Science Fiction Lesson

Quote from Kurt Vonnegut:
"I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center. " Many Americans experienced a growing distrust of the government after the Vietnam War, a sense of loss of the individual with the increasing presence and advancement of technology in the world, and anxiety about the spread of authoritarian leadership styles throughout the world. Some Postmodern writers turned to science fiction to express this anxiety and warn about the potential dangers. They created dystopian fiction to show what life might become if steps weren't taken to change attitudes, policies, and practices.

Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007) was born in Indiana to parents of German descent who did not discuss this heritage much with their children because of the anti-German attitudes of most Americans of the time. During the Great Depression, his family lost most of its wealth. His father entered a deep depression, and his mother later overdosed on sleeping pills. Vonnegut went on to study anthropology in college and then enlisted in the Army during World War II. He was captured and imprisoned in the German city of Dresden, lived through the Allied bombing of the city, and wrote about the devastation and destruction he witnessed as one of the few survivors of the bombing in his most famous novel, Slaughterhouse-Five. Through his writing, Vonnegut was able to use humor to explore dark and depressing realities and to tackle the basic question of human existence: why are we in this world? Please read the article linked below for a better understanding of this imaginative, insightful writer.

Kurt Vonnegut Article Link

Reading Assignment: "Harrison Bergeron"

It is now time to read Vonnegut's short story, "Harrison Bergeron." This story is set in a futuristic society in which equality is the ideal. In order to make everyone equal, people with gifts and talents are handicapped: the strong wear weights, the beautiful wear masks, and the highly intelligent wear earpieces that make loud noises periodically so the wearer cannot maintain a stream of thought for long. As you read, use the study guide linked below to check your understanding. Ask yourself what characteristics of Postmodernism are represented in this story.

"Harrison Bergeron" Text Link

"Harrison Bergeron" Study Guide Link

Self-Assessment

You may also use this self-assessment to help you review the short story.

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