History Literature / HarrisonBergeron

* LaResistance: Harrison becomes a one-man version of this. Less idealistically, the society came about after an uprising during the Great Recession.

* IndividualityIsIllegal: Because everyone has to be equal to be yourself means to be unequal.

In many ways the book is an expansion of scenes from Vonnegut's earlier work ''Literature/TheSirensOfTitan'', where the theme of enforced equality was introduced; however, ''Harrison Bergeron'' takes a far more dystopian view of the concept.

''[[CharacterTitle Harrison Bergeron]]'' is a dystopian sci-fi short story by Creator/KurtVonnegut, first published in October 1961. It is usually seen as a darkly satirical critique of forced egalitarianism, but it can also be interpreted as a StealthParody of the above, since ''both'' the forced egalitarianism ''and'' the {{Ubermensch}} who fights against it are depicted as completely over-the-top.

* ShootTheShaggyDog [[spoiler: It turns out, Harrison [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim isn't bulletproof]]. And the government inadvertently wipes his death from his parent's memories.]]
** [[spoiler: And everybody else's memories. However inadvertent, it's still a favorable outcome which the government would no doubt support.]]

* AdaptationalHerosim: In the original short story, Harrison was a ParodySue and the story was ambiguous as to whether he was in the right. However, the movie and ''2081'' are unquestionably on Harrison’s side.

* TheBadGuyWins: Diana kills Harrison and makes sure StatusQuoIsGod.

* KarmaHoudini: The Handicapper General kills Harrison and continues to be the leader.

* BoomerangBigot: Diana, against extraordinary people.

* KarmaHoudini: The Handicapper General kills Harrison and makes sure StatusQuoIsGod.

"The year was 2081, and everyone was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else." The U.S. Constitution has been amended to allow the Handicapper General to physically handicap anyone with an advantage. The story centers on George and Hazel Bergeron and their fourteen-year-old son Harrison, who has been imprisoned because he constantly outgrows his handicaps. It begins with George and Hazel watching television when breaking news announces that Harrison has escaped from prison, followed by Harrison bursting into the TV studio. He is revealed as being not just above-average, but outright superhuman. Among other things, he can fly.

* BoomerangBigot: The handicapper general, against badasses

* CrapsaccharineWorld: if you are average.
* CrapsackWorld: if you are not - and neither Harrison nor Philippa were.

* {{Deconstruction}}: This is a United States where everyone is equal. A little ''too'' equal.

* IndividualityIsIllegal

* TallPoppySyndrome: Deconstructed.

"[[CharacterTitle Harrison Bergeron]]" is a dystopian sci-fi short story by Creator/KurtVonnegut, first published in October 1961. It is usually seen as a darkly satirical critique of forced egalitarianism, but it can also be interpreted as a StealthParody of the above, since ''both'' the forced egalitarianism ''and'' the {{Ubermensch}} who fights against it are depicted as completely over-the-top.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Harrison dies, his parents forget about him almost instantly, and nothing about their world changes.]] But the movie, at least, implies that this may not last.

"[[CharacterTitle Harrison Bergeron]]" is a dystopian sci-fi short story by KurtVonnegut, first published in October 1961. It is usually seen as a darkly satirical critique of forced egalitarianism, but it can also be interpreted as a StealthParody of the above, since ''both'' the forced egalitarianism ''and'' the {{Ubermensch}} who fights against it are depicted as completely over-the-top.

* BoomerangBigot: The handicapper general, against {{badass}}es

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Harrison dies and nothing changes.]] But the movie, at least, implies that this may not last.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:He dies and nothing changes.]] But the movie, at least, implies that this may not last.

"The year was 2081, and everyone was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else." The U.S. Constitution has been amended to allow the Handicapper General to physically handicap anyone with an advantage. The story centers on George and Hazel Bergeron and their fourteen-year-old son Harrison, who has been imprisoned because he constantly outgrows his handicaps. It begins with George and Hazel watching television when breaking news announces that Harrison has escaped from prison, followed by Harrison bursting into the TV studio. He is revealed as being not just above-average, but outright superhuman. Among other things, [[spoiler:he can fly]].

----

* InformedAbility: Harrison is supposed to be a genius. But what he actually ''does'' isn't smart at all: he breaks into a TV studio, declares himself to be Emperor, picks a dancer to be his empress and dances with her [[spoiler:until the Handicapper General arrives and shoots them both.]]

* [[spoiler: DownerEnding: He dies and nothing changes.]] But the movie, at least, implies that this may not last.

* GeniusBruiser

* [[spoiler: ShootTheShaggyDog]] [[spoiler: It turns out, Harrison [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim isn't bulletproof]]. And the government inadvertently wipes his death from his parent's memories.]]

** As a noted anti-authoritarian, it's obvious that a character who proclaims himself ruler and emperor is not meant to be heroic.

* CrapsaccharineWorld, if you are average
* CrapsackWorld, if you are not - and neither Harrison nor Philippa weren't.

* StealthParody: In certain circles, the book has been interpreted as a grossly over-the-top satire of ''Literature/{{Anthem}}'' and similar collectivist dystopias (and the individualist heroes that transcend them), or of Cold War-era American conceptions of egalitarian social goals. Used to support this is the argument that the society depicted in the story is a StrawDystopia based on flagrant misunderstandings of the goals of socialism. Vonnegut himself is not known to have publicly taken this position; as both a socialist and a noted anti-authoritarian, however, his politics could support either interpretation.

"[[CharacterTitle Harrison Bergeron]]" is a dystopian sci-fi short story by KurtVonnegut, first published in October 1961. It is usually seen as a darkly satirical critique of forced egalitarianism, but it can also be interpreted as a StealthParody of the above, since ''both'' the forced egalitarianism ''and'' the UberMensch who fights against it are depicted as completely over-the-top.