The
prevailingis one of oppressive absurdity. This is a world in which citizens are forced to wear
handicaps as part of an attempt by the government to make everyone equal. The physically fit,
like Harrison, are lumbered with weights, whereas those who are intelligent, like Harrison's
father, have their thought processes disrupted by headphones which emit loud blasts of noise at
irregular intervals.
As a work of , however, "" also has a
decidedly humorous edge to its overwhelming air of absurdity. One cannot help but be amused by
the references to dancers who can't dance and musicians who are tone-deaf. At the same time, one
cannot ignore the oppressive atmosphere, in which all semblance of individuality is ground down
and crushed by the brutal regime of Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper-General. It is this
invocation of several different moods that makes "Harrison Bergeron" such an effective
work.
No comments:
Post a Comment