LIT 127: Introduction to Fiction
Home | Materials | Policies | Course Work | Schedule | Discussion Groups | Papers | Exams | WebBoard Directions | WebBoard

 

Harrison Bergeron

 
 
 Directions:  In the appropriate conference on our class Web Board, discuss one or all of the following. 
  1. Dystopian stories often caution about current social trends by exaggerating them in some mythic future – that is by taking them to their extreme possibility.  What social trends might "Harrison Bergeron" be warning against?  Consider both the time the story was written (post-WWII) and contemporary issues.
  2. The most famous dystopian novel, 1984, contains the line, "Freedom is the freedom to say that 2 plus 2 makes 4.   If that is granted, all else follows."  What does that line mean?  How might it apply to "Harrison Bergeron?"
  3. Consider Harrison's actions upon escaping.  Why does he do what he does?  What  message do you think that sends in relation to the theme of the story?
  4. "Harrison Bergeron" is set in the United States.  Is it a uniquely American dystopia, or could it apply to other cultures as well?
 

Home | Materials | Policies | Course Work | Schedule | Discussion Groups | Papers | Exams | WebBoard Directions | WebBoard