# data[].attributes.body
Though I did not participate in the actual discussion, I believe my annotations and answers to the discussion questions were good. Both Cassie and Robert also had great ideas for these questions. I liked and agreed with what Robert said about Question 3 for The Society. Also, Cassie's comment on what was being satirized in the story was very insightful. I believe the questions I chose to answer had detailed and higher level answers. I wish I would have been there for the actual discussion because I am interested to hear what "interesting" comments my class had to say (mostly Chris and Zaq...).

# data[].attributes.body
Question 3:
I think the story is heroless, mainly due to the end of the story. The ending shows the "different" person (Harrison) being killed. It is as if the hope that the society would change for the better after Harrison stood up for himself is gone. After he dies, his father would not even remember what happened. Because of the ways of the society, there was no "hero" to this story because he was forgotten.

# data[].attributes.body
Question 3:
No, I do not think it is a healthy thing for people to believe no one is put at a higher standard than anyone else, though it happens in our society. People surely believe there are people better and worse than themselves. It is human nature. I believe we need to have this sense of competition because without it, I do not think the world would go forward (advance in any way).

# data[].attributes.body
Question 5:
I believe the story was a cautionary tale about the importance of keeping our individuality. It was a warning for us not to become too monotonous or similar to one another. The story was quite mysterious and eerie, so it warned us of the dangers of a repetitive life. The restraints and restrictions were showing us what holding back our freedom is like. Though Harrison does "break free" in the end, the society sadly stays the same, which could be an indicator of something that could very well happen to our society.

# data[].attributes.body
Question 1:
I admire Harrison's bravery when he steps up at the end of the story. Even though he is weighed down and restricted from being his true self, he still manages to stand up for what he believes in. Though this is a good quality to have, Harrison's way of carrying it out was not. He was very harsh and sort of scary when he "broke free" from his restraints. I think it was because he had never had the chance to be his true and open self, so when he finally did, it was overpowering.

# data[].attributes.body
What is being satirized in this story? Why do you think Vonnegut wrote it?

I think that Vonnegut is ridiculing the Great Depression, showing that the way people who didn’t have much money were treated. I think he wrote the story to make people realize that our world could be in a worse state than what it is, and that anyone can be a hero and make a change in the world.

# data[].attributes.body
With whom do you think Vonnegut sympathizes in the story? Does he present Harrison as a hero, or is the story heroless? Why?

I think Vonnegut sympathizes the story with the people, he shows that they all follow the rules,and how they are generally good people because they follow all the rules, and don’t take off all of their weights and masks. I think he presents Harrison as a hero. He shows this by bringing him into the story as a bad person, but has him say things that are good for the people.

# data[].attributes.body
Is Vonnegut’s story finally a cautionary tale about the importance of freedom? Of individuality? Of human excellence? Or something else?

I think his story is about the importance of freedom and individuality. I feel that the importance of freedom is present in this story. Vonnegut tells readers that the people had weights and masks to make everyone the same. He shows by this how freedom is important, and how those who have it shouldn’t take it for granted. I also think he shows individuality because Harrison was independent, and stood up for something he believed in. Harrison showed his individuality by making himself look different, and have different thoughts than everyone else.

# data[].attributes.body
How does Harrison Bergeron in the story compare to the Harrison Bergeron in the short film? How are they different? Why might this difference exist?

I think Harrison in the story was portrayed as someone who had just escaped and they were worried about. In the short film I thought he was looked at as this evil person who everyone was worried about, because they brought in a bunch of army people to take him down. The difference might exist because they want to show that he is worse than he really is, so people watching might not like him also.

# data[].attributes.body
Do we have any idea of what sort of ruler he might have been and toward what end he would have ruled? What does he call himself? Would he be better or worse than the Hadicapper General and her agents?

I feel that if he was a ruler, that it would be a type of dictatorship. The way he acted when he was in the show, showed others that he wasn’t afraid of telling others what to do. He called himself the Emperor. I think that he would be better than the Handicapper General. I think this because he would let the people do anything they wanted, and they wouldn’t be controlled.

# data[].attributes.body
1. What do you admire about Harrison? Behavior that concerns you?

I admire that he stood up against what society says, he didn’t let other people stop him. His behavior concerns me in the fact that he cold turn on his parents and hurt them at any time.

# data[].attributes.body
Reflection

I thought the questions I chose were pretty decent along with the semi-detailed answers I provided. Since there were no other posts at the time I am completing this, I will base my reflection off of what I observed in class. My group was able to have some pretty thought provoking discussions and it seemed like one question would just turn into another one with a counter argument. By the time we were actually finished answering one question and moving onto the next, it seemed like time was almost up. This activity would have been more interesting I feel had it been a class wide discussion and not limited to 5 minutes for each category. Further more, I was surprised how much I could understand despite not having read the story in a few years and going off of a vague memory while listening to others discuss.

# data[].attributes.body
Question 1 from "Technology and the American Character"

I would not object if society sought equality by lifting up the non-gifted. In a sense, we already do this with medicine today. If someone is seriously ill or was born with a mental disability, we normally give them drugs of some sort to try and assist with the issue. If this medicine did not exist, people who were not suffering from these conditions would be seen higher in society than those who were. This is because of our society's tendency to judge others for being "different." Once medicine is added into the mix, it begins to question what it actually means to be normal.

# data[].attributes.body
Question 3 from "The American Dream"

The "American Dream" is just in society. It is not something that can easily be changed since it is just an idea passed between people. As a result, everyone has their own perceptions about it. This leads to members of society taking different steps in order to reach their image of this American Dream. For some it could be opening a business and being financially independent. For others, it could be just the ability to roam freely and make up their own decisions without the government interfering.

# data[].attributes.body
Question 3 from "'Harrison Bergeron' the Story"

In the story, the negative events are being satirized. When Harrison stood up to their government and had the musicians perform, he was trying to show the citizens that they could be more. Due to this, the Handicapper general came in and killed him along with others for breaking the "law of the land." Back at home with the Bergerons, their TV broke as Hazel was watching this uprising. When George came in, he told her to think nothing of it, as she had already forgotten. The way their society operates leads to the citizens quickly disregard any sad events and, as a result, think nothing of them.

# data[].attributes.body
Question 3 from "The Society"

I do not think that it is a good thing for people to believe that no one is better than anyone else because it destroys a sense of individuality. In the story, the people are all given handicaps which just holds them back from their true potential. This prevents innovation and creates a dead end in their society because there is no one to stand up and advance it. If the people were to stand up to their government and overthrow it, they would be able to create a more open and forward thinking society.

# data[].attributes.body
Feel like you did not express yourself fully during discussion? That's okay! Participate virtually by choose your top 4 questions and answering them with at least 3 sentences each. Then, complete a 5-sentence reflection on discussion. How did it go? Whose comments were you most impressed with? Why?