I read a story from the Junior Great Books series in 7th or 8th grade and I can't remember its name. Help!

Question

The story was about a society where all the people who aren't mentally and physically retarded are artificially made retarded, in order to make everyone "equal". This is done by attaching weights to their bodies so they can't move easily, forcing them to wear headphones that make painfully loud noises to they can't think easily, etc. The story focused on one man and woman, and their son who is a criminal because he is incredibly handsome and intelligent. They see him on TV one night, and he breaks off all the chains that the government of the story has disabled him with, takes a ballerina who is as beautiful as he is, and begins to dance beautifully. Then some government people come on camera, shoot him and the girl, and act like it never happened. It ends with his parents not even remembering him because of the impairments the government has put on them.

The story was sad but really deep. I read it in one of the Junior Great Books. Does anyone know the name of this story??

Answer 1

That's "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. A great dystopian science fiction short story first published in 1961. It deals with egalitarianism. The theme is set by the first line: "The year was 2081, and everyone was finally equal." Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in October 1961, the story is now available in the author's collection Welcome to the Monkey House.

This equality has been achieved by handicapping the most intelligent, athletic or beautiful members of society down to the level of the lowest common denominator, a process central to the society which is overseen by the United States Handicapper General, who at the time of the story is the shotgun-toting Diana Moon Glampers. A highly similar (though less developed) version of this idea appeared in one of Vonnegut's earlier works, The Sirens of Titan.

The story was adapted into a TV film in 1995 starring Sean Astin. It also formed a segment of the 1972 TV production and book Between Time and Timbuktu.

The title character has exceptional intelligence, height, strength and beauty. As a result he has to bear enormous handicaps. These include distracting noise, three hundred pounds of excess weight, eyeglasses to give him headaches, and cosmetic changes to make him ugly. Despite this he is able to invade a TV station and declare himself emperor. As he dances with a ballerina whose handicaps he has also discarded, both are shot dead by the Handicapper General. Added poignancy is created by the framing story in which Bergeron's parents are watching the TV, but cannot concentrate or remember the incident.

Answer 2

check out "The Flying Deuce" via Brian Linn Smith. it somewhat is gotten stable comments on amazon. right here is the returned conceal. homicide interior the Mountains Rob Allen lost his toddlers and his leg in Iraq. Being the only discern of a 4 twelve months previous woman has given him a reason to get well and paramedic college has given him the potential. A disciplinary flow has displaced him from his community ny into the secluded mountains of northern Pennsylvania. His fears of boredom are rapidly replaced via a war for survival. while Rob realizes that a site visitors twist of destiny sufferer replaced into easily murdered he enlists the help of Deputy Coroner Anna Drake. as the two look into they detect that the crime of the city has its roots interior the appealing mountains. They grow to be targets and race to offer up the killer in the previous extra of their informants, or they and their families die.

Answer 3

That is a short story called "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut.

Answer 4

I'm not sure but I think this was written by Kurt Vonnegut.