Student Essay on Equality in a Free Society

Harrison Bergeron, by Vonnegut. This essay discusses the reality and possibility of equality in a free society.

"The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else ... All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of the agents of the United States Handicapper General." ("Harrison Bergeron" page 21) In this story, Vonnegut brilliantly shows how dull a world would be in which everyone was exactly alike. Smart people have buzzers in their ears; talented dancers are weighed down with cement bags; and on and on. In short, everyone is treated special so that everyone can be ensured the same probability of success. Ensuring "equal probability of success" requires people to be held.....