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Read the excerpt from "Harrison Bergeron." “That’s all right—” Hazel said of the announcer, “he tried. That’s the big thing. He tried to do the best he could with what God gave him. He should get a nice raise for trying so hard.” How do Hazel’s comments help Vonnegut develop his critique of American society? They illustrate the absurdity of trying to make everyone equal. They emphasize the importance of having compassion for others. They emphasize the importance of doing one’s best. They illustrate the need for laws that enforce equality.

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Answer:

illustrating the absurdity of trying to make everyone equal.

Step-by-step explanation:

User Vespene Gas
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Answer :

In the given excerpt from the short story "Harrison Bergeron," Hazel’s comments help Vonnegut develop his critique of American society by illustrating the absurdity of trying to make everyone equal.

"Harrison Bergeron" has been written as a satire to critique the people's claims of equality in every sense. Cambridge English Dictionary defines "satire" as "a way of criticizing people or ideas in a humorous way, especially in order to make a political point, or a piece of writing that uses this style."

The following lines from the text support this idea :

"The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General."

In his short story "Harrison Bergeron," Kurt Vonnegut stresses that suppression of individual creativity and talent is required in order to achieve absolute equality in every sense. He makes the point that everyone is not equal. Some people have below average intelligence, some people have average intelligence and some have superior intelligence. It is totally absurd to expect a person of superior intelligence to wear handicaps to make people with average intelligence feel better.

User IanPudney
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