Question

Read this excerpt from “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.:

“You been crying?” he said to Hazel.
“Yup,” she said.
“What about?” he said.
“I forget,” she said. “Something real sad on television.”
“What was it?” he said.
“It’s all kind of mixed up in my mind,” said Hazel.

Which statement best describes the intended aesthetic impact of this excerpt?
A. By Hazel’s forgetting why she had been crying, the author leaves the reader feeling unsatisfied.
B. By George’s recognition that Hazel has been crying, the author shows that he is no longer handicapped.
C. By Hazel’s failure to remember seeing her son die on TV, the author reveals his compassion for her character.
D. By showing Hazel crying, the author reveals that she is able to express feelings, leaving the reader heartened.

Answer 1

Answer: A. By Hazel’s forgetting why she had been crying, the author leaves the reader feeling unsatisfied.

In "Harrison Bergeron," the tyrannical government has dominated the population in such a way that they are unable to realize how submissive and incapacitated they are. However, the author seems to question this incapacity for rebellion when introducing Harrison and describing his rebellion broadcasted on TV. While the reader is now led to believe that things will change after Hazel witnesses this and cries, the author ultimately ruins all hope by telling us that she does not remember what she saw. This leaves the reader unsatisfied and hopeless.

Answer 2

The answer to the question above is "A. By Hazel’s forgetting why she had been crying, the author leaves the reader feeling unsatisfied" which best describes the intended aesthetic impact of the excerpt. This part of a story is taken from "Harrison Bergeron" story written by Kurt Vonnegut in 1961. In this part, Hazel still shows her bad side although a sad thing has happened.