NAME:
DATE:
CLASS:
Harrison Bergeron Literary Analysis: IRONY
PART I. DIRECTIONS: Complete the chart below by identifying four (4) handicaps that the Handicapper General uses to ensure that all people are equal and the skill or attribute affected.
METHOD OR DEVICE FOR HANDICAPPING SKILL OR ATTRIBUTE AFFECTED
4.
3.
2.
1.
PART II. DIRECTIONS: Below are a few examples of ironic passages from the story. Explain what makes each one of these passages ironic. Keep in mind, the answer to the hint is NOT the answer to the right-hand column.
Ironic Passage Why is this ironic?
Hazel had a perfectly average intelligence, which meant she couldn’t think of anything except in short bursts. And George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mentalhandicap radio in his ear.
“I’d think it would be real interesting, hearing all the different sounds,” said Hazel, a little envious.
“All the things they think up.”
She must have been extraordinarily beautiful, because the mask she wore was hideous. 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-hundredpound men.

PART III. DIRECTIONS: Identify the key events in the plot diagram below.
Harrison Bergeron Plot Diagram
EXPOSITION
Important Characters:
Time:
Place:
CLIMAX
Turning point in the story
FALLING ACTION
Any events after the climax
RISING ACTION
Key events that establish or build the conflict in the story
RESOLUTION
How the conflict has been resolved in the story:
CONFLICT
The main conflict or problem in this story:
Society wants everyone to be ___________, but Harrison

NAME:
DATE:
CLASS:
Harrison Bergeron Open-Book Quiz
DIRECTIONS: Identify the letter of the choice that best answers the question.
1. Harrison is considered a threat to the government because a. he is a rebel who fights against the established system b. he has extraordinary physical strength c. he has many followers d. he can bend metal with his mind
2.
In Harrison's lifetime, "equality" means a. getting the same wages for the same job b. having to wear handicapping devices to prevent the enjoyment of natural advantages. c. enjoying the same freedoms as everyone else. d. undergoing surgery to make everyone look identical
3. The author's tone as he tells this story reveals that he believes a. governments should do more to make sure no one has any advantage over anyone else. b. governments are really not capable of making everyone absolutely equal. c. governments should have power to use extreme force to uphold laws d. equality means that everyone is exactly the same
4. What amendments to the Constitution assure that everyone is equal in Vonnegut’s society? a. 100, 101, & 102 b. 33, 34, & 35 c. 211, 212, & 213 d. 1, 2, & 3
5. Why did George have a mental handicap in his ear? a. he was not very good at hearing & this device helped. b. he had very good hearing & this device tuned things out. c. he was extremely smart and when he had a smart thought, the device interrupted his thought process. d. he was not a smart man and the device helped him learn and retain knowledge so he would be smarter.
6. When Hazel asked George what his handicap sounded like while they were watching the ballerinas, what did he say? a. a cat screeching b. a milk bottle busting c. someone being tortured d. a milk bottle being hit with a ball peen hammer
7. What handicaps did Harrison have? a. shaved eyebrows, glasses, red nose, and metals b. plucked eyebrows, no nose and metals c. goofy glasses, tie-dye nose and shaved eyebrows d. shaved head, earpiece, and glasses
8. The theme of this story mainly concerned with a. the dangers of trying to make everyone equal b. hope that someday true equality can be reached c. importance of enforcing laws d. importance of a close family