When Was Harrison Bergeron Written?

Harrison Bergeron (1961), a short story by Kurt Vonnegut, is set in a future society where everyone is forced to be equal in every way—a state enforced by devices that handicap anyone who excels at anything. The protagonist, Harrison Bergeron, is a young man who is much more intelligent and talented than the average person. Although he tries to hide his abilities from the government officials who monitor him, they discover his gift of intelligence and force him to wear heavy weights so that he remains “equal” to others. He eventually rebels against the government, which leads to a revolution that topples the reign of oppression. The story is about a futuristic society in which individuality is suppressed and people are identified only by numbers. It warns of the dangers of totalitarianism and promotes the idea that everyone has the right to be different. The book has been adapted into several different forms, including a film and a stage play. It continues to be popular with readers, who consider it one of Vonnegut’s best works. The book has been praised for its clever plotting and dark humor, as well as its social commentary on subjects such as dehumanization, mass murder and suicide.