Harrison Bergeron

"Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut is a short story and a film that portrays numerous facets of human psychology linked with themes that portray a bleak future for the human species. Among these themes is the importance of individuality, the need for knowledge of one’s history, and the stunning effect that one individual can produce through his vision of the truth. The government in this futuristic world of 2053 has manipulated human intelligence to the …

…returning to tell the others of his vision. The truth that he outlines for them is considered absurd, and he is ultimately consumed by the culture he wishes to change. While his existence may seem to have been in vain, he does change the future. The themes and symbolism in this work of modern art by Kurt Vonnegut illustrate to modern society the importance of individuality and the danger of conforming to a preconceived norm.