In the story "Harrison Bergernon," Kurt Vonnegut confronts the concept of equality by presenting us with a bizarre futuristic United States in which everyone is "equal in every which way (1). " However, these citizens are not born equal—they are born with many talents and weaknesses just as people in our society are. Once they are born, they are then handicapped so that they are equal to the “average” member of society in terms of strength, intelligence, talent, appearance, and any other way possible. I found this story to be thought-provoking and intriguing; it raises some important questions about the notion of equality and the dangers of a society like the one in the story.
The citizens in the story justify the need for each member of their society to be “equal” by asserting that competition and jealousy are all that come from allowing certain people to be better or worse than others. At first glance, this might seem like a fair concern; jealousy and competition are in fact both results of inequality. While we might envy or be jealous of someone better than we are or be frustrated when we lose in competition, these things are naturally part of the world we live in. Inequality, in a way, is what makes a society able to function well and productively. Were we all able only to perform at an average level in every way, we would not have the science, literature, art, music, or culture that we have today. Yes, we envy the talent of the beautiful ballerinas in the world, but we should enjoy watching them just the same. Part of life is looking up to those who are better than us in certain respects, and learning to be content with our own strengths as well. If the citizens in the story were intelligent enough to read these words, they would probably agree. J
Each United States citizen is equal as a result of "the 211th, 212th, and 213th Ammendments to the constitution and the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General. (1) " The government mandates that everyone be equal to each other, giving the government immense power over its citizens. Since everyone must be equal, and must be equal to the "average" member of society, there is very little room for the citizens to form views and opinions, and much less room for the citizens to share these views with each other. Even if someone were to form a view or an opinion, no one else would be intelligent enough to understand him or her. Each time George, an intelligent person, tries to conjure up a thought or chain of thought, the device in his ear makes a noise which scatters his thoughts. According to the story, this noise was "to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains. (3)" While it is possible that these Amendments were written for that purpose, they also give the government extraordinary power. This device makes it impossible for anyone to think hard enough to question the government, question the information the press publishes, or question anything really. The citizens simply go about their average, boring lives, unaware of their government. In effect, the government has the power to rule without the consent of its people; surely all they are smart enough to do is simply nod and agree with whatever the government does—if the citizens are informed of the government’s actions at all. Were these Americans able to think intelligently, however, they might actually want to speak out and play a part in what’s going on in the world around them. The government surely cannot allow this though, or they might have a situation like the one with Harrison on their hands.
In the Holocaust, the Nazis executed the T-4 program in which they executed thousands of people who were mentally ill or handicapped in attempt to eliminate these defects in future generations. Such a situation could very easily be carried out in the United States depicted in “Harrison Bergernon.” The government mandates that each person must have average intelligence and physical ability so that everyone is equal to each other. The intelligence and physical ability of the entire society is therefore limited by its lowest performing member. What happens when the government wants to raise the national average? The government could likely get away with simply imprisoning, and even potentially executed anyone who was below their predetermined average in either of these two respects. And no one would be able to question the government’s actions, because they are unable to think about the idea for long enough to do so.
We learn from this story that it is important to embrace your flaws and strengths and to embrace the fact that they are different from anyone else’s. Vonnegut also reminds us to be thankful for our freedom to think, to reason, and to be ourselves. (822)
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
A&P
As readers, we are delighted by descriptive language and well-thought out imagery—two areas in which John Updike’s short story “A&P” is certainly not lacking. Not only does Updike provide the reader with vivid descriptions of the store and the customers in it, he also describes them in a singular, yet complex fashion. He stays away from clichés and creates unusual similes and metaphors that describe his subjects particularly effectively.
Updike takes care to use just the right words to describe each one of his characters—particularly the three main girls in the story. His careful attention to detail in describing them through Sammy’s eyes parallels how much careful attention Sammy is giving them and to their appearance. The queen walks into the store on her “long white prima-donna legs” and “ [comes] down a little hard on her heels, as if she didn’t walk in her bare feet that much, putting down her heels and then letting the weight move along to her toes as if she was testing the floor with every step.(2)” Rather than simply saying she walks carefully, Updike finds the exact words to convey how she moves. Updike describes the girl who is Sammy’s favorite as “a chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two crescents of white just under it (1)” paying the most attention to describing the part of her which Sammy seems to be paying the most attention to. The last girl is “the kind of girl other girls think is very “striking” and “attractive” but never quite makes it. (2) ” In addition to being slightly humorous, this description clues us in to the fact that she might have some good features but is awkward and clearly inferior to the other two.
