Handicap Devices In Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

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Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” opens with the current year and a brief explanation of the way things were: “Everybody was finally equal…Nobody was smarter than anybody else” (Vonnegut). This equality was made possible because of the 211th-213th Amendments to the Constitution as well as the agents of the United States Handicapper General. Switching a government and an entire society to become totalitarian is a very large task and must have had some resistance, especially since nearly everyone was required by law to wear a handicap device. These devices send out sharp noises every few seconds which only allows people to think in short bursts. How exactly is this a functioning society and what prevents them from removing the handicaps, and …show more content…
In McIver and Elmagarmid’s book Advances in Digital Government: Technology, Human Factors, and Policy, the two talk about the increased use of public and private internet transactions as well as the growth of online knowledge and resources that the citizens have gained. They continue with “Legislatures and state leadership are promoting an electronic government agenda” (McIver and Elmagarmid). This relates back to the time frame in which “Harrison Bergeron” is set in because it is far ahead of Vonnegut’s time and has more technological advancements within the community as well as the government. Hazel even mentions the “Handicapper General,” Diana Moon Glampers because she shared a resemblance to the woman. So this government is not trying to hide in secrecy, but what regulations are enforced to ensure that the citizens are not tempted to remove their handicap devices at any given time? While a large percentage of the society wear a device in their ears, there is also another device that some are required to wear. Depending on the volume of the abilities, strength, and/or intelligence they were born with, some people would be required to wear a canvas bag filled with birdshots. The larger and heavier the bag a person carried meant they were born with larger handicaps, or physical strength. As George and Hazel are continuing to watch television, Hazel notices that George seems tired and goes on to tell him to “Stretch out on the sofa, so’s you can rest your handicap bag on the pillows” (Vonnegut). George’s response that it doesn’t bother him anymore because it is just a part of him, suggests that the government must have some pretty strict regulations in place. Hazel then responds back the idea of making a hole in the bag in order to let some of the balls out. George responded, “Two years in prison and two thousand dollars fine for
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