Harrison Bergerson What Happened Next

The next day, Hazel and George were back, sitting on the couch. When all of a sudden, George stood up, and looked around confused.

"Whats wrong?" Hazel asked him.

"It's...It's been a full minute and i haven't heard any noises...." he said quietly. He walked over to his door and took a step outside. There was a crowd of people standing at the end of the street in front of two trucks of H-G Men. George didn't move toward them, he stood at his door and listened to the men speak on their megaphones.

"Everyone get on the ground, or we WILL open fire! Now!" he had overheard them say and crouched down outside his door trying to stay out of sight.

"How long until the computers are back online? They're getting rowdy!" he heard the men yell to each other. The computers in charge of all the handicaps must be down....George thought to himself. Suddenly he fell to the ground, holding his temple. While writhing on the ground, he looked between his fingers and saw the H-G Men get into their trucks and start to drive away. The crowd had either dispersed or fallen to the ground too. The computers were back online. George went back inside.

"What was it, George?" Hazel asked George, "What was all the ruckus?" she asked, not moving her eyes from the T.V

"I don't remember," George said, going over to join his wife on the couch.

Vocab. in Context

1.) D
2.) D
3.) B
4.) A
5.) D
6.) B

Harrison Bergerson Comprehension

1-The government doesn't handicap Hazel because she's "average"

2-The Government is looking for Harrison because he's very smart, athletic, and good looking, running around without handicaps after escaping jail

3-The Handicapper General shoots Harrison and his empress with a double barrel shotgun when they're dancing and jumping around

4-Because George wasn't at the couch, so he didn't see it, and Hazel forgot what she had seen because of her "average" intelligence

5-The main conflict in the story is society, and how the trying to make everyone equal is making the world worse. It's resolved when Diana shoots Harrison and the empress and forces everyone to put their handicaps back in.

6-The climax of the story is Harrison going into the dance studios, selecting an empress, and removing their handicaps

7-The society in the story is not a very good one. People think they're equal, but you can't make everyone equal but covering them in weights, giving them speech impediments, or making them unable to think. It's normal to not be fast, for no woman to be prettier than another, all news reporters to have speech troubles, and all that matters is that people try their best on what they're trying to do.

8-He's trying to say that making everyone equal would be bad. The world wouldn't progress, no one will be able to focus for more than 20sec, and it feels like the world is a big prison. I agree because in the story, the world seems like a dark place.

9- Harrison becomes emperor --> He removes the handicaps from everyone --> the world goes back to the dark ages because everyone's competing I think it could be better, but for only for a while before everyone starts fighting over competitions

Vocabulary #1

Consternation - A sudden, alarming amazement or dread that results in utter confusion - noun

Cower - To crouch, as in fear or shame - verb

Neutralize - To make something ineffective - verb

Synchronize - To cause to indicate the same time - verb

Vigilance - State or quality of being watchful - noun

Wince - To draw back or tense the body, as from pain or from a blow - verb

Manipulate - To manage or influence skillfully - verb

Oblivious - Unaware - adj

Paranoia - Baseless or excessive suspicion of the motives of others - noun

Silhouette - A dark image outlined against a lighter background ; shadow - noun

Sublime - Impressing the mind with a sense of grandeur or power - adj

Tremulous - Timid; timorous; fearful - adj



After losing the race by half of a second to his arch enemy, consternation took over Billy after he realized what had happened.

As the murderer walked into the bedroom from the kitchen, he found his next victim cowering in the corner, holding a rolling pin for defense.

By destroying the secret super computer in the white house, Gene had neutralized the threat of the giant robot army.

The synchronized street performers had drawn a crowd of 67 people and made $150 from donations.

Billy Joe winced as the rake hit him in the face after stepping on it.

The ninja's vigilance allowed him to spot the intruders at the gates and gave him time to ring the warning bell.

Using his black magic witchcraft, the scientist manipulated the the street dancers to fake an accident to get more tips for him.

The adventurer was oblivious to the fact he activated a trap and there was a boulder rolling toward him.

Joe's paranoia of the rednecks made him guard his property with barbed wire to keep them out of his beer safe.

The silhouette of Godzilla against the buildings scared everyone in Tokyo.

The magician spoke in a sublime manner as he thought about his trick about mixing heads with a pigeon and himself would actually work.

The tremulous rabbits would always flee to the other side of the cage when their owner tried to pick them up.