Kurt Vonnegut

“Harrison Bergeron” is a dystopian short story by Kurt Vonnegut, published in 1961 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. In the year 2081, thanks to Amendments 211, 212, and 213 of the Constitution, the United States government has imposed total equality among people through the use of devices that limit individuals’ physical and intellectual abilities. In this world, anyone who stands out as being more intelligent, attractive, or talented than others must wear devices that make them mediocre. However, not everyone agrees with these policies. One of them, Harrison Bergeron, an extraordinarily talented and strong young man, rebels against these restrictions.