Question 4 of 5
2 points
what does harrison bergeron do that angers the government?
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a. he removes his handicaps.
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b. he kills a police officer.
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c. he tells his parents about the government's plans.
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d. he starts a riot against the government.

A. He removes his handicaps.

Explanation:

Harrison Bergeron is a short story by author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. In the year of 2081, the American government is able to provide equality in the strangest manner. To prevent people from feeling stupid, ugly, weak, incapable in any way, the Handicapper General forces those who have advantages to be handicapped. Harrison Bergeron, a fourteen-year-old, has astonishing looks and intelligence. He is tall, strong, handsome, intellectually superior and, for those reasons, is forced to wear all sorts of handicappers to make him average like everyone else -  weights, teeth caps, earphones, heavy spectacles, a red rubber ball on his nose, some head gear.

Harrison angers the government when he removes his handicaps while live on TV. He proclaims himself emperor, states he is mentally superior to anyone else, invites others to rebel with him, but ends up dead. The Handicapper General shoots him. The ending of the story is left sort of open. It does seem that Harrison's actions didn't change anything, but we cannot know for sure. Maybe there were others like him, who were inspired by his courage. Maybe ignorance was just too great to overcome. His own parents, who had been watching, go on with their lives without remembering what they witnessed - his mother is of average intelligence and his father is very intelligent, but forced to use a mental handicapper.