Kurt Vonnegut's science fiction story "Harrison Bergeron"
is set in the year 2081, a time when everyone is equal. Any talents or abilities are
counterbalanced by handicaps, which of course simply ensure that no one has any gifts at
all. One young man, Harrison, is magnificent despite his
handicaps.
His parents, George and Hazel, are typically
handicapped. As the story begins, they are watching TV; some handicapped ballerinas are
dancing. George leaves the room to get a beer; when he comes back he sees tears on
Hazel's face. She knows she must have been sad (presumably because she is still able to
recognize beauty), but she doesn't remember why. This is what equality has
done.
As they watch the ballerinas together, they see
their son enter the television studio, they watch him soar in a glorious final
dance...and they see him get shot to death.
Your question
is how do his parents react to seeing this sight. Their reaction is appallingly empty
and eerily similar to the opening scene. The shots were fired, the TV tube burned out,
and Hazel turned to George who had gone to the fridge for another beer. When he
returned, he saw tears on his wife's face.
"You been crying" he said to
Hazel.
"Yup," she said.
"What
about?" he said.
"I forget," she said. "Something real sad
on television."
"What was it?" he
said.
"It's all kind of mixed up in my mind," said
Hazel.
"Forget sad things," said
George.
"I always do," said
Hazel.
This emotionless
acceptance of such a tragedy is a reflection of Vonnegut's themes and fears for a future
in which no one is an individualand no one is better or different than anyone else.
Hazel was equally moved (or unmoved) by the sight of untalented ballerinas and the death
of her son. Equality has, indeed, happened--in the worst possible
way.
No comments:
Post a Comment