In the case of George, who has “way above normal intelligence,” citizenship in an equal society comes at the price of his ability to critically question the world around him. For instance, the distribution of mental handicaps prevents citizens from thinking critically or creatively.
While equality is often regarded as a positive condition of democratic society, Vonnegut’s dystopian portrayal of an absolutely equal society reveals how equality must be balanced with freedom and individualism in order for society to thrive.Īlthough in the story all people are “finally equal” in “every which way,” Vonnegut suggests that forbidding individualism causes society to suffer.
In the futuristic world of “Harrison Bergeron,” the government applies physical and mental handicaps to individuals with above-average strength and intelligence in order to guarantee that all people in society are equal.
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