Tuesday, November 26, 2013

        A blog I found that I really like and enjoy reading is called Anna Reads. This girl, Anna, is in her upper teens and she reviews books. It sounds like your typical book review blog, but I like it. I like it because she is funny, relateable, and she reviews books that I would actually be interested in. She knows how to get you interested in a book. She also keeps an open mind, and doesn't put down a book she doesn't like. She will encourage you to read it, even if its not her favorite.  http://www.annareads.com/ 

Monday, November 25, 2013

Harrison Burgeron comparison


          There were many similarities and differences between the video version and short story version of "Harrison Burgeron". One similarity between the short story and the video was the ballerina. The ballerina rebels with Harrison in both versions, and is also murdered with him. Also, in the beginning of the video, the narrator reads off the first paragraph of the short story.
       The major difference between the short story and the video was the whole business with the bomb. In the video, Harrison says that he has created a "bomb" and has a supposed "detonator" that he will use if everyone does not cooperate. This bomb is fake, and is used to distract the HG men and give Harrison a little more time. Harrison presses the detonator, and this device makes the video broadcast come back on the TV, letting the whole country see him get shot on stage. He does this so he can show everyone that there is hope for their country, and to shos them what it would be like to be free, if only for a couple minutes.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Harrison Burgeron
Everyone always wants to have what someone else has. We ask ourselves, “Why can’t I be as skinny as her? Why can’t I be as smart as him?” But quite honestly, what would the world be like if we were all the same? If we couldn’t express ourselves? In Harrison Burgeron, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. writes a story about what he thinks the world would be like with everyone equal, showing that it would take away our ability to grow, our individuality, and our freedom.
In the beginning of the story “Harrison Burgeron”, the author writes, “The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law, they were equal in every which way.” It also mentions that “Nobody was smarter, quicker, or stronger than anybody else.” If everyone was completely equal, our country would go nowhere. We would never develop new technologies, create new pieces of art, or build amazing new buildings. It would be taking away the diversity that America is known for.
Also, the story mentions a ballerina. She was exceptionally beautiful, but she has to wear a hideous mask to hide it. Henry is exceptionally smart, but he has to wear an earpiece to keep him from using too much of his brain. Harrison is over 7 feet tall, and very strong. He has to wear enormous weights to keep him from unfairly using his muscles. These people have qualities that make them who they are, that define them. Is it really fair to take that away?
Lastly, making everyone equal would take away our freedom. It would take away our ability to think for ourselves and speak for ourselves, such as Henry and Hazel It would take away the freedom this country has spent so long fighting for.
In “Harrison Burgeron”, Kurt Vonnegut expresses his views of what the world would be like if everyone was equal. In the story, the government takes away thier ability to evolve, thier individuality, and thier freedom.  The world cannot evolve and grow without these things, making us realize that being ourselves isn’t such a bad thing.