Harrison Bergeron and The Hunger Games

Harrison Bergeron and The Hunger Games

Reoccuring theme Harrison Bergeron has Handicapper General "All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General." Vigilance means control Hunger Games has the Capitol "Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there's nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you." Thought process of the Capitol leaders A Controlling Government Punishment Freedom Another theme, government punishes, circling back Harrison's actions (trying to overthrow the government) lead to punishment "It was then that Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun. She fired twice, and the Emperor and the Empress were dead before they hit the floor." Directly states the act of punishing to set precedent Same phenomena occurs in the Hunger Games "The rules of the Hunger Games are simple. In punishment for the uprising, each of the twelve districts must provide one girl and one boy, called tributes, to participate. The twenty-four tributes will be imprisoned in a vast outdoor arena... The last tribute standing wins." Reveals why the government is punishing it's people Similarities continue from here Final destination for characters Katniss trying to free her society from Capitol's grasp "I want to do something... to show the Capitol that whatever they do or force us to do that there is a part of every tribute they can't own. That Rue was more than a piece in their Games. And so am I." Want to live peacefully without the control of the government 'Harrison Bergeron, age fourteen... has just escaped from jail, where he was held on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government..." "Harrison tore the straps of his handicap harness like wet tissue paper, tore straps guaranteed to support five thousand pounds. Harrison's scrap-iron handicaps crashed to the floor. Harrison thrust his thumbs under the bar of the padlock that secured his head harness. The bar snapped like celery. Harrison smashed his headphones and spectacles against the wall..." Took away everything that would have kept him within the society Both wanted the same end result