“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut
Answer the following questions in Thesis-Support-Explain format. Be sure to embed snippets from the text, cite the
snippets, and explain your analysis.
1. Does the HC general actually succeed at creating and enforcing equality? Why or why not?
2. What is Vonnegut implying about the quest for total equality?
Theme statement: The literary term “theme” always implies a theme statement, a declarative sentence. However, many
people use “theme” to mean thematic ideas or subjects. You will often hear people talk about the theme of Romeo and
Juliet as love. Technically, that is a subject or idea of the play, not a theme. A theme would answer the question of what
does Romeo and Juliet tell us about love, what comment does it make on the human condition, and, furthermore, that
theme would be applicable to other works of literature.
2QtoT: Two Questions to Theme
To create a theme statement for “Harrison Bergeron”, use the following formula: 2QtoT.
1. What is the topic/subject of the selection? (consider the list we generated in class)
2. What is the author saying about ___________ (insert one of the topics)?
Write your answer in the form of a declarative sentence/statement.
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“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut
Answer the following questions in Thesis-Support-Explain format. Be sure to embed snippets from the text, cite the
snippets, and explain your analysis.
1. Does the HC general actually succeed at creating and enforcing equality? Why or why not?
2. What is Vonnegut implying about the quest for total equality?
Theme statement: The literary term “theme” always implies a theme statement, a declarative sentence. However, many
people use “theme” to mean thematic ideas or subjects. You will often hear people talk about the theme of Romeo and
Juliet as love. Technically, that is a subject or idea of the play, not a theme. A theme would answer the question of what
does Romeo and Juliet tell us about love, what comment does it make on the human condition, and, furthermore, that
theme would be applicable to other works of literature.
2QtoT: Two Questions to Theme
To create a theme statement for “Harrison Bergeron”, use the following formula: 2QtoT.
1. What is the topic/subject of the selection? (consider the list we generated in class)
2. What is the author saying about ___________ (insert one of the topics)?
Write your answer in the form of a declarative sentence/statement.