Hazel and George have different levels of mental and physical abilities, and Vonnegut uses those contrasts to illustrate the effects of the equality measures their society enforces. Hazel is of "average" or "normal" intelligence, and therefore she doesn't have to use any handicapping devices to disrupt her thinking. She already thinks only in "short bursts" and has difficulty remembering anything for more than a few minutes. George, on the other hand, is intelligent enough to...
Hazel and George have different levels of mental and physical abilities, and Vonnegut uses those contrasts to illustrate the effects of the equality measures their society enforces. Hazel is of "average" or "normal" intelligence, and therefore she doesn't have to use any handicapping devices to disrupt her thinking. She already thinks only in "short bursts" and has difficulty remembering anything for more than a few minutes. George, on the other hand, is intelligent enough to think through issues and their consequences. Every time he starts to think deeply about something, however, his handicapper radio emits a painful signal and his thoughts crash. George also has to wear a 47-pound bag of birdshot around his neck to make his life as physically challenging as if he were as weak as Hazel.
Hazel and George lead a very boring life. It's not clear whether Hazel is employed. But when George comes home from work, their life consists mostly of sitting around and watching TV. Although they experienced great emotional trauma when their son, Bergeron, was arrested and removed from their home, they are prevented from the effect of that trauma by Hazel's natural ignorance and George's enforced ignorance. Even seeing her son murdered on TV cannot bring enduring sadness to Hazel, and George missed watching the entire event when he went to get a beer.
By making society equal, the government ensures its citizens are boring, compliant people who lead boring, compliant lives.
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