Introduction and Story Setup

The opening of Harrison Bergeron establishes a dystopian world where the government enforces absolute equality through a system of handicaps. This literary analysis examines how Vonnegut crafts a narrative that resonates with high school students while exploring complex themes of social justice and individual rights.

Definition: Dystopian fiction presents a fictional society characterized by great suffering or injustice, typically one that is totalitarian or post-apocalyptic.

Highlight: The story's setting in 2081 creates an immediate sense of distance from our present while maintaining enough familiarity to make its themes relevant.

Example: George Bergeron's mental handicap radio demonstrates how the government suppresses individual intelligence by interrupting thoughts with jarring sounds.

Quote: "The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal" - This opening line establishes both the setting and the central irony of the story.