Class- At the end of "Harrison Bergeron", Hazel seems to forget what has happened on her television with Harrison Bergeron and his "queen". Why has she forgotten?
She has forgotten because she is a "normal level thinker" and doesnt have any handicaps. In todays world I think that she would be considered lower level thinker, and she forgets what she is thinking about every few seconds.
Jordan - When I read it I drew the conclusion that the government wiped Hazel and George's memories using the things that were implanted in their minds.
Jordan- It says at the beginning of the story that since her intelligence is average, she has a very short attention span and can only think about things "in short bursts." Annabelle, because she is of average intelligence, Hazel does not actually have a handicap.
Jordan-I also think that she forgets so easily because she isn't one of those people who are extremely smart. She doesn't need a handicap because she can't obtain information very well.
All- Did she have a handicap? I thought she was just unintelligent and forgot things easily because in her society the smart, beautiful, talented, etc are all punished for being "above" everyone else. I believe she even said she wished she had a handicapped. I suppose she could have forgotten but do we have any text evidence?
Jordan- They say that Hazel has a "Perfectly average intelligence, which meant she couldn't think about anything except in short bursts". The question that that quotation poses to me is, why, if she had a perfectly average intelligence, can she only think of things in short bursts?
Bekah-I don't think that competition in society is a bad thing. I think that to make society better and more advanced, we have to have some competition, otherwise we have nothing to compare to.
Rebeckah- I don't think it really can be truly eliminated. It is kinda like Communism that way, a good natured idea but impossible. You can't make a Utopian society if you still have human nature.
Rebekah I believe competition should not be eliminated. Competition is what pushed people to be their best and society can not grow when everybody is not thinking creatively.
Rebekah-without competition, we wouldn't advance in society. Businesses compete to be the better and most desirable. Two business can try to out do each other, but in the end new and better products are created.
Rebekah-I think that competition is a good thing for society because nobody will improve including the government because no one is pushed improve because you really dont have to
Class - When I was reading the story, I realized that the author didn't tell us if the Handicap General had handicaps. Were government officials the only ones without handicaps so that they would remain superior?
Jordan- She forgets because she is not as intelligent as others. Her husband, George, is very smart and has a handicap, to stop him from being better than anybody else. Hazel is just normal, so she doesn't need a handicap. She doesn't get a handicap because she already forgets things easily. I agree with Sean.
Bekah - I think there should be competition becuase because it's what makes us better. Every person has a place in the world. So people use what they have to be successful and it makes up our society.
Annabelle-I think that the government wants everyone to be equal because they don't want to deal with prejudice and war. I think that they did this so that they could create society where no one competes, which isn't helpful to society at all.
Sophia- That is a great point, if they want everyone to be equal, then why should they not have handicaps. I think that they don't have them because they need to "control" everyone else who does have them or needs them
Liz- I totally agree with you. Is it somewhat stereo typical that in literature we see smart and ugly and stupid and pretty? We often see example of that. Why is that the old standby for stereotypes?
Bekah- While I was reading the story, I as well wondered why they portrayed competition to be such an unhealthy and detrimental thing. It reminded me of history class, and all the industrialization that we accomplished because of competition alone. I think that competition being an acting part of society is incredibly healthy, I believe it continually pushes people to try something different, do something better, and be the best you can possibly be. I think that the negative points of competition could be questioned in a way that made it seem as if people were competing to be better than someone else, instead of bettering themselves for their own personal satisfaction. And that's when competition can get ugly.
Class- How does the government feel that after the government officials are gone there will be no more innovative people to lead the people into a successful future?
Class-does the government realize that putting weights on the people will make them stronger. George even says "they are part of me". He is used to dragging around the weight...he has become stronger.
Annabelle- I think that the government is extremely strict because they want all ruling power. Like Shawn said, it is like a communist society. The only way they can have control over the population is to have a tool that keeps them below the government.
AlexB- Yes our society is slowly leading to the technology side of things. Some day our world will be very much like life in the story The Pedestrian. Where are whole live revolves around technology.
Class- I remember during one part of the Harrison Bergeron story, Hazel referring to "what God gave them". What that brings to mind is how controlling the government had been to create a Utopia type of society, do you think the views on religion would be warped? If people were believing something, what exactly were they believing?
