Question

ections: for the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. which statement best expresses the theme of this short story?

a. attempting to achieve complete equality will only result in widespread dissatisfaction and lack of creativity.
b. the government should encourage everyone to hide their differences in order to have a more peaceful and equal society.
c. forcing uniformity on people doesnt result in equality, but rather causes conflict and unhappiness.
d. people dont realize how important individuality is until they have what makes them different taken away.

1. how does harrisons removal of his handicaps develop the plot of the story?

a. harrison inspires people to rebel against the government.
b. harrison briefly shows people what is possible without handicaps.
c. harrisons violent outburst makes the audience believe that handicaps are good.
d. harrison makes his parents proud that he stood up for what is right.

1. how do the different handicaps contribute to the theme of the story?

a. they show how being unique can be dangerous to yourself and the people around you.
b. they emphasize how the most ordinary people are often the most valued in a society.
c. they stress how the work towards achieving total equality wont be easy or pleasant.
d. they illustrate how much must be done to make the most unique and talented individuals conform.

1. which section from the text provides the best evidence that supports how the different handicaps contributes to the theme of the story?

a. \he began to think glimmeringly about his abnormal son who was now in jail, about harrison, but a twenty-one-gun salute in his head stopped that.\ (paragraph 21)
b. \he tried. thats the big thing. he tried to do the best he could with what god gave him. he should get a nice raise for trying so hard.\ (paragraph 39)
c. \and it was easy to see that she was the strongest and most graceful of all the dancers, for her handicap bags were as big as those worn by two- hundred pound men.\ (paragraph 40)
d. \diana moon glampers loaded the gun again. she aimed it at the musicians and told them they had ten seconds to get their handicaps back on.\ (paragraph 79)

Explanation:

These questions refer to Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron.

1. The core theme is that forced uniformity fails to create true equality, instead breeding harm. Option C directly captures this, as the story shows the violent, oppressive unhappiness of the enforced "equal" society.
2. When Harrison removes his handicaps, he briefly displays the potential of human ability without artificial limitations before being killed, which is the key plot development here.
3. The handicaps (heavy weights, mental distractors) are extreme measures used to force talented, unique people to conform to the lowest common denominator, directly illustrating the lengths the government goes to enforce uniformity.
4. The detail about the graceful dancer needing massive handicap bags equal to those of large men shows the extreme steps taken to suppress unique talent, which directly supports the theme of forced conformity.

Answer:

1. C. Forcing uniformity on people doesn't result in equality, but rather causes conflict and unhappiness.
2. B. Harrison briefly shows people what is possible without handicaps.
3. D. They illustrate how much must be done to make the most unique and talented individuals conform.
4. C. "And it was easy to see that she was the strongest and most graceful of all the dancers, for her handicap bags were as big as those worn by two- hundred pound men." (Paragraph 40)