Uniformity and Deformity in Harrison Bergeron Essay -- Harrison Berger

Uniformity and Deformity in Harrison Bergeron In this essay, I will attempt to explore what Kurt Vonnegut illustrated in his short story Harrison Bergeron--the fact that uniformity (of every kind) leads to the loss of individuality, and therefore to absolute deformity of humanness. The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal, the story begins. They werent all equal before deity and the law. They were equal in every which way. (Vonnegut 19687) In this haunting story, Vonnegut probably wanted to warn our society of similar kind of compare, equality that can be fatal for human race. The theme of absolute equality has already appeared two years before Harrison Bergeron was published for the first time in Fantasy and Science-Fiction Magazine (1961). It was Vonneguts novel The Sirens of Titan. However, in this work the theme is only a minor feature and is not really developed (see Vonnegut 1975158). The idea probably intrigued Kurt Vonnegut and forced him to develop it into a short story. Those who are familiar with Kurt Vonneguts pen will certainly recognize some other themes of this story. For example the fear of de-humanization of human beings, being stuck in amber (Harrisons inability to overthrow the system) and so forth. In Harrison Bergeron, Kurt Vonnegut presented a scary view of a future society, where everyone was equal. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. (Vonnegut 19887). It was the job of the agents of the United States odds-maker General to keep it this way. Beautiful people had to wear u... ...g speciesism, we can end up like in the short story by Kilgore Trout Hail to the promontory, where a chimpanzee became the President of the United States. The chimpanzee wore a little blue blazer with brass buttons, and with the seal of the P resident of the United States sewed to the chest of drawers pocket. Everywhere he went, bands would play Hail to the Chief. The chimpanzee loved it. He would bounce up and down. (Vonnegut 199288)ReferencesSturgeon, Theodore Godbody New YorkVonnegut, Kurt Jr. Breakfast of Champions London 1992 Cox & Wyman Ltd.Vonnegut, Kurt Jr. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater New York 1978 Dell PublishingVonnegut, Kurt Jr.The Sirens of Titan London 1975 Coronet BooksVonnegut, Kurt Jr.Welcome to the Monkey House New York 1988 Bantam Doubleday, Dell Publishing