What tendencies in present-day American society is Vonnegut satirizing?Does the story argue for anything? How would you sum up its theme?
What will be an ideal response?
- In “Harrison Bergeron” Vonnegut explores the idea of a futuristic society that has developed the technology to enforce an extreme version of social equality at all costs. The theme of “Harrison Bergeron” strikes most students with great force, and they can usually summarize it one way or another. “Down with mediocrity and conformity” is one common answer, or “Individual excellence involves risk.” A more elegant and comprehensive statement of the story’s themes might be: “By attempting to enforce equality too vigorously, society risks penalizing excellence.”
Vonnegut’s story objectifies the well-known American distrust of intellectuality, and it exaggerates this prejudice to an insane degree. Some students may read the story remembering how in high school or junior high they were ridiculed by classmates for showing interest in ideas or learning. Vonnegut imagines a society so dedicated to a perverse concept of equality that it condemns absolutely all excellence, including good looks, physical grace, and a creative imagination. In this sense, one could say that the story argues for a society that allows inequality, especially that which is natural (such as physical appearance). The story suggests that, in reality, all men are not created equal in many ways, and a government that tried to enforce equality for some would, by default, be enforcing inequality for others. This would— perhaps ironically—lead to tyranny rather than democracy.
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INSTRUCTIONS: Select the detail that is NOT relevant to the dominant impression given.The salesman at the electronics store seemed distracted.
A. When we told him what features we wanted in a TV, his eyes glazed over, and he seemed to be looking straight through us. B. As he explained the different kinds of TVs, he kept looking over his shoulder. C. His hair was shoulder-length and frizzy and badly needed cut. D. He asked us several times what kind of TV we wanted to buy.
Ahora, me encanta cocinar. Cuando _____ pequeño, siempre _____a mis padres mientras _____la cena.
A. fue / ayudó / preparaban B. era / ayudaba/ preparaban C. éramos / ayudaron / prepararon D. fue / ayudaban / prepararon
V. ¡A escribir!Un país de inmigrantes ¿Quién de tus antepasados inmigró a Estados Unidos (o se trasladó a otro país)? Escribe un párrafo sobre esta persona. Di dónde nació, cómo era su vida allí, por qué se trasladó, cuál era su sueño/meta, etcétera. Si no conoces la historia de tu familia, escribe sobre el antepasado de un amigo o de un personaje (como por ejemplo, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sonia Sotomayor, los peregrinos del Mayflower, etcétera).
What will be an ideal response?
Dominique parle de ce qu’il veut que les autres fassent spécifiquement (dans les phrases a) pour lutter contre la discrimination. Utilisez l’infinitif correspondant (dans les phrases b) pour représenter ce qu’il faut faire en général. Faites tous les autres changements nécessaires. Suivez l’exemple.
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