In Kurt Vonnegut's satire, "Harrison Bergeron," there are,
among others, the following elements of figurative
language:
SATIRE
The entire
first paragraph is satiric as Vonnegut writes that in the year 2081 "everybody was
finally equal." People are "equal" in intelligence, physical appearance, and athletic
abilty:
All
this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to
the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper
General.
This satire
continues into the next paragraph in which the author writes that "it was
tragic."
Of course, the satiric language and tone continues
throughout the story.
VERBAL
IRONY
It is clear in the first paragraph of the story that
Vonnegut is using the words equal and
equality
ironically.
METAPHOR
In
describing the metaphor, the narrator states,
Her voice was a warm, luminous, timeless
melody.
But, after apologizing [satire], she made her
voice "uncompetitive": "Harrison Bergeron, age fourteen," she said in a
grackle squawk....
In the
race of life, Harrison carried three hundred
pounds.
Screams and barking cries of consternation came
from the television
set.
SIMILE
but Harrison looked like a walking
junkyard.
Harrison tore the straps of his
handicap harness like wet tissue
paper,...
The bar snapped like
celery
They leaped like deer
on the
moon.
UNDERSTATEMENT
Within
the example above on metaphor, there is understatement, as
well:
...and
she began again, making her voice absolutely
uncompetitive.
PERSONIFICATION
The photograph of
Harrison Bergeron on the screen jumped again and
again,....
...for many was the time his own
home had danced to the same
crashing tune [figurative
language]
ALLUSION
He flung away his rubber-ball nose, revealed a
man that would have awed Thor, the god of
thunder.
HYPERBOLE
He flung away his rubber-ball nose, reavealed
a man that would have awed Thor..... [obvious
exaggeration=hyperbole]
They leaped like deer
on the
moon.
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