In “Harrison Bergeron” Kurt Vonnegut criticized the way the government took advantage of the power it had over civilians and demolished people's strongest abilities. A few years later, Joseph Alvarez wrote “An Overview of Harrison Bergeron” to analyze the work. He believed that Vonnegut's use of television was a way of telling how powerful technology can be. That's one side of the story, but Alvarez thought this was the only reason Harrison was so influential. Brian Pearl also wrote a critical essay on Harrison Bergeron and included Alvarez's thoughts. Pearl agrees and adds that “it's not worth fighting for your freedom when you live in an authoritative society.” Harrison has the ability to rebel against the government and the will to fight thanks to all the potential hidden by his handicaps. Television made Bergeron's voice travel faster but the revolt would have been equally persuasive and this could be demonstrated through images and symbolism. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Although television made Harrison's handicap boycott seem like a big deal, it would have been an even bigger deal if it hadn't been on the air. Vonnegut vividly describes how Harrison and the beautiful dancer defied the laws of gravity by floating in the air. “They staggered, whirled, spun, leaped, skipped, played and spun. They leaped like deer on the moon.” All the people in the studio during the riot came to see a ballet recital but witnessed the death of two young teenagers with so much potential. There were many people in the room such as dancers, technicians, musicians and announcers. Sooner or later everyone would gossip about the “recital” and all the citizens would be shocked. Word of mouth is as important as the power of television. “Harrison's power to reach people and create a new reality (declaring himself emperor) comes from his control of television.” Another aspect is that Harrison's power comes from the way he rebels against the government. This way a revolution could have started. He knew what he was getting himself into, but living with all the handicaps was no life at all. In his review of Pearls, he states, "Harrison Bergeron shows that fighting for your freedom isn't worth it when you live in an authoritative society." ”. Another way to look at it is that if you don't fight, you can't live right. Pearl's statement is like saying that all of Martin Luther King Jr.'s protests weren't worth it because he was assassinated. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted justice for all just like Harrison. They knew what they were doing could get them into a lot of trouble, but they did it because they didn't like their quality of life. Harrison couldn't think about one thing for more than thirty seconds without being interrupted by a random noise. He had to shave his eyebrows and carry a huge weight because he was too strong and handsome. The handicaps in the story symbolize the limited freedom experienced throughout the world. They represent everything society could be if it weren't so limited. All handicaps can make someone's personality completely different. Pearl states, “A citizen who lets the government take away his rights without a fight loses his soul in the process.” For this exact reason, Harrison fought and sacrificed his life in the hope that others would rebel too. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In.