vonnegut's harrison bergeron
Equality and Desensitization Taken Too Far The United States was ridden with conflict in the nineteen - sixties. We were a country at war in many different ways. There was fighting with other nations in the Cold and Vietnam wars and also fighting amongst ourselves. Anti-war protesters ran rampant in the streets and on college campuses everywhere chastising the government and those in support of the war in Vietnam. Feminists and people of different races were yearning and reaching to be equal to men and whites, respectively. The American people were constantly bombarded by any news or developments in any aspect of any of these events. It was impossible to escape as they came in the news, on the radio and often times became very moving and emotionally stirring when placed on the television. In these volatile times artists in all genres used their art to voice their opinions regarding the status of the nation. Kurt Vonnegut utilized his gift of short story writing to do so and through "Harrison Bergeron" he speaks out. In "Harrison Bergeron" Vonnegut satirizes the nation and how it was becoming desensitized by television as well as the misunderstanding of the freedom being sought out by citizens and how that related to
Hazel was desensitized to the extreme; in that she was able to see the death of her son broadcast live on television, shedding a few tears only to forget why she was sad moments later. It has limitless capabilities for good and for evil,' (Alvarez) This power is conveyed in Vonnegut's story through Harrison. Ballet was an important main stay of Russian culture at that time and was being watched by the Bergerons because of the fact that Russia was a primary enemy in the cold war and Vonnegut was further providing comparison in his story to the American understanding of foreign egalitarian and communist regimes. Vonnegut's subliminal discussion of American ignorance and the overwhelming power held by television speaks out and states the America cannot accept and believe all that is seen on the television. American people need to shy away from television and not let it take control of our lives, while at the same time broadening understanding of the world outside of American control and government. He declares on the government-controlled television, "I am the Emperor! Do you hear? I am the Emperor! Everybody must do what I say at once!" (Vonnegut 12). " "Have you been crying?' he said to Hazel. Through this societal presentation Vonnegut is satirizing the closed minds of the American people and their fear of other governments and our entrance into the Cold war with communist countries of the time. The negative consequences "such as the encouraging people not to think, form a basis for the story," (Alvarez)"The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. At a time when the country was fighting internally and abroad Vonnegut opened a window to the people's views on current events and how they were not as awed as they should have been learning about this all via television. But, this society is not an egalitarian society by the classical definition, it is one based on what American's believe it to be. He tried to do the best he could with what God gave him.
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