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"And it was in that clammy month that the H-G men took George and Hazel Bergeron`s fourteen-year-old son, Harrison, away."
Jesse >>> This is a tragedy because George and Hazel's son, Harrison, is taken away from them when Harrison is just fourteen years old.
Hallie >>> This is a tragedy because George and Hazel's fourteen-year-old son just got taken away from them.
"And George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear. He was required to wear it at all times. It was tuned to a government transmitter. Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains."
Jesse >>> This is a tragedy because having a little transmitter in your ear that makes a sharp eardrum popping sound every twenty seconds can be a huge detriment to your life, as is George's not being able to use his brain to its full capacity.
Ben >>> Sad, because he is not mental at all but yet he has to be punished like a handicapped person for his smartness.
Hallie >>> This is a tragedy because the transmitter won'' let anyone remember what happened at about twenty seconds or so.
Savannah >>> this is tragic because it would be very sad, unfair, hard, and not to mention annoyingÊto have a loud noise go off in your ear every twenty seconds, just to stop people from thinking about a certain thought for too long.
"The minute people start cheating on laws, what do you think happens to society?" If Hazel hadn't been able to come up with an answer to this question, George couldn't have supplied one. A siren was going off in his head.
"Reckon it'd all fall apart," said Hazel.
"What would?" said George blankly.
Ben >>> Sad, because he can't hold a conversation and he can't remember anything.
Hallie >>>This is a tragedy because George was having a conversation with Hazel but couldn't remember it after the siren in his ear. This is humorous because they were talking, then George forgot everything.
Baylie >>> it's upsetting that people think their way of society is better than the old days when everybody was equal and had the chance to succeed
Jesse >>>This is also humorous because when George's ringer sounds he completely forgets what he was saying and then questions Hazel about what she's saying by askng, "What would?"
"In the race of life, Harrison carried three hundred pounds."
Ben >>> Sad, because he has to carry so much weight for no reason but just because he's better than some people. He has to pay a fine of $2,000 if he takes out one lead ball.
Baylie >>> Nobody should ever have to endure that just so that they can be average among the other people that aren't willing to work hard and succeed.
"'Boy!'Êsaid Hazel, 'that was a doozy, wasn't it?' It was such a doozy that George was white and trembling, and tears stood on the rims of his red eyes. Two of the eight ballerinas had collapsed to the studio floor, were holding their temples."
Savannah >>> This shows that mental handicap radio physically hurt people.
"She shot twice and the Emperor and the Empress were dead before they hit the floor"
Baylie >>> Somebody's life was taken away very easily because they didn't follow the rules, and that was not acceptable.
"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"
Ben >>> Funny, because there will never be a time were everyone will be equal.
Baylie >>> Nobody can ever be exactly equal with anybody else.
"Some things about living still weren't quite right though."
Baylie >>> Nothing is right about this scenarioÉ Nobody should ever have to be or can be exactly equal with somebody else.
"Hazel had a perfectly average intelligence, which meant she couldn't think about anything except in short bursts."
Jesse >>> This is a tragedy because what if it were your birthday or your relatives' birthdays and you were thinking about them and then two seconds later you didin't even remember their first names.
"Hazel saw him wince. Having no mental handicap herself, she had to ask George what the latest sound had been. "
Ben >>> Funny, because the handicaps
that these people have aren't bad the are good so her not having a handicap means that she is stupid.
"'I think it would be real interesting, hearing all the different sounds,' said Hazel, a little envious. 'All the things they think up. 'Um,' said George.''"
Savannah >>> This is funny becauseÊHazel is too stupid to realize that hearing those noises is annoying and painful.
"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."
Baylie >>> This is one of the reasons so many people give up on things; they don't want to work for them. People want to take the easy way out.
"Gee -- I could tell that one was a doozy," said Hazel.
Jesse >>> This is humorous because when George says, "you could say that again," he was saying it sarcastically, but Hazel did it
Savannah >>> Hazel is soo dumb that she doesn't understand thatÊgeorge is not actually meaning for her to say it again.ÊÊanyways.
Hallie >>> This is humorous because he just walked in on television and said he was Emperor without like votes or anything.
"It was then that Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun."
Ben >>> Funny, because this lady just walks in and has a shotgun.
