Harrison Bergeron

          In Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron, the commentary Vonnegut is trying to make is to value our individuality. In our world, we usually consider a utopia where everyone is peaceful and everybody is equal. Vonnegut sends a message that is centered on the idea that we should not be too equal. Equal rights will always be considered something positive but Vonnegut makes the statement that we should always have our individuality. For example, George Bergeron is intelligent compared to others and that makes him who he is. “And George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear.” (130). George was an intelligent person and that could have possibly been his talent, which contributes to who he is as an individual. The radio earpiece has taken away George’s ability to think thoroughly and has made him into a completely different person. They have stripped him of his identity to make him equal and the same as everybody else. Another example of a loss of individuality is with the ballerina. “She must have been extraordinarily beautiful, because the mask she wore was hideous. And it was easy' to see that she was the strongest and most graceful of ail the dancers, for her handicap bags were as big as those worn by two hundred pound men.” (133). Not only was the ballerina beautiful, but she was most likely one of the greatest dancers. Dancing is her talent and what makes her unique and special compared to everybody else. Once again, the government of that world deprived someone of their talent. She lost her individuality. It was fair for everyone else since she was now their equal, but the ballerina no longer had anything that made her unique. The government not only deprived George and the ballerina of their individuality but everyone else in the world. Not only has Vonnegut portrayed loss of individuality in his book, but has also chosen the setting to be dystopian world. The reader can then see the connection to how individuality is important and should be value, instead of being taken away and creating a dystopia. Vonnegut explains that individuality is something worth fighting for.