“Harrison Bergeron” is a story about big government imposing equality on citizens through the use of handicaps; in doing so they prevent everyone from expressing their maximum potential. The year 2081 is oppressive to say the least; people are punished for being above average in intelligence, beauty, physical ability, or any variety of abilities. No one should be more attractive, stronger, smarter, or faster than anyone else. The pursuit of egalitarianism is misguided; people who are born gifted are hampered by ridiculous weight bags, glasses that cause blindness and headaches, earpiece radios that send unnerving noises every twenty seconds courtesy of a government transmitter, and hideous masks are some items implemented to make everyone equal. The government, in an attempt to level the playing field to give everyone the same, fair chance, has handicapped the gifted far beyond the point of making them equal to the average citizen. In the story "Harrson Burgeron", Hazel is primarily developed through her average intelligence, limited imagination, and empathy towards her husband and others to suggest the central idea that a totalitarian government leads to the degradation of one's humanity. Hazel is of average intelligence, and in the year 2081 average intelligence meant, "She couldn't think of anything except in short bursts" (846). The average citizen has such short attention spans that they are not capable of intelligent thought; short bursts of thought prevent in-depth reflection. The story begins with Hazel and her husband George watching ballerinas dance on television. “There were tears on Hazel's cheeks, but for the moment she had forgotten what they were about” (846). Hazel has the attention span… middle of the paper… regarding looks, intelligence, or the countless other ways we compare ourselves in our current society. The third paragraph reveals that the equal society we were presented with was a lie. Hazel was not required to wear any of the government-mandated handicaps; however, her husband, who had above-average intelligence, was forced to wear the transmitter and a weight around his neck. A persistent question I've asked myself throughout the story has been: How are these handicaps fair? Hazel feels compassion for the burdens George lives with, but never comes to the conclusion that society would be better without the handicaps. In fact, she comments that society would fall apart and how she wouldn't like a world where people weren't equal. Works Cited Vonnegut Jr., Kurt. "Harrison Bergeron." The story and its writer. 8th and Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford, 2011. 846-50. Press.