Flashcards for Harrison Bergeron

Diana Moon Glampers

Diana Moon Glampers is the Handicapper General of the United States in Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 satirical short story Harrison Bergeron.

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George Bergeron

George Bergeron is a husband, father, and an unwilling symbol of state-imposed mediocrity in Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 dystopian short story "Harrison Bergeron."

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Harrison Bergeron

Harrison Bergeron is the towering, fourteen-year-old main character in Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 satirical dystopia.

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Hazel Bergeron

Hazel Bergeron is the mother of Harrison and the wife of George in Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 satirical short story "Harrison Bergeron."

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The Ballerina (Harrison's Empress)

The Ballerina is a minor but symbolically significant character in Kurt Vonnegut's dystopian short story "Harrison Bergeron" (1961).

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The TV Announcer

The TV Announcer is a minor yet structurally important character in Kurt Vonnegut's satirical short story "Harrison Bergeron" (1961).

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“I am the Emperor! Do you hear? I am the Emperor! Everybody must do what I say at once!”

This explosive declaration comes from Harrison Bergeron himself, the story's imposing and shackled protagonist.

Harrison Bergeron

“It was then that Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun.”

This line comes from Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 dystopian short story Harrison Bergeron, during the story's intense climax.

Narrator (third-person omniscient) · N/A (single-chapter short story)

“THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everybody was finally equal.”

This is the opening line of Kurt Vonnegut's dystopian short story Harrison Bergeron (1961), narrated from a third-person omniscient perspective.

Third-person omniscient narrator · Opening paragraph

“George had to think about it for a while. He couldn't think about it except in short bursts, for he had a little mental handicap radio in his ear.”

This line is from Kurt Vonnegut's satirical short story Harrison Bergeron (1961), which is told in the third person and focuses on George Bergeron as he watches television with his wife, Hazel.

Narrator (third-person) · N/A (short story, no chapters)

“They reeled, whirled, swiveled, flounced, capered, gamboled, and spun.”

This line comes from Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 dystopian short story Harrison Bergeron, narrated in the third person during the intense television broadcast scene.

Third-person narrator

“Even as I stand here, crippled, hobbled, sickened, I am a greater ruler than any man who ever lived!”

This powerful statement is made by Harrison Bergeron, the story's bold and defiant main character, during his dramatic takeover of a live television broadcast in Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 dystopian short story Harrison Bergeron.

Harrison Bergeron

“George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear.”

This line comes from Kurt Vonnegut's dystopian short story Harrison Bergeron (1961), narrated in the third person.

Third-person narrator · Harrison Bergeron (short story, no chapters)

“'You been crying?' he said to Hazel. 'Yup,' she said. 'What about?' he said. 'I forget,' she said.”

This brief exchange takes place at the end of Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 dystopian short story "Harrison Bergeron."

George Bergeron / Hazel Bergeron

“Hazel couldn't think about it except in short bursts, for she wasn't supposed to be smarter than average.”

This line is from Kurt Vonnegut's satirical short story Harrison Bergeron (1961), spoken by the third-person narrator as an observation about Hazel Bergeron, the protagonist's mother.

Narrator (third-person)

“They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else.”

This passage is found near the beginning of Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 dystopian short story Harrison Bergeron, narrated in the third person and offering an ironic take on American society in 2081.

Third-person narrator · Opening paragraphs

Diana Moon Glampers's Shotgun

In Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron," Diana Moon Glampers's shotgun represents the state's brutal enforcement of enforced equality.

Handicaps and Weights

In Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron," the handicaps and weights enforced by the H-G men illustrate the brutal machinery behind enforced equality—a government that achieves uniformity not by uplifting individuals but by dragging them down.

Harrison's Dance and Flight

In Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron," Harrison's explosive dance with the ballerina captures the unstoppable spirit of human excellence, freedom, and individuality.

