Harrison Bergeron Analysis

Technologies of Instant Amnesia

Essay Reference: "Technologies of Instant Amnesia"

Title: "Teaching Kurt Vonnegut's 'Harrison Bergeron' to the Millennial Generation"

Author: Benjamin Reed, Texas State University

Publication: Teaching American Literature: A Journal of Theory and Practice, Spring 2015

Central Argument: "Harrison Bergeron" is Vonnegut's hyperbolic diagnosis of a sharp decline in American intellectualism—our creativity, empathy, individualism, and basic cognition—during the era in which television replaced popular literature as our primary medium of diversion.

Instructions: This assignment analyzes Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron" through the lens of Benjamin Reed's essay "Technologies of Instant Amnesia." Consider how Reed reframes traditional interpretations of the story to focus on technology, media, and cognitive effects rather than purely political themes.
1.
According to Reed's essay, what is Vonnegut's primary critique in "Harrison Bergeron"? How does this interpretation differ from conventional readings of the story?
2.
How does Reed connect television and "technologies of instant amnesia" to the themes of the story? What role does Hazel play in this interpretation?
3.
Reed argues that Hazel doesn't need a mental handicap because she already has one: the TV set. Explain this argument and how it relates to George's mental handicap radio.
4.
How do modern technologies (smartphones, social media, streaming services, etc.) relate to the themes Reed discusses? Do you see parallels between Vonnegut's 1961 concerns and today's digital landscape?
5.
Reed describes how Vonnegut's career as a magazine writer was affected by the rise of television. How does this biographical context inform Reed's reading of "Harrison Bergeron"?
6.
What does Reed mean by "the mask is also the thing that reveals"? How does this concept apply to both the story itself and to our relationship with media?
7.
Reed discusses how his students responded to a prompt about when authority would be justified in lessening inequalities. What does their focus on making people "feel equal" suggest about generational attitudes toward equality and media consumption?