Name ________________________________
English 10
“Harrison Bergeron” Response Journal
After reading "Harrison Bergeron," respond to the following prompt through journal
writing (this will take the place of Journal #5). Spend at least 10 minutes writing in
paragraph form, focused on the following questions or your other personal reactions to
the story:
1. "Harrison Bergeron" is a satire, a "literary work that attacks human vice through
irony or wit" . . .what, specifically, is Vonnegut satirizing? (Give a couple of examples
from the story).
2. The futuristic America that Vonnegut depicts is dedicated to the enforcement of
mediocrity. How the country got that way is left for us to imagine. Speculate what
kind of events might occur to lead the society to that place in 2081.
3. Vonnegut's story is set in the distant future, but are there any aspects of the society
he imagines that could be read a s symbolic of realities in our society today? Explain.