Tyrannical Control and the Big Other in Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

Abstract

Harrison Bergeron's ideological society has been analyzed from various perspectives, predominantly focusing on its political atmosphere. However, researchers often overlook the role of the government as the Big Other in shaping this society. Drawing on Slavoj Zizek's theory of the big Other, this study aims to analyze the political context of Kurt Vonnegut's dystopian short story, illustrating how authorities shape the lives and personalities of ideological subjects. In this story, everybody is made equal by the big Other, and the laws represented by Handicapper General have handicapped characters such as George and Harrison, due to their above-average intelligence and other attributes deemed dangerous. Therefore, in the first step, this paper explores the role of the big Other, arguing that the Handicapper has taken control of the subjects' minds and actions. Then, it establishes that laws for characters such as George and Hazel are not alienating but disalienating, in line with Zizek's idea regarding the law's role. In the final section of the paper, the focus turns to Harrison's Act against the big Other. Through Zizek's conceptual framework of the Act, the last section scrutinizes Harrison's rebellion as the only means for the subject to break free from the Symbolic order. By Act, he exposes the flaws and contradictions in the oppressive social system. Through the process of conducting this analysis, we can gain valuable insights into understanding the complex relationship between power and ideology in dystopian societies. This research highlights the need to critically examine the mechanisms wielded by governing bodies to assert dominance over ordinary people.