Main points of the movie Harrison Bergeron
Brent Garrison
"Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut is a film which
portrays numerous facets of human psychology linked with themes
that portray a bleak future for the human species. Among these
themes are the importance of individuality, the need for
knowledge of one's history, and the stunning effect that one
individual can produce through his vision of the truth. The
government in this futuristic world of 2053 has manipulated human
intelligence to the point where all persons are required to wear
bands that rest on their temples. These bands electronically
modify intelligence, effectively increasing or decreasing natural
IQs to the point where everyone is average. Obviously, these new
ideals have no basis in reality. While equality must be striven
for in many aspects, it is the differences between people that
comprise the backbone of modern society.
As discussed above, the bands that citizens must wear are
incredibly intrusive in their lives, disturbing natural thought
and emotions. The motive behind the donning of these bands is
that equality will eliminate hatred, envy, and war. While this
does prove true, numerous side effects such as loss of identity,
lack of original thought, and conformity to a preset status quo
manifest themselves as well. Indeed, in school, students are
commended for obtaining a C in all of their subjects; being
average is considered excellent. Below are two examples of bell
curves: the first models modern society's realistic view of
grades with respect to ability, while the second portrays the
utopian goal of the world in 2053, where ideals are severely
distorted. This eradication of diversity in the future leads to
a new Constitution, which states that all men are NOT created
equal; it is the government's duty to render them so with mental
handicaps. Thus, zombielike creatures, mere shells of human
beings, are produced. Marek Vit epitomizes the beliefs of
Harrison Bergeron's world with a quote from his review:
"...uniformity (of any kind) leads to the loss of individuality,
and therefore to absolute deformity of humanness."(1)
Another theme in the movie is that ignorance of the past
leads to a bleak future. Current events such as the "ethnic
cleansing" occurring in Kosovo today perfectly parallel this
idea. With a dictator such as Milosevic lording over the ethnic
Albanians, one cannot help but notice the similarity between him
and Adolf Hitler. A society must be aware of their past to
prevent mistakes from repeating themselves. Culture is also
a factor which defines the cumulative personality of a people.
When Harrison overtakes the complex's TV studio, he broadcasts
famous movies such as "It's a Wonderful Life," "Citizen Kane,"
and "Casablanca," to name a few. The persons viewing this program
are shocked to realize the way their lives have changed. Malcolm
X's opinion of cultural education is apparent from his
autobiography, where he states that a race's strength stems from
the knowledge of their collective past. The fact that the zombies
dominating Harrison's culture are unaware of this past is
a tribute to the effective brainwashing executed by the
government.
Irony is prevalent in this movie as well. Where Harrison is
chastised and mocked for his intelligence, secretly he is being
monitored by an agency of highly intellectual individuals that
run the country, akin to the "Wizard of Oz." The ironic part is
that there is a necessity for highly intelligent persons in this
"perfect" society. John Claxton (head of the compound) states
that there are certain complexities in dealing with other
countries that the average individual in America cannot
comprehend. Thus, he possesses the role of the godlike advisor,
leading the organization behind the scenes that advises and
monitors television, news, the president, and all forms of media
accessible to the public. Through interpretation, the viewer
realizes that under the false facade of mediocrity, society truly
covets intelligence. Unbeknownst to Harrison, the woman that
recruits him (with whom he ultimately falls in love) is the
daughter of Claxton, named Philippa. She was originally conceived
in the compound, where rules expressly forbid children between
members. Claxton "pulled some strings,"(2) and she became one of
the organization's members. Philippa becomes pregnant by
Harrison, and flees. Ultimately, Claxton's second-hand man
performs a lobotomy on her as her punishment. Their child is
still birthed, but extenuating circumstances prevent Harrison
from realizing this. The final form of irony appears in the scene
previously discussed where Harrison broadcasts movies to the
public. People appear mesmerized by the program, and some remove
their headbands to the pleading of Mr. Bergeron. Supposedly, this
scene gives hope for the future of the American culture.
Unfortunately, Harrison later learns that only 1.3% of the public
actually heard the true meaning of the program, and removed their
bands for good. Desparity descends on the movie, and John Claxton
urges Harrison to tell the people of the country that it was all
a hoax (to preserve order). He does this, but commits suicide on
the air to demonstrate the reality of the situation to the
people.
Symbolism is utilized at the conclusion of the film when
two boys enthusiastically bound up the stairs in a home to view
the recording of Harrison in the TV studio. They discuss
a friend's possession of other portions of the program before
settling in to view it. After sitting, the two boys nonchalantly
remove their headbands to watch the broadcast without mental
hindrance. This is symbolic of a freeing of the mind, and the
throwing off of shackles and handicaps imposed on them by the
government. Children have more exploratory minds than adults, and
are thus more receptive to new ideas and beliefs. The mere fact
that they desire to watch the program illustrates hope for the
future of society, as children are the future of every nation.
Harrison Bergeron did not make an immediate impact on America,
but his values were later accepted by others. Philippa is shown
at the bottom of the staircase in the final shot, making it
apparent that one of the boys upstairs is Harrison's son. If the
stairs are interpreted as an evolutionary ladder, it is
conceivable that the boy's presence upstairs puts them on
a higher hypothetical rung than Philippa, who still wears her
headband.
Harrison Bergeron acts as the outsider in Plato's cave,
venturing into the world apart and returning to tell the others
of his vision. The truth that he outlines for them is considered
absurd, and he is ultimately consumed by the culture he wishes to
change. While his existence may seem to have been in vain, he
does change the future. The themes and symbolism in this work of
modern art by Kurt Vonnegut illustrate to modern society the
importance of individuality and the danger of conforming to
a preconceived norm.
NOTES, WORKS CITED:
Marek Vit, Uniformity and Deformity in "Harrison Bergeron," An
exploration of the main theme of "Harrison Bergeron" [online
resource] http://geocities.datacellar.net/Hollywood/4953/bergeron.html
Kurt Vonnegut, "Harrison Bergeron," [movie resource]
Go back to
Last modified: Jun 27, 1999