Support your argument with direct textual evidence and clarify how that evidence reinforces your main claim. Avoid summarizing the plot; instead, prioritize analysis and interpretation.

Suggested length: 4–6 paragraphs | MLA or Chicago citation format

• Analyze at least two specific literary or narrative devices (e.g., satire, irony, symbolism, characterization) that Vonnegut uses to support this critique.
• Explore how the handicaps serve as symbols of government overreach and the suppression of individual excellence.
• Consider what Vonnegut suggests about the connection between true freedom and human potential.

Your essay should present a clear thesis, include textual evidence with analysis, and conclude by linking Vonnegut's warning to a broader social or political concept.

• Satire and irony (e.g., the role of the Handicapper General, the "perfectly average" character Hazel)
• Symbolism (e.g., the physical handicaps imposed on Harrison, the weights and masks worn by the ballerinas)
• Characterization (e.g., George's suppressed intelligence contrasted with Hazel's passive acceptance)
• Setting and world-building (e.g., how television functions as a tool for state control)

Scoring Focus

Thesis strength, quality of textual evidence, depth of literary analysis, and coherence of argument.