“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut “George”
- Direct characterization occurs when the writer tells the reader what the character is like.
- Indirect characterization occurs when the writer gives the reader clues about the character. Using the clues the reader forms an idea about the character.
Read each excerpt from “Harrison Bergeron”, either spoken or written about the character. Determine what each is relating about the character.
Harrison / What do you now know about Harrison from this excerpt? / D or I1".He stamped his foot and the studio shook."(43) / He is a huge boy-huge body / I
2." 'I am the Emperor. ' "(43)
3." 'I shall now select my Empress! ' "(430)
4." ' Now watch me become what I can become! ' "(43)
5." ' Let the first woman who dares rise to her feet claim her mate and her throne! ' " (43)
6. / Harrison is extremely strong.
7."He flung away his rubber-ball nose, revealed a man that would have awed Thor, the god of thunder." (43)
George / What do you know about George from this excerpt?
1."His intelligence was way above normal." (38)
2." 'Forget sad things.' "(44) spoken to Hazel
3. / George is in pain when these noises sound in his earpiece.
4."His thoughts fled in panic, like bandits from a burglar alarm." (38)
5." 'I don't mind it(the bag). I don't notice it anymore. It's just a part of me.' " (40)
6." He began to think glimmeringly about his abnormal son who was now in jail, about Harrison, but…." (40)
7." 'If I tried to get away with it, 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? ' "(41) spoken to Hazel
8."George was toying with the vague notion that maybe dancers shouldn't be handicapped." (40)
Hazel / What do you know about Hazel from this excerpt?
1." 'I don't care if you're not equal to me for a while.'"(40)
2." 'Who knows better than I do what normal is.' " (40) / She accepts her place of intelligence in this society.
3."There were tears on Hazel's cheeks, but she'd forgotten for the moment what they were about." (38)
4."…had a perfectly average intelligence, which meant she couldn't think about anything except in short bursts." (38)
5." '…you don't compete with anybody around here. You just sit around. ' " (41)
6. / She is curious about those sounds.
Setting time: place:
Details of setting that (affect/effect) the mood or tone:
Details of the setting that (affect/effect) a conflict:
Vonnegut,Kurt. “Harrison Bergeron.” Holt McDougal Literature: Grade 10.Janet Allen, Arthur N. Applebee, et al..Orlando, Fl:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2012, 38-44, print.
“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut “Hazel”
- Direct characterization occurs when the writer tells the reader what the character is like.
- Indirect characterization occurs when the writer gives the reader clues about the character. Using the clues the reader forms an idea about the character.
Read each excerpt from “Harrison Bergeron,” either written or spoken about the character. The, go back into the story and locate other pieces of information about the character. Make sure to include the page upon which you find the “excerpt”( page).
Harrison / What do you now know about Harrison from this excerpt? / D or I1 / Harrison is a huge boy, over 7 feet tall.
2." 'I am the Emperor. ' "(43)
3. / Harrison is now in control of the situation.
4." ' Now watch me become what I can become! ' "(43)
5. / Harrison wants other to join his rebellion.
6. / Harrison is extremely strong.
7."He flung away his rubber-ball nose, revealed a man that would have awed Thor, the god of thunder." (43)
George / What do you know about George from this excerpt?
1."His intelligence was way above normal." (38)
2 / George is sympathetic to his wife’s averageness.
3."…George was white and trembling, and tears stood on the rims of his red eyes." (40)
4.”His thoughts fled in panic, like bandits from a burglar alarm.”(38)
5." 'I don't mind it(the bag). I don't notice it anymore. It's just a part of me.' " (38)
6 / George tries to think about his son.
7." 'If I tried to get away with it, 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? ' "(41) spoken to Hazel
8. / George thinks this way might not be the best way to live for the society.
Hazel / What do you know about Hazel from this excerpt?
1." 'I don't care if you're not equal to me for a while.'"(40)
2." 'Who knows better than I do what normal is.' " (40)
3 / Hazel is just average.
4.”…had a perfectly average intelligence, which meant she couldn’t think about anything except in short bursts.” (38)
5 / Hazel accepts her situation and George’s .
6. “ ’I’d think it would be real interesting, hearing all the different sounds,’ said Hazel, a little envious. ‘All the things they think up.’ “ (40)
Setting time: place:
Details of setting that (affect/effect) the mood or tone:
Details of the setting that (affect/effect) a conflict:
Vonnegut,Kurt. “Harrison Bergeron.” Holt McDougal Literature: Grade 10. Janet Allen, Arthur N. Applebee, et al..
Orlando, Fl:Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2012, 38-44, print.
“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut “Harrison”
- Direct characterization occurs when the writer tells the reader what the character is like.
- Indirect characterization occurs when the writer gives the reader clues about the character. Using the clues the reader forms an idea about the character.
Read the givenexcerpts from “Harrison Bergeron,” either written or spoken about the character. The, go back into the story and locate other pieces of information about the character. Make sure to include the page upon which you find the excerpt( page).
Harrison / What do you now know about Harrison from this excerpt? / D or I1".He stamped his foot and the studio shook."(43)
2 / Harrison is in total control of the situation.
3
4.
5.
6.
7."He flung away his rubber-ball nose, revealed a man that would have awed Thor, the god of thunder." (43) / He is an Adonis, a hunk of man.
George / What do you know about George from this excerpt?
1.
2.
3."…George was white and trembling, and tears stood on the rims of his red eyes." (40) / The noises piped in through the ear piece are very painful and cause his great pain.
4.
5. / George accepts his situation of intelligence.
6.
7." 'If I tried to get away with it, 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? ' "(41) spoken to Hazel
8 / George thinks that people might not need to be the same as everybody else.
Hazel / What do you know about Hazel from this excerpt?
1.
2 / She accepts her place of intelligence in this society.
3.
4.
5. / Hazel sympathizes with George’s situation.
6." ' I'd think it would be real interesting, hearing all the different sounds,' said Hazel, a little envious. 'All the things they think up.' " (40)
Setting time: place:
Details of setting that (affect/effect) the mood or tone:
Details of the setting that (affect/effect) a conflict:
Vonnegut,Kurt. “Harrison Bergeron.” Holt McDougal Literature: Grade 10. Janet Allen, Arthur N. Applebee, et al..
Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2012, 38-44, print.