"Harrison Bergeron" is a satirical and dystopian science-fiction short story written by Kurt Vonnegut and first published in October 1961. Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, the story was republished in the author's Welcome to the Monkey House collection in 1968. The story was written as a satire to offer a critique on people's claims that we should all be equal. It has been embraced by those critical of egalitarianism as an allegory of caution against socially enforced equality, more specifically the dangers of enforcing equality by virtue of leveling. Leveling is a social process in which the uniqueness of the individual is rendered non-existent by assigning equal value to all aspects of human endeavors, thus missing all the intricacies and subtle complexities of human identity.

HARRISON BERGERON The Literature Web The Literature Web is a model designed to guide interpretation of a literature selection by encouraging a reader to connect personal response with particular elements of the text. The web may be completed independently and/or as a tool for discussion. Recommended use is to have students complete the web independently and then share ideas in a small group, followed by a teacher-facilitated debriefing. The web has five components: Key Words: interesting, unfamiliar, striking, or particularly important words and phrases contained within the text Feelings: the reader's feelings, with discussion of specific text details inspiring them; the characters' feelings; and the feelings the reader infers the author intended to inspire Ideas: major themes and main ideas of the text; key concepts Images and Symbols: notable sensory images in the text, "pictures" in they reader's mind and the text that inspired them, symbols for abstract ideas Structure: the form and structure of the writing and how they contribute to meaning; may identify such features as use of unusual time sequence in narrative, such as flashbacks, use of voice, use of figurative language, etc.; style of writing

Notes: The Writer's Humorous Tools Writers are at a disadvantage when it comes to humor. They, unlike the comic, do not have voice inflection or physical movements to cause laughter. They do, however, have the following: Understatement or Meiosis, Hyperbole , Comic Irony, Dialect, Satire. Define the terms above and provide example of each. REVIEW YOUR NOTES!!! Use to complete chart on Analyzing Humor in Literature (on next slide) Irony: The irony is obvious–dancers who can’t dance, announcers who can’t speak, smart people who can’t think. Everyone has an artificial handicap, except for the Handicapper General who enforces laws. TYPES of IRONY Verbal irony Situational irony Comic or dramatic irony Satire: Vonnegut pokes fun at government policies that punish the gifted and successful, redistribute resources, and encroach upon civil liberties. The tone is satirical; the theme is serious.

Analyzing Humor in Literature Specific Example from Harrison Bergeron Method Explanation of method of humor “And George…had a little mental handicap radio in his ear. He was required by law to wear it at all times ... Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains.” Satire This example of satire highlights one of the important themes in “Harrison Bergeron,” the absurdity of trying to make everyone equal. Society only thrives when individuals receive equal treatment under the law and are able to reach their full potential as citizens.

Re-READ THE STORY UTOPIA BOOKS pg13 (white book) pg.50 (red book)

Basic Summary The year is 2081, and everybody was finally equal…in every which way, thanks to the 211th, 212th, and 213th amendments to the U.S. Constitution. George and Hazel are watching TV, unable to think about their son Harrison being taken away, Hazel because she’s stupid and George because he has a transmitter in his ear that plays loud noises to disrupt his thinking. Masked ballerinas stumble on stage, weights strapped around their neck, and announcers with speech impediments broadcast the news.A picture of Harrison Bergeron appears on the screen. He has escaped from prison. Moments later Harrison breaks into the studio, claims himself emperor and anoints the first ballerina to step forward queen. The two perform a graceful dance, followed by the entrance of Diana Moon Glampers, Handicapper General of the United States government, who shoots and kills Harrison and his queen.