Updike devotes this same attention to the other characters in the story as well—even the seemingly insignificant ones. For instance, when he describes the old woman whose groceries Sammy is ringing up at the beginning of the story, he goes beyond simply calling her a witch or a rude old lady. He tells us that “if she’d been born at the right time they would have burned her over in Salem. (2) ” In paragraph five, Updike spins an extended metaphor about the customers in the store as sheep who are startled by the girls’ appearance as an animal would be by a loud noise. The “sheep” typically walk one way and repeat the same motions each time they go to the store. However, the girls and their clothing startle the “sheep” and causing them to “jerk, or hop, or hiccup (5) ” but then return to their shopping like obedient livestock. Later, Updike refers to them as “scared pigs in a chute [29]” upset by the unfolding scene between Lengel and Sammy as Sammy quits his job. The store manager Lengel, the “bad guy” of the story is “ pretty dreary, [and] teaches Sunday school and the rest, but he doesn’t miss than much. (12)” From that short description, we learn that he is usually fairly sedate, has observantly noticed the girls, and is upset by their clothing or lack thereof—probably because it offends his Christian morals. As the girls leave after being lectured by Lengel, Sammy tells Lengel that he quits “hoping [the girls] stop and watch [him], their unsuspected hero. (21) ” He wants their attention so badly that he thinks he is being heroic in quitting his job “for them” even though he and his family need the money.
The language Updike allows us to see how Sammy views the world and these people around him. Most of the judgments he makes about the customers are shallow and solely based upon their appearance, their groceries, and the brief interaction he has with them as they check out. However, when he comes face to face with the girls and watches as Lengel humiliates them in front of the other customers, he looks past his initial impression of them and sees them not as objects but as people—people who deserve his sympathy. (682)
Updike takes care to use just the right words to describe each one of his characters—particularly the three main girls in the story. His careful attention to detail in describing them through Sammy’s eyes parallels how much careful attention Sammy is giving them and to their appearance. The queen walks into the store on her “long white prima-donna legs” and “ [comes] down a little hard on her heels, as if she didn’t walk in her bare feet that much, putting down her heels and then letting the weight move along to her toes as if she was testing the floor with every step.(2)” Rather than simply saying she walks carefully, Updike finds the exact words to convey how she moves. Updike describes the girl who is Sammy’s favorite as “a chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two crescents of white just under it (1)” paying the most attention to describing the part of her which Sammy seems to be paying the most attention to. The last girl is “the kind of girl other girls think is very “striking” and “attractive” but never quite makes it. (2) ” In addition to being slightly humorous, this description clues us in to the fact that she might have some good features but is awkward and clearly inferior to the other two.
Updike devotes this same attention to the other characters in the story as well—even the seemingly insignificant ones. For instance, when he describes the old woman whose groceries Sammy is ringing up at the beginning of the story, he goes beyond simply calling her a witch or a rude old lady. He tells us that “if she’d been born at the right time they would have burned her over in Salem. (2) ” In paragraph five, Updike spins an extended metaphor about the customers in the store as sheep who are startled by the girls’ appearance as an animal would be by a loud noise. The “sheep” typically walk one way and repeat the same motions each time they go to the store. However, the girls and their clothing startle the “sheep” and causing them to “jerk, or hop, or hiccup (5) ” but then return to their shopping like obedient livestock. Later, Updike refers to them as “scared pigs in a chute [29]” upset by the unfolding scene between Lengel and Sammy as Sammy quits his job. The store manager Lengel, the “bad guy” of the story is “ pretty dreary, [and] teaches Sunday school and the rest, but he doesn’t miss than much. (12)” From that short description, we learn that he is usually fairly sedate, has observantly noticed the girls, and is upset by their clothing or lack thereof—probably because it offends his Christian morals. As the girls leave after being lectured by Lengel, Sammy tells Lengel that he quits “hoping [the girls] stop and watch [him], their unsuspected hero. (21) ” He wants their attention so badly that he thinks he is being heroic in quitting his job “for them” even though he and his family need the money.
The language Updike allows us to see how Sammy views the world and these people around him. Most of the judgments he makes about the customers are shallow and solely based upon their appearance, their groceries, and the brief interaction he has with them as they check out. However, when he comes face to face with the girls and watches as Lengel humiliates them in front of the other customers, he looks past his initial impression of them and sees them not as objects but as people—people who deserve his sympathy. (682)
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Where Did They Go Wrong? What Opportunities Did They Miss?
RReading Teenage Wasteland was sort of a terrifying and revealing experience. As a fairly well-adjusted and well-behaved teenager (or so I've been told), I don't think I've given my parents anywhere near as much trouble as Donny gives his. Still, I almost pity them in that I too am at the age where I follow very little of their advice and guidance. Reading Daisy’s account of Donny’s downfall makes me understand a little better where they are coming from in their constant stream of advice. The terrifying aspect of this story, I found was the fact that Daisy and her husband do almost nothing wrong as parents and yet Donny still ends up with a life seemingly gone to waste.
I truly believe that Donny's problems, however, can be attributed to his need for attention and how and from whom he seeks it. As a small child, he sought attention from his parents like most children. When he was very young, he actually got this attention from his mother. She seems to have indulged him enough, although his father probably worked very hard, as he does now, to support their family. Once Amanda was born, however, Daisy admits that Donny no longer got as much attention from his mother due to her preoccupation with his then baby sister Amanda. His father was still largely absent. It is unfortunate that Matt did not try to play a larger role in his son’s life. He might have even been able to turn Donny around if he had just spent some time with him while Daisy was busy with Amanda.