Rebekah- I think that competition is very good. If we have competition then the good will succeed and the weak will fail, therefore bettering all of society. This relates to social Darwinism like in U.S. History
Emma- The government has brainwashed them into thinking that this false equality is better. And the handicaps themselves keep them from thinking too hard about it and realizing how flawed it is.
Alex- I know our society is becoming a very techology rich society but I don't think or I hope that we would never give smart, strong, pretty people handicaps!
Ruth - I agree because it is not only the smart or pretty people that make an impact in the world it is also everyone else. If the government takes away our individuality then we would have no more impact within our own world.
Class- At the end of "Harrison Bergeron", Hazel seems to forget what has happened on her television with Harrison Bergeron and his "queen". Why has she forgotten?
ReplyDeleteJordan-I was also wondering about that. Her forgetting her son and his "queen" I think is symbolic of a meaningless society.
ReplyDeleteJordan- She forgets because the government has put a handicap on her witch makes her forget things easily.
ReplyDeleteShe has forgotten because she is a "normal level thinker" and doesnt have any handicaps. In todays world I think that she would be considered lower level thinker, and she forgets what she is thinking about every few seconds.
ReplyDeleteJordan - When I read it I drew the conclusion that the government wiped Hazel and George's memories using the things that were implanted in their minds.
ReplyDeleteJordan- It says at the beginning of the story that since her intelligence is average, she has a very short attention span and can only think about things "in short bursts." Annabelle, because she is of average intelligence, Hazel does not actually have a handicap.
ReplyDeleteI would agree but Hazel is not handicapped so she was born with some sort of defect and that could be amnesia
ReplyDeleteJordan-I also think that she forgets so easily because she isn't one of those people who are extremely smart. She doesn't need a handicap because she can't obtain information very well.
ReplyDeleteClass- The story "Harrison Bergeron" portrays competition as a bad thing. Do you think competition in society should be eliminated?
ReplyDeleteEmma- Some are prettier than others but everyone must be equal, easier to cover up beauty
ReplyDeleteAll- Did she have a handicap? I thought she was just unintelligent and forgot things easily because in her society the smart, beautiful, talented, etc are all punished for being "above" everyone else. I believe she even said she wished she had a handicapped. I suppose she could have forgotten but do we have any text evidence?
ReplyDeleteEmma-I think that there are more definitions of pretty it is not limited to one definition and I think that ugly is more easily defined.
ReplyDeleteJordan- They say that Hazel has a "Perfectly average intelligence, which meant she couldn't think about anything except in short bursts". The question that that quotation poses to me is, why, if she had a perfectly average intelligence, can she only think of things in short bursts?
ReplyDeleteRebekah- I do not think that competition is a bad thing. I think that is is a good thing because it allows you to strive for something
ReplyDeleteBekah-I don't think that competition in society is a bad thing. I think that to make society better and more advanced, we have to have some competition, otherwise we have nothing to compare to.
ReplyDeleteClass- Has anyone read the Uglies series by Scott Westerfield? This story relates a lot except that in Uglies everyone is stupid and pretty.
ReplyDeleteRebeckah- I don't think it really can be truly eliminated. It is kinda like Communism that way, a good natured idea but impossible. You can't make a Utopian society if you still have human nature.
ReplyDeleteRebekah I believe competition should not be eliminated. Competition is what pushed people to be their best and society can not grow when everybody is not thinking creatively.
ReplyDeleteRebekah-without competition, we wouldn't advance in society. Businesses compete to be the better and most desirable. Two business can try to out do each other, but in the end new and better products are created.
ReplyDeleteRebekah-I think that competition is a good thing for society because nobody will improve including the government because no one is pushed improve because you really dont have to
ReplyDeleteClass- Why do you think that this government is so strict about everyone being equal?
ReplyDeleteClass - When I was reading the story, I realized that the author didn't tell us if the Handicap General had handicaps. Were government officials the only ones without handicaps so that they would remain superior?
