Sunday, November 28, 2010
Harrison Bergeron
Hopefully everyone has had the time to read the short story "Harrison Bergeron"...(notice that I put the title in quotes because it is the title of a short story). After reading that story and while doing the RICE annotation I want everyone to keep in mind the ideas we discussed and the questions pertaining to individuality, society, freedom and security. Does this story reflect anything that occurs in our world today? Have you ever encountered your own "Handicapper General"? Use this post as a place where you guys can discuss the story together...sort of an online Socratic Circle!
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29 comments:
This story is defiantly an extreme, but we still see people trying to create equality in real life. Like when the whole "No Child Left Behind" act was enforced (not that it's a bad thing); its not as bad in Monroe, but in my old school they took this to such an extreme that everyone was working on helping the not-so-smart kids catch up, that they ended up dumbing down the smarter kids because they were getting no attention. Basically, I think this story's exaggeration is to show what could happen if everyone were equal.
Although I agree with Maren's idea that the story is an exaggeration to show what could happen if everyone was equal, but I also think the exaggeration is to show how powerful something like being smart or being a dancer is.
i did not read it yeat
I didn't really understand this story, even though i read it twice. I understood that they are all equal and not allowed to be different. What do you guys think the theme is in this story?
I thought this was a very abstract, interesting work. It was difficult for me to understand the literary focus, but I think it is that equality is not the best way of life. When someone says, "Life's not fair," I will connect that to this story.
This short story really connects to security, liberty, society, and individuality. In the "Harrison Bergeron" world, society has made everyone equal. Therefore, individuality was destroyed and nobody had the freedom to do different things because everyone was the same. Even though it may not seem like it, the society may be trying to protect people's feeling so that nobody is worse than someone else at something.
to answer julia i think that this storys theme was something along of the lines of "find your talent" beacuse they all have talents, the father was smart but he got dumbed down, the dancers were amazing but they were weighted and made to fail. the most obivoius was harrison, he was brillant, strong, and handsome, but he was forced to be dumb, clumsy, and wear a mask over his true face. the others in this society, those with less noticable talents, must never have tried for greatness for they didnt have more disabilties put on them. with this forced equality no one seems to have tried to find a talent and is happy with dragging others down. i think this story really showed how you have to try to find your niche, to never settle for a mediocre life and drag others down with you.
I agree with Julia. I didn't really understand what the sounds in everybody's heads were and how come Hazel seemed to be the only one that didn't have the headpiece? I did notice that Harrison definitely seems to want to be his own person and in that way he is an individual.
As said in a few comments before I think that the story really exaggerates how bad being equal really is, and it’s true. Being and individual is so important and sometimes people mistake being an individual as a bad thing because sometimes you stand out but all it really means is you are your own person and don’t let people influence you and put you down.
After reading the story my main thought was that it didn't actually seem that everyone was the same although they might have been equal. Each person had a different name and job therefore they are not all the same but maybe equal since the jobs and names could be just as good as the others. It was a weird story and I didn't understand how a noise could be so distracting that even with effort thoughts were lost.
After reading the story twice i kind of didn't under stand it.But i got what was happening but the thing was i hated how it transioned scence.
i did not read the story yet but plan on it soon. Juat by thinking about the title I can predict that it is going to be both security and individually based. The title sounds like a name but it could also be a building or other place so it could be society and freedom based. I will comment again when i read it.
I definatley agree with DThompson when he said, "Society may be trying to protect people from getting their feelings hurt." That is true! To answer Anna, the reason Hazel wasn't wearing a headpiece is because she didn't need to be dumbed down because she wasn't intelligent to start with so she didn't need anything to distract of dumb her down.
i think the story was kind of sad because someone got killed for doimg what they belive in and i never heard of anything similar to the story.
I thought the story was very weird. I thought this because many events in this are very unlikely to happen, for example every single person being equal in everything.I did enjoy the story very much though.
The first time I had read this story, I was confused and did not get it at all.But then when I had read it for a second time, it made more sence. I enjoyed reading this story because I liked the fact that Harrison stood up and became an individual. But Harrison did not realize the consequences for standing up for what he believes in should be changed. I would have never thought Harrison owould get killed for being an indiviual and trying to make a change.
I agree with Abby, I`d much rather be thrown in jail or the rest of my life than killed how Harrison was, he was only standing up for his beliefs and what he could be, but was restricted to be.
I agree a lot with what Bailey said on how the world is about fairness and this story does mean a little of having equality.
I agree with Dorian. I think this story is a good example of individuality, society, freedom and security as well. For example when Harrison stood up for himself and took his handicap off, this reminded me of individuality vs society. Harrison was the individual and the society was the law and the handicap general.
Also, in this story people aren't free,and if they try to be, their security is effected. For example, Harrison got killed for trying to stand up for himself and be free. This has to do with security vs freedom.
I agree with Bella. This story is a good example of indviduality and society, as well as freedom and security. Harrison stood up for induviduality and then he got shot, which effects security. No freedom means lots of security. However, Harrison wasn't really an indvidual, but just sticking up for himself and his freedoms.
This relates to our world because the goverment wants everyone to be equal as well, but would not force us like they did in the story. In this story everyone is different and so is everyone in the real world. I do not remember any time that I have incountered a handicap general. This is a good example of the difference of freedom and security, like Bella said.
I found this story rather disturbing, something about how people can be so evil but totally blind everyone from it kind of freaks me out. When reading this story and others like it (for example "the eternal ones") i was scared and grossed out. i guess it's just that i feel like it could easily happen to me.
This story is an example of individual and society, and feedom and security. For example, he tries to be individual when he takes off his handicapps. The entire society wears handicapps, and he stood up for himself by taking his off. This can also be related to freedom and security. This being that he wants to be free from his handicapps. But it results in security, in him getting shot.
This story I thought was a good example of individuals. This story shows how life would be if everybody were equal. I thought that everybody being equal was not a good idea because then you don't get to be who you really are. You have to be the same as everybody else. Ballerinas and strong people have to where things so they are not to strong or graceful dancers so when people see what they are whering it points out even more that they are graceful or strong.
I really disliked this story because it made me mad thinking about how people were not allowed to be themselves!!!! Did this occur in anyone else's mind? Or is it just me? . . . . .
I do agree with you Zoe. I did not like the story. It was saying that our world is headed for no indivisuality, and that if you try to be yourself you have to pay consequences. I do not really like that message. But, I have to admit, it will probably be a good Socratic Circle topic.
There are alot of examples of handicaping in our world today. One is that kids that often do alot of schoolwork, and getgood grades are called nerds or dorks. This kindof closes off the option on schoolwork as beinga hobby or something you spend alot of time doing.
This story is an exaggeration of what goes on in real life, but people do usually think people are completely the same based on activities or interests
I agree with James the story was exaggeration on what happens in real life and i think the story kind of went with the socratic circle we had the week before abut individual and society
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