47 pages • 1 hour read
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.Harrison Bergeron
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1960A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Themes
State Control
The narrator notes that “equality was due to the [...] unceasing vigilance of the agents of the United States Handicapper General” (18), who derive their power from the Constitution. The first instance in which the Handicapper General exercises this power is when the H-G men take Harrison Bergeron away. Later it is revealed that Harrison was imprisoned for “plotting to overthrow the government” (22). After his escape, he declares himself Emperor and exercises control with violence. Soon afterward, Glampers shoots Harrison and the ballet dancer.
Both states, the United States in 2081 and Harrison’s Empire, exercise power through violence. The Handicapper General does so by imprisoning and killing dissidents; Harrison does so by abusing the musicians. Violence is a tool of the state for maintaining power, yet it is not the only form of coercion. Threats of violence, broadcast violence, and physical restraints are used to maintain power. The Handicapper General uses television to spread fear of Harrison and encourage viewers to “regard [him] as extremely dangerous” (22). Television sedates George and Hazel. They never question the state. The Handicapper General kills their son on television. The only time either character leaves the screen is when George gets up to grab a beer. When he comes back, the two forget what they saw.
Arbitrary Justice
The state, to achieve total equality, provides powers to the Handicapper General protected by the Constitution. These powers include the H-G’s ability to place handicaps on “above average” people, fine and jail those who disobey, create thought control to stop citizens from rebelling, and kill citizens who dissent. The difference between average and above-average intelligence seems to be rooted in the ability to question the state, not in IQ. The Handicapper General considers those who can question her power above average, and she scatters their thoughts with ear implants. At the end, Glampers wields a gun, further underscoring that those who enforce equality have permission to be unequal.
Similarly, Harrison’s hierarchy of aristocrats is determined not by ability but by proximity to him. When he declares himself emperor, he calls himself “a greater ruler than any man who ever lived” (24). Though he is a genius and an athlete, there is no reason to believe this claim. His only attempt at organizing a state consists of choosing an empress and offering the musicians aristocratic titles in exchange for obedience. He never organizes government according to skill and ability. Rather, he gives titles to those who help him achieve his desires. While pointing out the absurdity of total equality, Vonnegut also points to the flaw in hierarchy. Neither extreme places people in fulfilling roles they freely choose.
Political Inaction
No character tries to create a state which is fair and just for everyone and does not infringe on basic human rights. Glampers and Harrison both use violence to exercise their rule. While Glampers is in power, Hazel, George, and the people in the studio obey her orders. When Harrison declares himself emperor, the characters in the studio obey him. The only two characters who are politically active are tyrants.
George’s goal is to go to work, return home, and relax. He has no political ambitions and no thoughts on how society could be better. Although George perceives himself as inconvenienced by the state, he suggests he is not bothered by it. Neither he nor Hazel supports political change. When Hazel suggests that George disobey the law, George argues that his disobedience could bring about societal collapse. Both would rather live under an oppressive regime than see it fall apart. For George and Hazel, the status quo is better than the alternative.
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By Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
