We are presented in this hilarious satire with a dystopian
world where political correctness has gone mad. The idea that everybody must be equal in
terms of their abilities is clearly one that is ludicrous, and this story presents us
with the many different ways that such equality is achieved. However, it is made clear
that the government, ran by the violently able Diana Moon Glampers in her role as
Handicapper General, has suceeded in this, but only at the cost of massively invading
our personal freedoms and liberties. George talks about how this system of equality is
designed to prevent competition between humans:
"If I tried to get away with it," said George,
"then other people'd get away with it--and pretty soon we'd be right back to the Dark
Ages again, with everybody competing against everybody else. You wouldn't like that,
would you?"
However, it is
clear that this equality has created a situation that is worse than the original
problem. It appears that the government can achieve enforced equality, but that this is
something that leaves humans to lead a pitiful existence as they have to deny who they
are to become equal. Thus although such a system can be achieved, the author is clearly
saying that it is not a success, as is displayed by Harrison Bergeron's short-lived
rebellion.
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