Harrison Bergeron was a 14-year-old genius who was seven feet tall and a strong athlete. He was extremely strong and good looking as well. And to offset all that, the government forced him to wear tremendous pair of earphones, and spectacles with thick lenses. The glasses were to make him half blind and to give him headaches. Also, he was required to carry three hundred pounds of weight on him and wear a red nose to make him look funny like a clown. He was obligated to shave his eyebrows and wear black cap on his teeth.
The government basically tried their best to make him look hideous. And on top of all this he was locked up in jail. But despite all the hurdles, Harrison was very brave and he had this longing to live a normal human life without any pressure or intervention from government. He has this confidence and a heroic heart that has convinced him that he will be able to defeat and overthrow the government.
Apart from all his strength, he also seems to have this creative side which he wanted to prove. He seemed to have a romantic soul which led him to choose his Empress from the ballerinas. And then he danced so beautifully breaking all the laws of land, gravity and motion. As it says in the story, “They reeled, whirled, swiveled, flounced, capered, gamboled, and spun.”
They literally kissed the thirty feet high ceiling with ease. He even taught the musicians how to play better. As mentioned, “Harrison snatched two musicians from their chairs, waved them like batons as he sang the music as he wanted it played. He slammed them back into their chairs.” All he wanted was freedom but in no time his empress and him were shot dead.
His parents couldn’t understand anything at all. Hazel had average intelligence so, she was able to remember only for short periods. And George, although he was intelligent, was bound to wear the radio. The law at that time made it an obligation for all intelligent people to wear these radios. The transmitter would send out some sharp noises time to time to keep people from taking unfair advantage of their brains.
The people are enforced to be uncompetitive and equal in all prospects based on 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution. The pretty ballerinas cover their faces with ugly masks and talk in terrible voices. As mentioned, “Her voice was a warm, luminous, timeless melody. “Excuse me-” she said, and she began again, making her voice absolutely uncompetitive.”
In a way, the writer is also pointing out to that fact that in future, technology may conquer over our brains. Considering the fact that we are advancing very rapidly at this moment. Another factor that came into my vision is that the writer is criticizing the government’s role in human lives which is becoming more and more as we are progressing in time. It seems like the writer is highlighting that intelligent people are considered a threat towards the government.
Also, the idea of total equality is taking to an all new level in this story. The writer also suggests that an individual has to have the courage and stand up against oppression unless no change would come. America’s Declaration of Independence says “All men are created equal,” and the writer here is suggesting that equality can be really dangerous if taken to an extreme extent.
