8/25

As I began to read "Harrison Bergeron" I felt as though I had heard something similar to this story before. My English IV and V AP teacher really liked futuristic social satires. So originally, I thought it was just similar to another story I had read. As I was reading the part about the ballerina being so beautiful she was being forced to wear the most hideous mask it hit me. I have read this before! Knowing that i had read this before intrigued me, I wanted to read it again. This time as I read it I was thinking "wow, why are the methods they use to equalize everyone so inhumane?" Hanging abnormally heavy masses around a person's neck seems barbaric. Obnoxiously loud noises forcing a person's thoughts away. Really who would do that? How does that make some one equal? Another thing that amazes me is that this is set in 2081. With the technology we have now we should be able to equalize people in more humane ways. Things better than weights hanging from a neck, ear pieces that sound horrible noises every few seconds, and terrible ugly masks. So this posed the question how long ago was this short story written? Out of curiosity I googled the publishers date. I found that it was written and published in 1961. One hundred and twenty one years before the setting. Now the barbaric ways of equalizing people makes sense.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading "Harrison Bergeron". The fact that Kurt Vonnegut could imagine and create a world like that for the story amazes me.