47 pages • 1 hour read
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.Harrison Bergeron
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1960A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Important Quotes
“The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal.”
(Page 18)
The first sentence is an occasion for science fiction worldbuilding. It introduces the premise of the story. It also conveys irony: Achieving equality seems like a good thing until Vonnegut explores its implications.
“That dance—it was nice.”
(Page 20)
Hazel makes this comment to George as they watch ballet on television. The ballet is void of excellence, showing the consequences of guaranteed equality. George and Hazel will never see an excellent or impressive performance.
“It was such a doozy that George was white and trembling, and tears stood on the rims of his red eyes.”
(Page 21)
George wears an earpiece that stops him from thinking. The earpiece sometimes emits a sound that tortures him. Hazel calls the loudest sounds “doozies.”
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