Equality is something that many people have had to fight for. Imagine the dystopian United States of 2081, when everyone is the same. Above average people have handicaps so they are equal to normal people. A powerful symbol in this story is the TV that Harrison's parents are watching. In this story we see loss of authority, television impact and forced equality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Television is a very important symbol in this story. The television in George and Hazel Bergeron's living room shows the story. Television is an immensely powerful force that sedates, governs and terrorizes the characters of “Harrison Bergeron.” To underline the enormous importance of television in society, Vonnegut makes it a constant presence in his story: the entire story takes place while George and Hazel sit in front of the TV. Television mainly has the function of sedating citizens. Hazel cries, but because she is distracted by the dancers on the screen, she doesn't remember why she is crying. The government also uses television to enforce its laws. When talented people like Harrison are on the loose, the government issues warnings about them. The government shows Harrison's photograph with his good looks maimed and his strength dissipated by handicaps that were "300 pounds of metal, a red rubber nose, headphones and glasses." The photo is a way to find the fugitive considered dangerous even if the citizens do not remember him, but it is also a way to intimidate viewers. He gives them a visual example of what happens when someone with a handicap runs away: "Harrison is killed, and his parents who had just watched him die forget about it seconds later." Television is further transformed into a medium for terrorizing citizens when Diana Moon Glampers shoots Harrison with her double-barreled shotgun. Live execution is an effective way to show viewers what will happen to those who disobey the law. The government also uses television for propaganda. The loss of authority is seen in the brief moments when Harrison proclaims himself emperor, destroys his state-issued handicaps and dances beautifully on state TV, the power of the government is lost. Although the moment is short-lived (a government agent kills Harrison while he dances), his dissent nevertheless demonstrates that individuals could still have power in a totalitarian regime. Harrison's exceptional existence demonstrates that equality is not absolute (otherwise he would not have been able to achieve such an extraordinary feat) and therefore that state power is not omnipotent. However, although Harrison Bergeron is an extraordinary individual whose very existence poses a serious threat to the totalitarian government of Vonnegut's story, his execution by the government and his parents' subsequent inability to remember witnessing his murder suggest ultimately that, once the government is consolidated. enough power, individual dissent has little effect. Vonnegut writes that, as Harrison danced, "not only were the laws of the earth abandoned, but also the law of gravity and the laws of motion." The language and imagery of weightlessness (the destruction of physical handicaps; the "physical neutralization of gravity with love and sheer will" as Harrison and the ballerina float toward the ceiling) surrounding Harrison's performance suggests that dissent can bring freedom to those subject to state authority. In fact, just like Harrison's dancing..