Exaggeration

The message of the short story, Harrison Bergeron, by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. can be analyzed in many different ways. One particular way of looking at the piece is through the literary tool of exaggeration. Vonnegut uses exaggeration as a way of directing the readers view to specific ideas. The characters of the story all have handicaps that are intended to make them all equal. The outrageousness of the handicaps is Vonnegut’s most significant use of exaggeration. The characters handicaps disable them from having any real ideas, thoughts, or progress throughout the story. As a result of the lack of character development, there is also no real plot to the story. Vonnegut does this intentionally in order to focus the reader’s attention on the premise behind the story. People and readers can be blind to the truth; in this case exaggeration is used to open the reader’s eyes to the value of differences, competition, and freedom.

The symbol of the mask is very prevalent in Harrison Bergeron. The characters of the story wear masks to disguise their beauty in an attempt to make them more equal. This is symbolic to the presentation of the story because often times people cannot see things for what they truly are or they are masked to them. The exaggeration present in the work serves to remove those masks and point out ideas to the reader that might not have been previously evident. In Harrison Bergeron, the characters are not only physically masked but they are also figuratively masked because they cannot see their situation for what it really is. The characters are blinded into thinking that their equality has a positive effect on society. However, this is simply not the case because no one can stand up for himself or herself or work to their fullest potential. This situation will prevent society from ever improving. Harrison’s removal of his mask and all his handicaps along with his exaggerated power trip reveals the truth to the people. Harrison’s exaggeration in calling himself the emperor shows the people that they too have the ability to stand up against their handicaps and their controlling government system. Unfortunately, in this case the people are too unintelligent or are dumbed down so much by their handicaps that they are prevented from remembering Harrison’s actions. Therefore, they cannot take after his lead and try to make changes themselves.

The exaggeration in Harrison Bergeron reveals the tragedy in the characters lives. They have no control over themselves and are subject to a greater power, the government. The government thinks it knows what is best for the people but in reality the government is only hurting its society and its citizens. Through the exaggerated and extreme measures that the government takes on the people, the reader is able to decipher more then just a predictable ending. The reader can see beyond the story and understand that Vonnegut intends to show the value of the individual. People need freedoms to be able to work for themselves and to gain self-worth, instead of being suppressed into a desired model. The ability to stand out for who you are was not possible for any of the characters in Harrison Bergeron. Harrison tried to make it a reality but he failed when he was murdered by the government. If the people were not originally handicapped so much that they could not retain Harrison’s actions, then he might have made a significant impact. Harrison had a strength that no other character had; he stood up and fought against the government. This is an admirable quality that sets Harrison apart from his fellow characters. Vonnegut used exaggeration with Harrison to reveal this side of him and it show what one man can do for the society at a whole. (635).