“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Comprehension Questions

What has guaranteed equality in the story? How old is Harrison? What has happened to Harrison and why? How has the government made George and Hazel equal? What does George have to wear? And what does this do? What does Hazel say she would do if she were Handicap General? What does this tell us about Hazel?

Who is the person in charge of handicapping? What is her name? What is the consequence for taking lessening the weight of the handicap bag? What reason does George give for not trying to cheat? Because of this reason, what can we infer about George’s opinion of the current laws?

Why wasn’t the news bulletin clear at first to the George and Hazel and other viewers? Why did the ballerina apologize about her voice? What is the news bulletin? Describe Harrison Bergeron with all of his handicaps. What does Harrison declare on television? What happens to him?

What are some problems with total equality in this futuristic society? Does this futuristic society remind you of any other historical periods in the 20th Century? In what way? Do you think it can ever be possible to create a society which is completely equal? Why or why not? What are some of the benefits of diversity and competition?

Try and think of 3 ways in which we "equalize" people in our society Try and think of 3 ways in which we "equalize" people in our society. For instance, in many job positions, the employers will hire a roughly equal number of men and women for the job. What are the benefits and limitations of the three "equalizers" which you found?

Pretend that you are the Handicapper General of this futuristic society. Think of 3 new "handicaps" that you could impose on society to minimize diversity.