Exploring Communication Disabilities in the Short Story of Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Abstract

This paper aims at analyzing communication disorders to enable better understanding of the story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Thus, the goal of the study suggests carrying out the classification and analysis of the speech disorders, language disorders, hearing impairments, and cognitive communication disorders in the text. The process of data collection includes the identification of cases of communication disability from the short story of adopted directly. This paper is a mixed method paper. It uses quantitative research since it presents statistical information about the different forms of communication disabilities portrayed in the story; it uses qualitative research since it analyses the issues concerning these disabilities from the various characters and the effects they have on social relations. According to the results of the study, the percentage of speech disorders is equal to 20.1% while language disorders are equal to 23.3%; hearing impairments are equal to 33.3% and cognitive communication disorders is equal to 23.3%. The observed in the short story findings stress the significance of communication disability with the focus on the illustrated aspects of involvement, relational, cognitive, and interpersonal interaction. The assumptions are related to approaches to foreign language acquisition, instructional strategies, and programs for children with language and speech impairment in schools.