George Bergeron

Harrison's father, George Bergeron, bears multiple government-imposed handicaps which repress his "way above-normal" intelligence. He refuses to remove any of them, however, for he believes that any attempt to change the present situation will inevitably cause civilization to regress back into the "dark ages," when there was competition. George and Hazel, his wife, witness Harrison's rebellious act on television, but afterwards cannot remember why they are sad. George wears birdshot weights and a mental handicap radio in his ear that receives a "sharp noise" transmission designed "to keep people . . . from taking unfair advantage of their brains."

Harrison Bergeron

Although he is only fourteen years old, the title character, Harrison Bergeron, stands seven feet tall and possesses an intelligence so immense that, at the beginning of the story, the Handicapper General has Harrison arrested "on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government." Harrison escapes, however, and goes to...