Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Biography: 

        Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was born November 11, 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana and past away April 11 2007. He went to the University of Tennessee and Chicago as well as Cornell, Carnegie Tech. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is a self taught science fiction writer. He wrote many of the great science fiction stories of today. Some of his best known books are Slaughterhouse-five, Welcome to the Monkey House, and Cats Cradle.

  Symbol:

I chose this picture because it reminds me of the part in the book where Harrison dances with the ballerina. This picture describes that part because the dancers are very graceful and in the book it says Harrison put his hands on her waist and then they sprang in the air. Even though the the man is not jumping in the air this picture really focuses on the girl rising above the world.

Response:

       1a) What is the purpose of handicapping in sports?

            To make everyone more equal in the sport that is being played.

       b) What sports use handicapping?

            Sports that use handicapping are Golf, bowling, and sometimes basketball.
       c) Why has handicapping become a law in Bergeron's community?
            It has become a law because the people who came up with handicapping wanted everyone to be equal. So if they made it a law it would have to be in forced.
       d) Is the society improved as a result.
          It depends on how you look at it because there are many parts of a society. From a safety       perspective I think the society has improved but when you look at it from an individual perspective half of the society who are handicapped would not be pleased with not being able to use there talents like Bergeron.

2. What part of the story is most exaggerated? What do you think was the author's purpose in using exaggeration so extensively?
     One part of the story that was exaggerated was when the author was describing Bergeron dancing. The reason why I think the author exaggerated this so extensively was because he wanted to get the point across that these people have not seen someone dance that well so to these people Bergeron and the dancing girl were jumping extremely high. 3.What do George's and Hazel's reactions at the end of the story reveal about the quality of life in their society?      It reveals that the society has brainwashed them so much that they can not retain emotions or thoughts that well, and that they are not able to remember sad thoughts. 4. What is the situation irony in this story? What would you expect a society to be like in which everyone is equal?      The situational irony is that if everyone is equal there would be know one in charge. If everyone was equal there would not be very many crimes and there wouldn't be any competition. b) What point do you think the author is making through the irony?      The point the author is trying to make is that know matter how hard we try, everyone being equal will not work because someone always has to be in charge. 

 Critical thinking:
i) Why do you think the author wrote the text?
     I think he wrote the text because he is a science fiction writer and this is his perspective of what the future will be like for the human race.
ii) What does the author want you to think?
     He wants us to think that the human race will go to severe lengths to make everyone equal and one day this could happen.
iii) Do you belong to any of the groups in the text?
     I think I am like Harrison in a way because he stood up for what he believed in and if I find something unfair I will say something about it.
iv) Does the story remind you of a real-life event (your own or others)?
     It reminds me of what is going on in North Korean because the leader that the people trust in is taking advantage of them and basically brainwashing them to do what ever he wants. This is like the story because there leader has literally brainwashed the people, and has complete control over them.
v) Does the story remind you of another book or movie on a similar topic?
     This story reminds me of a book called the Uglies because this book is about the future and how people are all equal in thoughts and looks, so there life is perfect.
vi) How does the story help you think about social issues and social justice?
     It helps me think about equality because we live in a society of democracy which gives us rights and freedom of voting. Unlike the book where they live in a Communism society.
vii) What action might you take from what you have learned?
     I will make sure I embrace the freedom I have in my society.
viii) What big question has this text left you with?
     Is our community/society leading towards communism.