Based on the fact that he now attends a private school, Donny might have tried to regain his mother’s attention by working hard in school to impress her. Daisy, however, took little notice of his intelligence. She was probably thrilled that she could concentrate more on Amanda and did not need to worry about Donny’s schoolwork. When Donny realized that he would never again get the same attention from his mother, he turned to his friends for attention. Apparently the friends who would give it to him were from the wrong crowd. As he spends more time with these friends, they have a bad influence on him. He starts smoking, drinking, cutting class, and generally causing mischief. Daisy is so busy with Amanda that she does not notice Donny’s rapid decline.
When his misbehavior is brought to Daisy's attention she is at a loss for what to do about it. So she begins to do all she knows how to do—follows the advice of his principal and gives Donny attention again—watching him complete his homework assignments, however much stress it adds to her day. It takes Donny a while to adjust to having his mother’s attention once again. Slowly he starts to respond, and his grades improve slightly. Perhaps he is remembering his childhood when he craved his mother’s attention.
Donny shows some improvement but not enough for his school They request to have him psychologically tested. The conclusion of these tests is that he is simply “going through a difficult period in his life. They recommend that he get a tutor and suggest Cal. Now Donny has someone new to get attention from: Cal. Cal replaces Daisy as an attention source but is merely an addition to the attention Donny receives from his friends. Since Donny still hangs out with his friends, they continue to negatively influence him. While Cal is good for Donny in some ways such as improving Donny’s morale, he seems to waste the chance to really help Donny overcome his peers’ pressure and become a more dedicated student. Cal could even potentially influence Donny to attempt to repair his and his parents’ broken relationship. In the end, Cal simply further alienates Donny from his family and from Daisy.
The story is one of countless missed opportunities. Daisy misses the opportunity to help shape Donny into a good person when he was younger. Matt misses the opportunity to develop any kind of a relationship with his son. Daisy again misses the opportunity to turn Donny around when Donny starts seeing Cal. Cal misses the opportunity, if he wanted it in the first place, to change Donny’s life. And everyone misses the opportunity to save Donny from the wasted life he chose to run away from. At the end of the story, we learn that that the opportunity to save Amanda from a similar fate is slowly slipping away as she spends more and more time away from home. All in all, the characters in the story are given several chances to save each other and save themselves, and yet each chance they get, they waste. (787)
I truly believe that Donny's problems, however, can be attributed to his need for attention and how and from whom he seeks it. As a small child, he sought attention from his parents like most children. When he was very young, he actually got this attention from his mother. She seems to have indulged him enough, although his father probably worked very hard, as he does now, to support their family. Once Amanda was born, however, Daisy admits that Donny no longer got as much attention from his mother due to her preoccupation with his then baby sister Amanda. His father was still largely absent. It is unfortunate that Matt did not try to play a larger role in his son’s life. He might have even been able to turn Donny around if he had just spent some time with him while Daisy was busy with Amanda.
Based on the fact that he now attends a private school, Donny might have tried to regain his mother’s attention by working hard in school to impress her. Daisy, however, took little notice of his intelligence. She was probably thrilled that she could concentrate more on Amanda and did not need to worry about Donny’s schoolwork. When Donny realized that he would never again get the same attention from his mother, he turned to his friends for attention. Apparently the friends who would give it to him were from the wrong crowd. As he spends more time with these friends, they have a bad influence on him. He starts smoking, drinking, cutting class, and generally causing mischief. Daisy is so busy with Amanda that she does not notice Donny’s rapid decline.
When his misbehavior is brought to Daisy's attention she is at a loss for what to do about it. So she begins to do all she knows how to do—follows the advice of his principal and gives Donny attention again—watching him complete his homework assignments, however much stress it adds to her day. It takes Donny a while to adjust to having his mother’s attention once again. Slowly he starts to respond, and his grades improve slightly. Perhaps he is remembering his childhood when he craved his mother’s attention.
Donny shows some improvement but not enough for his school They request to have him psychologically tested. The conclusion of these tests is that he is simply “going through a difficult period in his life. They recommend that he get a tutor and suggest Cal. Now Donny has someone new to get attention from: Cal. Cal replaces Daisy as an attention source but is merely an addition to the attention Donny receives from his friends. Since Donny still hangs out with his friends, they continue to negatively influence him. While Cal is good for Donny in some ways such as improving Donny’s morale, he seems to waste the chance to really help Donny overcome his peers’ pressure and become a more dedicated student. Cal could even potentially influence Donny to attempt to repair his and his parents’ broken relationship. In the end, Cal simply further alienates Donny from his family and from Daisy.
The story is one of countless missed opportunities. Daisy misses the opportunity to help shape Donny into a good person when he was younger. Matt misses the opportunity to develop any kind of a relationship with his son. Daisy again misses the opportunity to turn Donny around when Donny starts seeing Cal. Cal misses the opportunity, if he wanted it in the first place, to change Donny’s life. And everyone misses the opportunity to save Donny from the wasted life he chose to run away from. At the end of the story, we learn that that the opportunity to save Amanda from a similar fate is slowly slipping away as she spends more and more time away from home. All in all, the characters in the story are given several chances to save each other and save themselves, and yet each chance they get, they waste. (787)
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