Harrison Bergeron

    The short story "Harrison Bergeron" is about a society where everyone is made to be equal by handicapping people who are any better off than the lowest member of the society. Those handicaps are things like covering good looks, stopping smart people from thinking by putting crazy sounds in their ears, and making physically strong people carry weights. 

   In the story, Harrison is not only good looking, smart and very strong, he also possesses the ability to fly. In the end of the story Harrison and a girl he chooses are shot dead by the Handicapper General. I thought the story was depressing and weird. I did not enjoy it, it made me angry. It did make me think.

   First, who is handicapping everyone? It tells us the H-G men think up the handicaps. Second, how do they enforce the laws? We know the H-G men took Harrison away. But who decides who the H-G men are and are they handicapped? If they were handicapped, then how would they focus to think of handicaps for other people? Why is everyone supposed to be equal? It tells us its to avoid the dark ages of competing. Hazel also comments that someone did the best with what God gave him. So, do they believe in God? And if it is good to use the best that God gave you, then why the handicaps?