A Common Similarity in "The Pedestrian" and "Harrison Bergeron".
Social deviants in America can be punished severely for their beliefs. "Flower children," during the 1960's and 70's, were shot at during some of their demonstrations because their beliefs differed from the beliefs of the American government. Soldiers attacked many Chinese citizens who marched for a better government. The treatments of social deviants in these two societies are similar. Like these two societies, the treatments of protagonists, in their societies, are similar in "The Pedestrian" and "Harrison Bergeron.".
In "The Pedestrian," Mr. Leonard Mead would," stand upon the corner of an intersection and peer down long moonlit avenues of sidewalk in four directions, deciding which way to go, but it really made no difference; he was alone in this world of A.D. 2053." While this could be considered normal in our society, Mr. Leonard Mead was considered a social deviant when he did this. This was so because he differed from other people in his society in three ways; he wasn't married, he didn't have a job, and, of course, he walked the streets at night. When he was told to get into the police car, Mr. Leonard Mead refused.
"" Get in." [said by police car].
"" Wait a minute, I haven't done anything!" [said by Mr. Leonard Mead].
"" Get in.".
"" I protest."".
Harrison Bergeron, in the short story "Harrison Bergeron," was an extreme example of a social deviant. In his society, it was believed that no one person should be smarter, stronger, or better than anyone else. To lower everyone to this lowest common denominator, the Handicapper General made sure that anyone with any talent was given a handicap to block out or hide that talent.
"[The ballerinas] weren't really very good-no better than anybody else would have been anyway. They were burdened with sashweights and bags of birdshot, and their faces were masked, so that no one, seeing a free and graceful gesture or a pretty face, would feel like something the cat dragged in.
