“Harrison Bergeron”
By Kurt Vonnegut
Genre: Satire
 A Satire is a literary work that mocks or ridicules the
stupidity or vices of individuals, groups or society in general
 What aspects of society is Vonnegut mocking?
 1) Government created equality
 2) Affirmative Action – Preferential Policy
 3) Welfare (trying to create financial equality
 He is conveying that Forced Equality can take away people’s
ambitions.
So, what is the theme?
 Humans will always be jealous of each other no matter how
hard a greater force tries to make them equal.
 Conformity takes away an individual’s ability to express
him/herself.
What literary elements does Vonnegut
employ to convey
this theme?
 1) CHARACTERIZATION
 Hazel/Mother
 George/Father
 Harrison/Protagonist
 Government/Antagonist
 Diana Moon Glampers/Gov’t Agent
Literary Elements Continued
 2) IRONY
 Verbal Irony ~ Handicaps!
 Situational Irony ~ One would expect the gov’t would help
IMPROVE people’s lives to create equality ~ in actuality,
everyone is lowered to the least common denominator.
 3) TONE ~ Vonnegut establishes a sarcastic attitude towards
the topic
 Group Questions . . . Stay tuned for more directions!