Equality And Diversity In Kurt Vonneguts Harrison Bergeron

In an ideally progressive America, society should value both equality and diversity. Equality is justice. Diversity is individuality. Equality gives rights. Diversity enriches culture. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideally progressive America. As equality in our society has increased, we have viewed it as progress. However, diversity has often been a source of conflict in our society. Jealousy, confusion, anger, and so many negative emotions have arisen from our differences and slowed the progress of equality. Perhaps, diversity should just be done away with. If we can not value our diversity, should we focus entirely on equality? Kurt Vonnegut’s â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† answers that question with a solid no, we should not. Through his†¦show more content†¦This oxymoronic idea of having two hundred and thirteen plus amendments emphasizes Vonnegut’s picture of a dystopian society in which over excessiveness of rules infringes upon citizens freedoms. The sarcasm seen in â€Å"unceasing vigilance† is that it gives the handicapper general an image as being a protector of citizens, which later in the story becomes rather ironic as she is revealed as someone who tortures and murders people. Another example of Vonnegut’s sarcasm is the descriptions he gives as to what is considered normal in this future society. He explains to the reader that Harrison’s mom, Hazel, â€Å"had a perfectly average intelligence, which meant she couldn’t think about anything except in short bursts (Vonnegut 1).† This has got to be sarcasm because by today’s standards a person with average intelligence can definitely think in more than just short bursts, and one would hope that average intelligence would be higher in future society, not dramatically lower. The scary, underlying theme being shown through this sarcasm is that society, rather than achieving equality through educating people to reach higher standards of intelligence, lowered the standards of average intelligence to the lowest it could possibly be. The worst part is that the characters described in the story, namely Harrisons parents, Hazel and George, are completely oblivious to how much of a dystopia their society is. Dramatic irony is when the readerShow MoreRelatedThe Fight Between Equality And Individuality950 Words   |  4 PagesThe Fight between Equality and Individuality Equality is a topic of great debate in the world today, ranging from marriage equality, to racial equality, to religious equality. Whether this equality is God given or legislative, it allows every member of the society to express or better himself in any way he sees fit. Every person has the ability to say or write what he wants and how he wants to. Every person has the ability to become wealthier or more successful. Every person has the ability to become