Savannah >>> That's sad because she comes in and shoots two people.
"George and Hazel were watching television. There were tears on Hazel's cheeks, but she'd forgotten for the moment what they were about."
Hallie >>> This is humorous because Hazel was crying but then she forgot what she was crying about.
Savannah >>> Hazel is so average that she forgot what she was crying about within seconds.
Ben >>> Laws apply the same to everyone.
Savannah >>> To be treated eqally, to look equal to act equal and to think equally
Vivienne >>> This means that a person is under the law not above the law they can not break the law.
Baylie >>> It means that everyone has the same amount of rights that allows them to succeed to their full potential
Hallie >>> It means that nobody is more popular or has more money than another person.
Everybody has to do the same as everybody else no one has slaves.
Jesse >>> The statement Ò"qual under the lawÓ "eans that the rules are the same for everybody.Ê Every person has to obey these laws in the same ways:Ê there are no exceptions for any one person regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or financial status.
Ben >>> The opportunity to go to public school, because it does not cost and every one has the same opportunity but it's your decision.
Savannah >>> Sports, academics, or the arts
Vivienne >>> People are not equal because some people make more money than others and can afford more things.
Baylie >>> Art, education, athletics and music are all examples.
Hallie >>> People can be unequal by how much money they have or how popular they are because if you are popular you are in like a "higher class" than anybody else. If you have a lot of money you can get more nice things or you have better things then other people. People can be equal by everybody having the same amount of money and the same ranking of popularity.
Jesse >>> Some other ways people can be equal and unequal are, one person can have better grades and another person can be a better athlete.
Ben >>> Good, because they thought it would turn out better than it
did.
Savannah >>> good
Vivienne >>> I think their ententions were good it just turned out bad.
Baylie >>> In the long run, I think the government's motives were good at first, because they were just trying to make everyone equal so that nobody would feel bad about themselves anymore.
Hallie >>> Bad and good because if you are all equal there would be no bullying about how much better a person is than another. But if you are all equal then there would be no sports or competition because you have the same skills and you are at the same skill level as everybody else.
Ê
Jesse >>> I believe that the original motives by government were good because they wanted to make everything as fair for everybody as they could. Some examples
of this are having the same laws for everyone and having the same
punishments for everyone.
Ben >>> They wanted to control people, get more money, and they didn't
want to be out smarted
Savannah >>> It's their easy way out. They don't want to teach everybody at a higher level because it's longer and takes more time.
Vivienne >>> They did not want people to be jelous of each other and wanted everyone to be equal.
Baylie >>> Making everyone equally average is easier than reaching their full potential. The government in 2081 took the easy way out instead of making people work hard.
Hallie >>> So that the governor has full control over all the people.
Jesse >>> I believe that in the society of 2081 they want to make everyone equally average because someone's full equal full potential still can be higher than another person's.
Baylie >>> Harrison makes himself emperor because he feels like he can do a better job than the government, and that if he doesn't start off with some sort of high power, everything would fall apart instead of get better.
Savannah >>> Harrison probably makes himself emperor because he thinks he would be a better ruler and would give society back more rights. He also would want to be in charge.
Vivienne >>> Harrison makes himself emperor because he is tired of not being able to express himself.
Jesse >>> Harrison makes himself emperor because he feels like the society would be better without handicaps and if everyone were not equal.
Ben >>> Harrison says that he is the emperor because he knows that he is smarter than the governament, and he can lead the people than they ever could.
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Copyright October 12, 2011 Marie M. Furnary All rights reserved.
Tragic:
Humorous:
"You could say that again," said George.
"Gee -- " said Hazel, "I could tell that one was a doozy."
1 -- What does it mean for people to be "equal under the law" (not just in this story)?
2 -- What are some other ways in which peole can be equal or unequal?
3 -- Do you think the government's motives in trying to make all people the same were ORIGINALLY good or bad?
4 -- Why do you think the society of 2081 wants to make everyone equally average instead of equally able to acheve their full potential?
Why does Harrison make himself Emperor when he escapes from jail?
Hallie >>> Because he is smarter and he thinks that he would be better so he said that he was emperor. He wanted to change everything. So that no one would be equal. But his plan backfires and they shoot him.
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