Which Condition is Considered Most Dangerous By George and Hazel Bergeron In “Harrison Bergeron”?

Updated: November 28, 2022
The condition that is considered most dangerous by George and Hazel Bergeron is when their son, Harrison, is not under control. This is because he is a genius and is very strong, which makes him a threat to society.
Detailed answer:

In Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron,” set in a future society where everyone is forced to be equal, Harrison is a genius who is not allowed to use his full abilities, and Hazel is a beautiful woman who is not allowed to be beautiful. The government controls everything in the society. People are not allowed to think for themselves. Everyone is monitored by the government. There is no freedom in the society. The government is able to control people’s thoughts and feelings through devices attached at the base of everyone’s skull called “mental handicaps.” The story ends with Harrison and Hazel’s son, George, becoming the new leader of the society after defeating President Kirschenbaum in a game of ping pong which results in Kirschenbaum killing himself after realising he has been defeated by George because he too has been fitted with a mental handicap device allowing him to play only as well as an eight year old child can play ping pong without breaking a sweat thus making him realise how pathetic he really was compared to someone who had been born with all their natural abilities intact such as George due to being born before the implementation of this mandatory handicapping. The story ends after George wins the ping pong game and declares that a new society in which everyone has the freedom to reach their full potential in their individual endeavours irrespective of their sex, race and mental ability is permissible in a world in which all people are considered “persons”.

Cite this page

Which Condition is Considered Most Dangerous By George and Hazel Bergeron In “Harrison Bergeron”?. (2022, Nov 26). Retrieved from

https://graduateway.com/qa/which-condition-is-considered-most-dangerous-by-george-and-hazel-bergeron-in-harrison-bergeron/