english peer review

Analyze of Harrison Bergeron

A solid first draft.

Add a conclusion and more evidence to support your interpretation.

Add a clear thesis statement:

For example,

The fate of the main characters in Antigone illustrates the danger of excessive pride.

The imagery in Dylan Thomas‟s poem “Fern Hill” reveals the ambiguity of humans‟ relationship with nature.

    (expand the intro. Add a hook.)Harlan Ellison’s “Harrison Bergeron” described a “world without any unfair advantages”, which make most people handicapped so everyone is equal. In this special story, the roles of different characters are clearly delineated and worth a detailed analysis to reveal the theme, tndividual freedom is more valuable than life.

The protagonist, Harrison, is a good-looking, strong and tall boy. “And to offset his good looks, the H-G men required that he wear at all times a red rubber ball for a nose, keep his eyebrows shaved off, and cover his even white teeth with black caps at snaggle-tooth random” (372). Because of his good conditions, his handicaps are heavier and more complex than others. Not only does he have the “unfair advantages” in appearance, he is also brave. For example, He broke into the broadcast room and required others to follow him, the “emperor”. “Harrison tore the straps of his handicap harness like wet tissue paper, tore straps guaranteed to support five thousand pounds.” (373) By breaking into the broadcast room, he stood up and challenged the sick society with his strength and beauty. Although his fight is sustained for only a few minutes, he shows his courage to the whole world. (the girl danced with him, was convinced)“It was then that Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun.” (374) He did not try to escape before the general Handicapper killed him. His actions proved that freedom is more valuable than life, even though the freedom lasted for only a few minutes.

The antagonist is General Handicapper. There is no description of her appearance at all in the story. The story does not need to consider that. General Handicapper is the symbol of the government, who executes these laws. “It was then that Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun. She fired twice, and the Emperor and the Empress were dead before they hit the floor.” (373) This demonstrates that the government is cruel and efficient. Anyone that rebels against its will will be vaporized. Although the fight of the “emperor” sent the message of rebel to all the TV watchers, the rebellion did not last for long time  

Harrison’s parents are also interesting characters because they symbolize the average people in the society who follow the rules and keep their handicappors. “If there was just some way we could make a little hole in the bottom of the bag, and just take out a few of them lead balls. Just a few.” (371) Hazel came out with the idea of taking off a little bit weight, which represents the idea of breaking the rules of the society. However, George is the people who does not want to make any change. “Two years in prison and two thousand dollars fine for every ball I took out, I don't call that a bargain.” While his wife came up with the idea of reducing some weight, he refused, although no one would find out what they did. This told us part of the mechanism of the society. The ability of government’s surveillance is always insufficient, so the self-maintenance by major of citizens are also necessary. With the protection from citizens like George, the society’s order is maintained.