Common Story Elements from “Harrison Bergeron”
Characterization- description/ portrayal
An author can reveal a character’s personality by telling us directly what the
character is like (direct characterization) or by describing how the character
looks and dresses or by letting us hear the character speak (indirect).
External Conflict- Struggle between opposing characters or forces.
Harrison Bergeron vs. Society? Harrison challenges the rules of the futuristic
society and, even though he dies, makes an impact on everyone watching the
TV.
Harrison Bergeron vs. government?
Description- A type of writing intended to create a mood or an emotion or to recreate a person, place, thing or experience.
Figurative Language- simile, metaphor, personification (see text)
Flashback- Scene in a story that interrupts the present action of the plot to show
events that happened at an earlier time. A flashback in "Harrison Bergeron,"
happens when George begins to think. The story says, "He began to think
glimmeringly about his abnormal son who was now in jail, about Harrison, but a
twenty-one gun salute in his head stopped that” (Vonnegut 102).
Imagery- language that appeals to the senses
Irony- Discrepancy between expectation and reality
One example is the fact that you expect Harrison to succeed in his
'overthrow', but instead he fails. Another would be the fact that
constitutional amendments cannot make people equal. The handicaps worn
by the beautiful, smart and talented did not make for a very equal society.
Mood- A story’s atmosphere or the feeling it evokes (it is often created by the
setting). Possible answers: suspenseful, hopeful, straightforward—It doesn’t matter
which one you choose BUT YOU HAVE TO BACK UP YOUR ANSWER. For example, if
you say the mood was suspenseful, tell me why by explaining. Then, use a direct
quote to support your answer.
Narrator/ Point of View- Voice telling the story. Third-person omnscient (untold
narrator)- the narrator plays no part in the story but can tell us what all the
characters are thinking and feeling. If you talk about this in a body paragraph, you
have EXPLAIN why the point of view is significant to the story.
Style- the way in which the writer uses language. Style is mainly created through
diction (word choice), use of figurative language (see above), and sentence patterns
(short and simple in this story). Examples of the style in this story? Simple? Plain?
Journalistic?
Symbol- Something that stands for both itself and for something beyond itself.
Possible symbol in this story? Harrison, who represents the spark of defiance and
individuality that still exists in some Americans
Theme- the central idea or insight about human life revealed by a work of
literature. SEE WHITEBOARD FOR POSSIBLE THEMES.
Tone- the attitude a writer takes toward a subject, character, or the reader. Perhaps,
calm? If not calm, you could talk about how the author MOCKS EQUALITY in his
story (perhaps the handicaps make people less equal?). Or perhaps, serious? It's
hard to know whether or not we’re supposed to be laughing.