Dystopian Characteristics by Jacob Crews

JAG-Dehumanization

garrettmorris02 — 2018-02-16 13:45:53 UTC

Dehumanization-The process of depriving a person or group of positive human qualities.

In Harrison Bergeron, there is evidence of dehumanization in that each persons individual freedoms and abilities are stripped from them and they are diminished by handicaps assigned to them by the Handicapper General. In the text, nobody wants the handicaps to be placed on them but due to strict regulations, they have no say in what happens to them. When Harrison Is taken from his home, he had no right to privacy. In the text, the situation is that "Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else.". There was total equality and it was forcibly placed upon the people but it was "constitutional" in the fact that "All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution". The Handicapper General made sure that people could not think for themselves by implicating an earpiece/headphones that would play a loud, jarring sound to disrupt their thoughts. Beauty was taken from the beautiful, skills from the skillful, and talent from the talented to ensure nobody was different and that everybody was equal.

RAH - A figurehead or concept is worshipped by the citizens of the society

2018-02-16 13:47:51 UTC

The person that is worshipped by the citizens would be the Handicapper General.

"Only, if I was Handicapper General, you know what I would do?" said Hazel.
"If I was Diana Moon Glampers,"
said Hazel, "I'd have chimes on Sunday-just chimes. Kind of in honor of
religion." "-or just make them real loud."

This connects to the statement, a figurehead or concept is worshipped by the citizens of the society, because in the above quotes it shows that Hazel wishes to be the Handicapper General. It seems that everyone has their own ideas of what they would do if they were in that position. It shows that this is the most sought after position because you are highly respected and you get to make decisions that affect everyone. Also in the quote below Hazel has just told George to rest his handicap because she didn't care if they are not equal for a while. This shows that even though she is okay with allowing him to rest for a while, she still believes that total equality is best.

"If I tried to get away with it," said George, "then other people'd get away with it-and pretty soon we'd be right back to the dark ages again, with everybody competing against everybody else. You wouldn't like that, would you?"

"I'd hate it," said Hazel.

Citizens conform to uniform expectations. Individuality and dissent are bad.

2018-02-16 13:48:33 UTC

1. "And she had to apologize at once for her voice, which was a very unfair voice for a woman to use. Her voice was a warm, luminous, timeless melody. "Excuse me-" she said, and she began again, making her voice absolutely uncompetitive."
2. "Why don't you stretch out on the sofa, so's you can rest your handicap bag on the pillows, honeybunch." She was referring to the forty-seven pounds of birdshot in a canvas bag, which was padlocked around George's neck. "Go on and rest the bag for a little while," she said. "I don't care if you're not equal to me for a while."
The Handicapper General doesn't want people to share any part of their appearance or personality because it would show their individuality. When the ballerina talks she has a pretty voice which they would perceive as "unfair". Also, George has to wear weights because they are afraid he would use his physical attributes for an advantage over others.

CTC

2018-02-16 13:49:41 UTC

Prompt-Citizens are scared of the outside world
Textual evidence- "If I tried to get away with it," said George, "then other people'd get away with it-and pretty soon we'd be right back to the dark ages again, with everybody competing against everybody else. You wouldn't like that, would you?" "I'd hate it," said Hazel.
Explanation- Our textual evidence relates to the prompt by the way they are scared of taking off their handicaps. They are scared of the possibility of not being totally equal to everyone. The thought of living in a dystopia is what they are worried about but they live in one currently. The things they know now are the only things they know and they think that the change would be bad.

CEM- Propaganda is used to control the citizens of society

2018-02-16 13:49:48 UTC

" 'If i tried to get away with it', said George, "then other people'd get away with it-and pretty soon we'd be right back to the dark ages again, with everybody competing against everybody else. You wouldn't like that, would you?". This piece of textual evidence links to our characteristic since the government likely persuaded him to think that way. Propaganda was likely used to normalize the handicaps and the true equality. The action must of had political support since it was implement into The Constitution, so it likely wasn't a overwhelmingly popular amendment with the people. Since the people cannot modify The Constitution.

HSD: Information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted.

2018-02-16 13:51:23 UTC

"And George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear." This quote from the text shows how George's independent thought was limited. "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 snuggle-tooth random." Harrison's freedom to be himself and to look the way he is was restricted.
"Two years in prison and two thousand dollars fine for every ball I took out," The government forced the people to wear their bags or else they had to pay, and that takes away their freedom. They wanted everyone to be equal but took away their individual rights to do so.