Harrison Bergeron

George Bergeron is the father of Harrison Bergeron and the husband of Hazel Bergeron. Although George is characterized by his strength and “way above normal” intelligence, his state-issued mental and physical handicaps limit his talents, making him equal to everybody else. George’s attitude towards forced equalization is ambivalent. He abides by the law of the Handicapper General, declining his wife’s suggestion that he rest his handicaps while at home because he’s afraid of punishment, and he also suggests, while watching the handicapped ballerinas on TV, that their handicaps are in his best interest, since their mediocre dancing makes sure that nobody watching feels inferior to them. However, George does have an inkling that their dancing is bad and it might be worthwhile to see unhandicapped dancing—a thought that is interrupted by his mental handicap before he can follow it any further. Although George is upset by the imprisonment and murder of his son, his loyalty to the state and his inability to think for himself make it difficult for him to find any meaning or political resolve in the experience of losing his son. George’s conformity to the law of the Handicapper General represents a passive mode of citizenship that neglects to critique authority in society.