Symbolism In Harrison Bergeron
The punishment for having rebellious thoughts was immediate, plus it is one of the many reminders of the government’s watch and control of a person’s thoughts and feelings. It seems like every time George thinks something critiquing the government that a sound will go off in his ear piece, happening a little too often for comfort.
Even though “Harrison Bergeron” seems like a bare essentials story with little description or scene setup, there are a few symbols present in the story that are significant. Two symbols that the significant to the text are the rings in George’s ear and the act of Harrison Bergeron and the ballerina floating in the air and kissing the ceiling. The ringing in George’s ear from his government-assigned handicap symbolizes the omnipresence and omnipotence of the society’s government. The rings, even though they …show more content…
Leveling the playing field in the same manner as in “Harrison Bergeron” is not the way to go, suppressing enormous waves of talent and inventions that would be seen and used if people had the freedom to use their individual skills and intellect. I believe, instead, that a society should encourage excellence, but also instill into children that it is okay not to be the best. This would be a delicate balance, but it would make people more accepting of their faults while at the same time inspiring them to improve themselves. It makes me wonder how we can create a society where people are fairly competitive but do not feel inferior or upset when someone ‘beats them at their game’. I think the mentality of “everyone is a winner” is not the optimal route. Speaking from personal experience, this just makes children doubt all the praise they receive (no one tells them differently), more sensitive to critique (they are not used to it), and feel stressed and in constant competition because they have to stand out from the crowd (if everyone is being rewarded,
Even though “Harrison Bergeron” seems like a bare essentials story with little description or scene setup, there are a few symbols present in the story that are significant. Two symbols that the significant to the text are the rings in George’s ear and the act of Harrison Bergeron and the ballerina floating in the air and kissing the ceiling. The ringing in George’s ear from his government-assigned handicap symbolizes the omnipresence and omnipotence of the society’s government. The rings, even though they …show more content…
Leveling the playing field in the same manner as in “Harrison Bergeron” is not the way to go, suppressing enormous waves of talent and inventions that would be seen and used if people had the freedom to use their individual skills and intellect. I believe, instead, that a society should encourage excellence, but also instill into children that it is okay not to be the best. This would be a delicate balance, but it would make people more accepting of their faults while at the same time inspiring them to improve themselves. It makes me wonder how we can create a society where people are fairly competitive but do not feel inferior or upset when someone ‘beats them at their game’. I think the mentality of “everyone is a winner” is not the optimal route. Speaking from personal experience, this just makes children doubt all the praise they receive (no one tells them differently), more sensitive to critique (they are not used to it), and feel stressed and in constant competition because they have to stand out from the crowd (if everyone is being rewarded,