ReplyDeleteJordan- She forgets because she is not as intelligent as others. Her husband, George, is very smart and has a handicap, to stop him from being better than anybody else. Hazel is just normal, so she doesn't need a handicap. She doesn't get a handicap because she already forgets things easily. I agree with Sean.
ReplyDeleteClass- Can this government be compared to anything today?
ReplyDeleteElizebeth- Yes I have read that book! Great connection!
ReplyDeleteBekah - I think there should be competition becuase because it's what makes us better. Every person has a place in the world. So people use what they have to be successful and it makes up our society.
ReplyDeleteAnnabelle-I think that the government wants everyone to be equal because they don't want to deal with prejudice and war. I think that they did this so that they could create society where no one competes, which isn't helpful to society at all.
ReplyDeleteClass- competition is a good thing because I feel it makes us stronger. Pushes us to the limit.
ReplyDeleteSophia- That is a great point, if they want everyone to be equal, then why should they not have handicaps. I think that they don't have them because they need to "control" everyone else who does have them or needs them
ReplyDeleteElizabeth-that is the same connection I made. With both stories their are a few people that want to be different, that want to reject the society.
ReplyDeleteLiz- I totally agree with you. Is it somewhat stereo typical that in literature we see smart and ugly and stupid and pretty? We often see example of that. Why is that the old standby for stereotypes?
ReplyDeleteSophia- No I don't think he had any handicaps and the reason was to be superior. A Utopian society gone wrong.
ReplyDeleteBekah- While I was reading the story, I as well wondered why they portrayed competition to be such an unhealthy and detrimental thing. It reminded me of history class, and all the industrialization that we accomplished because of competition alone. I think that competition being an acting part of society is incredibly healthy, I believe it continually pushes people to try something different, do something better, and be the best you can possibly be. I think that the negative points of competition could be questioned in a way that made it seem as if people were competing to be better than someone else, instead of bettering themselves for their own personal satisfaction. And that's when competition can get ugly.
ReplyDeleteSohpia - the leaders don't have handicaps because they have to intimidate society. They want to make sure that the people won't rebel.
ReplyDeleteClass- Is our society heading down this road of restrictions and electronics in everyday life
ReplyDeleteClass - I would hate to have these handicaps. How are people ok with being dumbed down? Is that fair to them?
ReplyDeleteClass- How do you determine the point of equality, how many handicaps each person should have?
ReplyDeleteClass- How does the government feel that after the government officials are gone there will be no more innovative people to lead the people into a successful future?
ReplyDeleteClass-does the government realize that putting weights on the people will make them stronger. George even says "they are part of me". He is used to dragging around the weight...he has become stronger.
ReplyDeleteClass- If Harrison had the handicaps on also, how could he come up with the idea to overthrow the government?
ReplyDeleteAnnabelle- I think that the government is extremely strict because they want all ruling power. Like Shawn said, it is like a communist society. The only way they can have control over the population is to have a tool that keeps them below the government.
ReplyDeleteAlexB- Yes our society is slowly leading to the technology side of things. Some day our world will be very much like life in the story The Pedestrian. Where are whole live revolves around technology.
ReplyDeleteClass- I remember during one part of the Harrison Bergeron story, Hazel referring to "what God gave them". What that brings to mind is how controlling the government had been to create a Utopia type of society, do you think the views on religion would be warped? If people were believing something, what exactly were they believing?
ReplyDeleteEmma, I don't think they would be ok with it if they knew anything different.
ReplyDeleteRebekah- I think that competition is very good. If we have competition then the good will succeed and the weak will fail, therefore bettering all of society. This relates to social Darwinism like in U.S. History
ReplyDeleteEmma- The government has brainwashed them into thinking that this false equality is better. And the handicaps themselves keep them from thinking too hard about it and realizing how flawed it is.
ReplyDeleteAlex- I know our society is becoming a very techology rich society but I don't think or I hope that we would never give smart, strong, pretty people handicaps!
ReplyDeleteRuth - I agree because it is not only the smart or pretty people that make an impact in the world it is also everyone else. If the government takes away our individuality then we would have no more impact within our own world.
ReplyDeleteClass - How is Mildred's liking to run over dogs wile speeding down the road like the boys on the island in LOF obssesed with killing pigs?
ReplyDelete