loud sound from an ear piece which has been placed there by the Handicapper General. George, without the ear piece, is seen as a threat to society because he is intelligent. The blast of sound in George's ear disturbs his thought pattern. Hazel is of the "normal" group of citizens; therefore, she is not handicapped in any way. Although Hazel is not handicapped by the Handicapper General, she is unable to remember much of anything. Within seconds she forgets what just happened.