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How might Lem's objection apply to "Harrison Bergeron", and does it diminish the story's value?

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Although Lem’s statement is valid in its criticism of dystopian science fiction, I think Vonnegut uses the story to illustrate a worst-case scenario for the idea of egalitarianism. The story does not glorify destruction, as Lem asserts, but rather illustrates Vonnegut’s views about the future of our society if we continue to try and make everyone equal.

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Stanislaw Lem is science fiction writer who criticizes fellow science fiction writers in the following quotation:

The revolt against the machine and against civilization, the praise of the "aesthetic" nature of catastrophe, the dead-end course of human civilization—these are their foremost problems, the intellectual content of their works. Such [science fiction] is as it were a priori vitiated by pessimism, in the sense that anything that may happen will be for the worse.

This quotation suggests that the overwhelming pessimism of many science fiction stories tends to glorify destruction in a way. He posits that it is illogical that everything that occurs will inevitably end badly, as it so often does within the science fiction genre.

To answer your question, “Harrison Bergeron ” certainly fits into this infinitely pessimistic definition of science fiction. Despite the titular character’s rebellion against the state, he is murdered swiftly and publicly, as...

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his parents watch on live television; the worst part, however, is that she cannot articulate why what she has seen is upsetting while her husband is overwhelmed with all of his handicaps that he can’t even formulate a thought. Vonnegut’s ending suggests that no one and nothing will be successful against the almighty power of a totalitarian regime.

One could certainly use Lem’s assessment to criticize Vonnegut’s story. One might ask, even if Harrison had to die within the context of the story, why couldn’t Vonnegut show his parents’ authentic grief? These questions, however, are irrelevant because the author ultimately decides what he or she wants to say about society through a story.

Vonnegut’s pessimistic view fits with his other works of fiction, but this short story of supposed to be speculative. Speculative fiction is a sub-genre within science fiction that envisions worst-case scenarios that represent the potential consequences of a present problem if taken to its logical extreme. Vonnegut takes the push for equality, and imagined a world where true equality is enforced by the state.

Therefore, I don’t think Lem’s statement really invalidates the premise of Vonnegut’s story, since it is a piece of art that stands on its own.

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I'm not really sure what you mean by this question, but here is a summary of the story.  If you ask a specific or clearer question I will be able to answer it, but hopefully this will help you find what you are looking for with your original question.

http://www.enotes.com/harrison-bergeron/summary

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