Harrison Bergeron Study Questtions

Please support all answers with evidence from the text. Use this online copy of "Harrison Bergeron."

1. Why does George have to wear a handicap radio, but Hazel does not?


2. Harrison is wanted by the government for doing what?


3. What happens to Harrison at the hands of Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper-General?


4. In the end, why do Harrison's parents not react more strongly to what they see happen to their son on TV?


5. Think back to the 5-sentence summary you wrote in class. What is the story's resolution? Why does the story ending in such in keeping with everything else that happens in the story?


6. What is the climax of the story (this was one of your five sentences in your summary). Is it truly the point of highest interest and/or tension in the story. You may revise your assessment of the point of climax if necessary.


7. What conclusions can you draw about the quality of life held by the characters in Harrison's society. Be sure to back up your assertion with evidence from the text.


8. What conclusion does Vonnegut want you to draw about the outcome of making everyone in society "equal"? Again, back up your assertion with text evidence.


9. If Harrison became emperor, would society be better with him in charge? Predict what would happen next in the story if Harrison had taken power instead of being shot by the H-G. What would be better? What might be worse?


10. Consider what might have taken place for society to end up in Harrison's world. As this story takes place 70 years from now, what parts of society today could lead us down a path to "equality by averaging"?