Harrison Bergeron: Notes on Symbolism, Satire, and Irony
Harrison Bergeron: Notes on Symbolism, Satire, and Irony
Harrison Bergeron: Notes on Symbolism, Satire, and Irony
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Kurt V<strong>on</strong>negut<br />
HARRISON BERGERON
<strong>Symbolism</strong><br />
• Definiti<strong>on</strong>: Pers<strong>on</strong>, place, thing, or event that<br />
st<strong>and</strong>s for itself <strong>and</strong> for something bey<strong>on</strong>d<br />
itself as well. (Lit. Book, P. 1145)<br />
• Dante’s fourfold method
1. Literal or Historical Level<br />
• Things that are actually happening in the<br />
story <strong>on</strong> a surface level<br />
• Example from “Hibernati<strong>on</strong>”: The bee
2. Political Level<br />
• The level <strong>on</strong> which human beings relate to<br />
others in a community <strong>and</strong> in the world.
3. Moral or Psychological Level<br />
• The way in which the self relates to the realm<br />
of ethics (right <strong>and</strong> wr<strong>on</strong>g)<br />
• Ex: The bee could symbolize the ethical<br />
questi<strong>on</strong> of bringing some<strong>on</strong>e back to life. Is<br />
it right for man to play at “being God” by<br />
exerting c<strong>on</strong>trol over life <strong>and</strong> death?
4. Spiritual Level<br />
• The universal level <strong>on</strong> which a pers<strong>on</strong> relates<br />
to the cosmos, the way of the soul.<br />
• Ex: The bee could also symbolize humanity’s<br />
universal struggle –underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>and</strong> coping<br />
with death.
• Watch the clip from the movie Gattaca.<br />
• Write down any objects, people, places, or<br />
acti<strong>on</strong>s that could be symbols.<br />
• After the movie, discuss what they could<br />
mean.
<strong>Symbolism</strong> in “<str<strong>on</strong>g>Harris<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Berger<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g>”<br />
• Step 1: Find an object, pers<strong>on</strong>, place or acti<strong>on</strong><br />
in the text that may represent something<br />
bey<strong>on</strong>d itself.<br />
• Step 2: Decide what the symbol represents<br />
or means <strong>on</strong> any of Dante’s four levels.<br />
• Repeat Steps 1-2 for a total of 3 symbols.
<strong>Symbolism</strong> (English 9)<br />
• Symbol: Pers<strong>on</strong>, place, thing, or event that<br />
st<strong>and</strong>s for itself <strong>and</strong> for something bey<strong>on</strong>d<br />
itself as well. (Lit. Book, P. 1145)<br />
• This means every symbol has a c<strong>on</strong>crete <strong>and</strong><br />
an abstract meaning.
How To Interpret <strong>Symbolism</strong><br />
1. Look for an object that could be significant.<br />
2. Think: What do I associate with this object?<br />
3. C<strong>on</strong>nect those associati<strong>on</strong>s to bigger, universal<br />
ideas.<br />
Example:<br />
1. The mo<strong>on</strong> in “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls…”<br />
2. One associates the mo<strong>on</strong> with beauty, nature,<br />
wolves howling, hunting…<br />
3. The mo<strong>on</strong> symbolizes the untamed beauty of the<br />
wild, which is the home the girls l<strong>on</strong>g to reclaim.
<strong>Satire</strong><br />
• Definiti<strong>on</strong>: Type of writing that ridicules<br />
something –a pers<strong>on</strong>, a group of people,<br />
humanity at large, an attitude or failing, a<br />
social instituti<strong>on</strong> –in order to reveal a<br />
weakness.<br />
<strong>Satire</strong>s often use…<br />
Persuasi<strong>on</strong><br />
Exaggerati<strong>on</strong> (Hyperbole)
Ir<strong>on</strong>y<br />
• Definiti<strong>on</strong>- the c<strong>on</strong>trast between expectati<strong>on</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> reality<br />
• Ex: the h<strong>and</strong>icaps
Theme<br />
• Definiti<strong>on</strong>- central idea of a work of literature<br />
• The idea an author wishes to reveal about a<br />
subject<br />
The “So what?”<br />
Gives a text meaning
Themes in “<str<strong>on</strong>g>Harris<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Berger<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g>”<br />
• Individualism<br />
• Power<br />
• Censorship<br />
• Freedom<br />
• Memory<br />
The legacy of human creativity is the foundati<strong>on</strong><br />
of civilizati<strong>on</strong>.
Microlab<br />
• You will have <strong>on</strong>e minute to resp<strong>on</strong>d to each<br />
of the following questi<strong>on</strong>s:<br />
1. Why does the government h<strong>and</strong>icap people?<br />
2. What does <str<strong>on</strong>g>Harris<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Berger<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> symbolize?<br />
Remember to c<strong>on</strong>sider Dante’s four levels*<br />
3. What aspect(s) of today’s society could Kurt<br />
V<strong>on</strong>negut be satirizing?