The Television

In Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron," the television set represents the state's complete control over public awareness and the enforced passivity of a so-called "equalized" society.

Dramatic Irony

In Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron," the story is infused with dramatic irony because the reader understands the terrifying reality of "total equality" long before the handicapped characters do.

Situational Irony

In Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron," situational irony is the backbone of the story: a society created to ensure equality ends up inflicting grotesque suffering and oppression.

Irony

In Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron," irony drives the story, offering a biting critique of enforced equality beneath a façade of bland normalcy.

Imagery

In Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron," the vivid imagery acts as the driving force behind the story's satirical horror, compelling readers to see the disturbing toll of enforced equality instead of merely accepting it as a political idea.

Satire

In "Harrison Bergeron," Kurt Vonnegut uses satire to highlight the ridiculousness of enforced equality pushed to its extreme.

Hyperbole

In Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron," hyperbole drives the entire satirical concept: the government mandates absolute equality by handicapping anyone who stands out.

Tone

Kurt Vonnegut adopts a stark, bureaucratic tone in "Harrison Bergeron," enhancing the impact of its dystopian horror far more than any dramatic narration could.

Symbolism

In Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron," the handicaps enforced by the Handicapper General serve as the story's main symbols of forced mediocrity disguised as equality.

Foreshadowing

In Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron," the foreshadowing creates a sense of quiet dread that lingers long before the story reaches its violent climax.

handicapper general

A government official whose job is to enforce equality by making sure no one is smarter, stronger, or more talented than anyone else, using physical and mental burdens called handicaps.

noun · Chapter 1

handicaps

Devices or weights assigned by the government to hold back people who are above average, such as heavy bags of birdshot for the strong or radio transmitters for the intelligent.

noun · Chapter 1

clamorous

Loud and disruptive; making a harsh, jarring noise that is hard to ignore.

adjective · Chapter 1

consternation

A sudden feeling of anxiety or dismay that makes it hard to think clearly or act normally.

noun · Chapter 1

hinges

Here used figuratively to describe the mental joints or connections that allow thought to flow; when a thought is interrupted, it is said to be knocked off its hinges.

noun · Chapter 1

transmitter

A small radio device worn in the ear by people of above-average intelligence that sends sharp, disabling noises to prevent them from thinking too clearly or for too long.

noun · Chapter 1

abnormal

In this story's world, being above average in any way — stronger, smarter, or more beautiful — which the government treats as a problem requiring correction.

adjective · Chapter 1

birdshot

Small lead pellets normally used in shotgun shells; here packed into bags and worn as weights to slow down people who are stronger or more graceful than average.

noun · Chapter 1

ballerinas

Trained female dancers; in this story they are weighed down with handicaps and wear masks so their grace and beauty do not make others feel inferior.

noun · Chapter 1

grackles

A type of noisy, harsh-sounding North American blackbird; used here to describe the unpleasant sound blasted into the ears of intelligent people as a mental handicap.

noun · Chapter 1

sashay

To walk or move in a bold, showy, or exaggeratedly confident way, drawing attention to oneself.

verb · Chapter 1

luminous

Glowing or radiating light and brilliance; used here to describe an extraordinary, almost blinding beauty or intelligence.

adjective · Chapter 1

cowered

Crouched down or shrank back in fear, making oneself small in response to a threat or a show of power.

verb · Chapter 1

wince

To flinch or make a small, involuntary movement of pain or discomfort, especially in response to a sudden sharp sensation.

verb · Chapter 1

neutralized

Cancelled out or made ineffective; in this story, exceptional abilities are neutralized by handicaps so they no longer give anyone an advantage over others.

verb · Chapter 1

doozy

Informal American slang for something remarkably impressive or extreme; here used to describe an unusually powerful or severe handicap.

noun · Chapter 1

impediment

Something that slows down or blocks progress; in this story, a physical or mental burden deliberately imposed to prevent someone from performing above average.

noun · Chapter 1