My Thoughts on Harrison Bergeron

My initial reaction to Harrison Bergeron was nothing more than “it’s weird.” I couldn’t understand why a college professor would be having us read something that was nothing more than fantasy fiction. Pleasure reading. But after reading the piece a few more times, I realized that this wasn’t fantasy fiction at all. Vonnegut was trying to say something. In the beginning, I believed that he was firing back at our government because in his alternate society everybody is equal due in part to the rules and regulations of the Handicap General. No one is better than anyone else and there is no such thing as competition. This type of extreme equality is ensured by some of the devices that the government has come up with; like ear radios for those with a significantly high intelligence, bags of weights to weigh down those with a great level of strength, and hideous masks for those with blinding physical beauty. Despite all of these precautions there is inequality still inhabiting within this society. These inequalities became much clearer to me after our class discussion. These people were completely stripped of their rights, their individuality, and their ability to grow and prosper in the name of equality and fairness. Equality and fairness...eh I don’t think so. If there was such a thing as equality and fairness in this particular society then the Handicap General herself would also be in handicaps. And from my end, a woman with enough intelligence and strength to control and manipulate an entire society would need A LOT of handicaps. So much for equality and fairness. Upon further discussion, I found out that Vonnegut was actually attacking those who were fighting for equality. At first I was stunned. Why would someone attack and mock those who were fighting for equality among people with such an absurd story? But then when I thought about the story of Harrison Bergeron as a whole I realized that Vonnegut had made a valid point. Can we really create a world were everybody is equal and competition is no longer necessary? And can we achieve this without taking the rights and liberties of others? Also, and most importantly, can we do this without losing our individuality and what truly makes us all special and unique?