-
1 CE
Characters
- George Bergeron and Hazel Bergeron
- Harrison Bergeron
- Ballerinas and Orchestra
- Diana Moon Glampers (Handicapper General)
-
2
Exposition
- Setting: 2081, Bergeron home, USA; society is completely equal due to the 211, 212, and 213 Amendments of the Constitution.
- Inciting Incident: In April, the Handicapper General's men took Harrison Bergeron away from his home.
-
3
Rising Actions
- George has handicaps because of his intelligence, but Hazel does not.
- George and Hazel watch a ballet performance on TV, and the ballerinas wear masks.
- Hazel tells George he should remove some of the weight from his handicapping birdshot bag, but he disagrees. They talk about how society would fall apart if people weren't equal anymore.
- An important news announcement is read by a ballerina that says Harrison has escaped prison.
-
4
Climax
- Harrison emerges on the TV, saying he is now the Emperor. He tears off all of his many handicaps, showing how strong he is. He chooses a ballerina to become his Empress, and she is beautiful under her mask. Harrison commands the orchestra to play without their handicaps, while he and the ballerina dance. They jump in the air, defying gravity, and kiss.
-
5
Falling Actions
- The Handicapper General appears and kills Harrison and the ballerina.
- The TV burns out, and George leaves the room for a beer. When he returns, he does not seem to remember what happened.
- Hazel is crying, but she cannot remember why, because she does not remember sad things.
-
6
Resolution
Nothing changes in society, or in George and Hazel's family, because they forgot they saw their son get shot on TV. -
7
Theme
Complete equality is not something we should strive for, but we should support people's differences and strengths. It can be dangerous when the government controls everything.