Harrison Bergeron and Equality

Harrison Bergeron and Equality

Equality is not always a good thing. Equality is a bad where everyone is the same. In this essay I will discuss how the race to be equal is impacting our society as well as how Kurt Vonnegut Jr’s story exemplifies the world as it is today

In the story Harrison Bergeron, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. writes in the year 2081 where everyone is equal. In this time, period people who have normal intelligence cant think for any long period of time because the 211th, 212th, 213th amendments require these people to wear radios that emit noises to disrupt thought. These sounds distinguish any thought that might be considered smarter then average. In this world, there is no originality or creativity no one is smarter or stupider and the world is bland. Could you imagine a world where no one was better then anyone else? Why would anyone strive to be better when it isn’t possible? I believe that Vonnegut’s story shows how much equality destroys some of the very best qualities that we were given.

Vonnegut in this story writes of a fantasy world that correlates with the time period that he wrote it in. In the time period he wrote in the United States was engaged in a cold war with Russia. Many “Communists” were pulled out of liberal, and artistic communities just for having different ideals. Anyone caught not being “equal” per say was persecuted just for being different. The story of Harrison Bergeron shows that exactly, where the beautiful and talented were made to wear handicaps simply because they were different.

In today’s world, striving for equality is incredibly prevalent in society. Whether it is workers looking for equal pay or people of different races fighting for equality, the issue is prevalent. Unfortunately there is a bad side to these attempts. Some believe that we as a society are becoming to equal. We as a people should embrace creativity and originality and motivate