what are the handicaps the ballerinas on tv must wear

In
Vonnegut's celebrated short story "," the United States Constitution has been amended
to ensure that each citizen is completely equal in every facet of life. In the year 2081, agents
of the United States Handicapper General have successfully developed a uniform society by
requiring any talented, intelligent, or physically attractive individual to wear handicaps. The
function of the handicaps is to limit the abilities of exceptional, talented members of society.
For example, George Bergeron has above normal intelligence and is forced to wear a tiny mental
handicap radio in his ear, which emits a loud noise every twenty seconds that interrupts his
thoughts and prevents him from thinking deeply about any subject.

In the
story, George and Hazel are watching ballerinas on television and cannot help but notice their
oppressive handicaps. The ballerinas are forced to wear sashweights, bags of birdshot, and masks
that cover their faces. Since the ballerinas are physically gifted and athletic, the heavy
sashweights and bags of birdshot limit their physical mobility and prevent them from displaying
their athleticism. Similarly, the ugly masks hide their beautiful features and make them equal
to the unattractive, mundane population. Once Harrison Bergeron takes over the television
studio, he proceeds to strip the cumbersome, ugly handicaps off the ballerinas as they
gracefully float into the air.

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