arts // no. § Want an equal society? Be careful what you wish for > ‘Harrison Bergeron’ short story review EG Manilag Staff Writer ccording to American journalist Dick Feagler, “Equality of opportunity is freedom, but equality of outcome is repression.” In our society, equality is often widely regarded as the ultimate goal for the common good; yet, in its purest form, equality is not desirable. And often times, it can be corrosive. In Kurt Vonnegut’s book, Harrison Bergeron, he passively argues that the true equality that many protest for actually harms people’s creativity and uniqueness— ultimately concluding that it’s not worth wishing for. The narrative first sets ina dystopian future society where the whole population was “equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else.” This means that true equality has ultimately been attained. However, this form of equality was achieved through making all people wear handicap gears— especially those people who are smarter and better looking than the average individual. Those who have qualities below the average are left untouched. The people in this futuristic society are all controlled by the government’s Handicapper General, who is more likely to be the controller of equality and a punisher to those who defy it. The story progresses around George and Hazel Bergeron. George has to wear a handicap because he is a very smart guy, smarter than average, while Hazel does not. Their son, Harrison Bergeron, is like his father but is more talented, sporty, and strong. He also has to wear handicaps, but he removes them in order to retaliate against the government. Harrison was later incarcerated, but because of his skills, he breaks loose and Because of the handicaps, Harrison’s father, who watched his son suffer live on television, was unable to remember anything that had happened. Since Hazel was the average person, she wasn't able to understand the situation either. After that, everything was back to how it was... equal. enters a TV show where ballerinas are dancing. There, he passionately preaches the beauty in the freedom to be unique by freeing the masked ballerinas and handicapped musicians. But unfortunately, the angry Handicapper General arrives and punishes them. Image via Medium.com I get it. Everyone wants an equal society but let us not forget that equality limits our freedom and diversity. The author may have made this story to target the ideals of socialism and communism— whose constructs are more on equality of outcome and the idea that everyone theotherpress.ca should get what everyone has. It seems that Vonnegut prefers equality of opportunity, where everyone gets the same chance to climb the ladder of success. But the central idea though is to be skeptical of true equality because whether or not we like it, this story perfectly describes true equality and the logical conclusion of that ideology. But why preserve uniqueness, creativity, and diversity, though? How is it a priority in the face of ensuring that everyone has food on their table? Well, these attributes help society break through traditional norms that were once corrosive and discriminative, like slavery. Because some people deviated in thought and stood for what they uniquely saw as true and fair, freedom for those who were enslaved was achieved. New ideas always need room to grow and a society of equality does not allow that. Take this other scenario for example, you worked hard on an assignment and got the highest score, but your professor wants to be fair— so he averages all the students’ scores. The result would then be applied to all, leaving you with a lower mark but saving those who failed, even those students that failed because they did not do any work. Ultimately, it is important to first understand how equality works—desiring it without comprehending it is very dangerous. It is like making a deal with the devil. Vonnegut’s book has a lot to offer, may it be political or social, so make sure to read the whole short story. It’s definitely worth your time and effort! Trapped in the house with TV characters » Bottle episodes to enjoy while self-isolating Cheryl Minns Senior Columnist f you're feeling stuck inside due to social distancing and self-isolating recommendations, maybe it’s time to stop binging shows that feature worldly adventures and try something a little closer to home—like the “bottle episode” TV trope. This type of episode usually contains the show’s main cast confined to a single location for a specific amount of time. Some shows use the bottle episode trope as a way to save on budget, while others use it as a writing challenge to tell a gripping story with minimal locations and cast. Here are three shows that used the bottle episode trope to keep their characters trapped at home, a feeling many people are becoming familiar with these days. 1. “Older and Far Away” Season 6, Episode 14 — Buffy the Vampire Slayer What could be more of an at-home bottle episode than the story of a lonely teenager wishing her family would stay home with her, only to have her wish granted by a magical being? Dawn’s wish turns Buffy’s birthday party upside down when she and her friends discover they can't leave the house. Their trapped state forces the group to confront their inner demons and pour out their deepest feelings to one another—a common reaction for characters in bottle episodes. While the episode does feature new characters outside of the main cast, they quickly fade into the background when things get serious and the main characters need to come up with a plan to save the day. 2. “The One Where No One’s Ready” Season 3, Episode 2 — Friends For all of you trying to work from home and struggling with household chaos, this bottle episode about trying to get ready amidst everything going wrong will probably feel like your new Monday. As usual, Ross is up against a deadline that his friends don’t seem to appreciate. Monica obsesses over an old phone message, Joey and Chandler fight over a chair, Phoebe fusses over a stain on her dress, and Rachel can’t find anything to wear. Each character breaks down at some point, cracking under the pressure of trying to get ready in less than 30 minutes. 3. “Remedial Chaos Theory” Season 3, Episode 4 — Community Although house parties obviously aren't happening these days, a bottle episode like this one can make that seem like a good thing. When the seven members of the Greendale study group get together for Troy and Abed’s housewarming party, Jeff suggests they decide who will get the pizza by rolling a six-sided die. With each roll, anew timeline is created in which a different character leaves to get the pizza Still from ‘Community’ | and the other characters get into all kinds of trouble. This episode style—where the same scenes play out in slightly different variations—also makes it a reference to the film Groundhog Day, a film where the main character repeats the same day over and over again. Somehow amongst all of the comedic antics, the episode still manages to explore each character's personal life and discover something new about them—a reoccurring theme in many bottle episodes.