Harrison Burgeron

This is a good story. It shows what life would be like if people gave up individuality, and anything that makes you different. There wouldn't be pretty without ugly. There wouldn't be happy without sad. If everyone is exactly the same no smarter then there would be nothing to learn. The parents make me sick. Not even seeing their own sons death makes them snap out of their stupor. There is no love in this society, and there is no happiness. I like Harrison's character. He knows he is different and special. He decides to fight instead of falling in line with everyone else. He died in vain because not even his own parents remember what happened, but I would rather be dead than live in a society where you cannot be yourself.

A Drowning Incident

I think this was a morbid and depressing story.
The father was a monster. How could anyone do that to poor helpless animals? I would say only another animal itself.
The son was quite brave and quickly devised a plan. It would be very traumatic to see something so horrific, and the child handles it unusually well. The way he got back at his father was also a way to express the jealousy he felt about his sister. She is just an innocent in the story and she is the one that has to lay with the rotting corpse. The father is the one that should have to lay with it. The son is going to be in for it though when the dad gets home, because if he has no remorse after throwing little puppies into a creek then what kind of punishment is the son going to get?

"Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman

I thought this story was great. It reminded me of Hyde from That 70's Show, he was always fighting the man. This was a perfect exageration, almost a wake up call. Why do people feel they need to fit in and be like everyone else? When poeple conform they lose their spirit. Henry David Thoreau's quote was a nice addition to the point of manufactured men. The idea of the ticktockman is horrific, someone who can just decide to turn you off. It is so extreme. Not to mention the fear it produces. Georgette Marshal was such a loving mother and wife that she would wish termination on her children and husband as long as it wasn't her. Would poeple really not stand up against something so monsterous and hipocritical? The Harlequin is the personification of joy, courage, laughter, and originality that everyone lacked in this story. He facing death would rather be himself than conform. That should be a quality seen in more people in real life. But like all authority figures they crushed the life out of him. Having time taken off your life for not following a strict schedule takes the spontinaetity out of life, everything fun and exciting is gone. There is no room for mistakes or accidents, no more adventures or getting lost. I would rather die than live in a world so scheduled and dull. And especially because of the authority, someone telling you what to do when and where to do it. It would be worse than prison.

Barn Burner

Where does the father get off? He seems so angry at everyone and it doesn't really explain what he is so angry about. And just because he is angry he has no right to destroy other peolpes things. The second burning occurs after HE destroys someones property because he refused to listen. Whenever faced repurcutions he ruined something else. Where does he get this sense of entitlement?
The young boy I feel sorry for. The way I see it family is family, and the way he turned in his and ended up getting his father killed was wrong. But it was a hard situation. His father was being stupid, if he was going to do it, he should of done it right.
I think it should of explained in more detail about the fathers past, and explained why he was ao angry.