Harrison Bergeron
by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
An email I sent Tues, 11/25, 10:11 am
I have been reading your Harrison Bergeron essays.
Some observations to help you.
The title can't be "Harrison Bergeron" alone, however you may include
it in your title.
Since this is an essay on how YOU are "differently abled" and on
equality, perhaps those words would be good in the title. The title of
an essay should represent the essay in some way.
As I have said the quotes are to be used to help you tell us about how
you are differently abled and to discuss the concept of equality in
your lives. Consider how you may be exceptioanl in something and are
prevented from excelling.
You have written stuff about yourself (Iam) and about schools
(opin01). Use these connections in your essay on Harrison Bergeron.
Be sure to include the title of the story in quotes and also include
the author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. when you first mention the story.
Outline:
I. Start with how you are differently abled and the pros/cons about
achieving equality in your life.
II. Make connecitons to "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. and
use the quotes to help.
III. Make connections to your I am, and opin01 essay, esp those on
schools and what they do to hinder excellence and only try to achieve
a simple equality and even handicap you as a student.
IV. Create good, creative title
Are we equal? Can equality ever be achieved? Do we really want true equality? How are each of
us "differently abled"?
"Harrison
Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. is a story about attaining equality using
some extreme measures and methods. The constant desire to attain equality in
schools and in life contrasts with a natural or unnatural desire to compete and
to assert our individuality or genius. On the one hand we desire people to do
their best and then in practice we set handicaps on people to prevent success.
You may find this story a very interesting dilemma, not too dissimilar to our
own. You may also find it disturbing. Read the story and then think how
this story relates to you. Think about whether Nietzsche wasn't on to something
when he criticized the naive idea of human equality. Or that uniformity (of any
kind) leads to the loss of individuality, and therefore to absolute deformity of
humanness.
Use the questions below to help you understand the story and to write your
essay. You can answer all of them on separate paper before you incorporate the
answers into your essay. The questions are designed to help you find support from
the text to write your essay.
- VOCABULARY: Look these words up before you read. Vigilance, handicap,
sashweights, luminous, calibrated, symmetry, consternation, cowered,
hobbled, synchronizing, flounced, capered, gamboled. Look up any other
words you need to and add them to your list.
- Are we equal?
- Consider how "handicap" is a negative word. How does this change our
perception if instead we used the words: "differently abled" when referring to
people we have referred to as "handicapped"? Are they really "handicapped" or
just "differently abled"?
- How do schools behave like the United States Handicapper General office in
the story?
- Examine the relationship of Harrison's parents: George and Hazel. Consider their relationship
to each other, to Harrison, in general.
- How does Harrison behave? How do others react to him?
- How is this image: "It became their obvious intention to kiss the ceiling. They kissed it."
seem so inspiring in contrast to another image: "He tried to do the best he could with what God
gave him."?
- Do you think Harrison Bergeron knows he will die as a result of his behavior? Are you shocked
by his death? Is it foreshadowed in any way? If he does suspect he will die, why does he do what he does?
- Do you think Diana Moon Glampers is "handicapped"? If yes, how? If NO, why not?
- There are lots of Symbols in this
story. Identify some of them and use them to help you deconstruct the story and
to help you better understand it and then to write an essay about the story.
- Perhaps you wish to draw a picture of what Harrison looks like from the description of him
from the story.
- email tnellen@teachers.ithsnyc.org the response to this: Select at least 3
sentences from the story that were important, relevant, key, supportive of your reading and
understanding of this story and explain why.
- Do you see connections to your own "I am," articles we read for "opin01," and even to the
"Emperor's New Clothes"?
Write an essay about how you are "differently abled." After reading this story, consider connections to other work you have done in this
class and elsewhere. What are those connections? Do you see contradictions to what is said and
what is practiced in your life, school, our world? What does "equality" mean in theory and in
practice? Think "differently abled" rather than "handicapped." Be sure to use direct quotes from
the story to support your opinions and links to other work you have written. Be sure to relate the
text to yourself.
create a file called harrison.html to write this essay.
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