Read the excerpt from "Harrison Bergeron." “That’s all right—” Hazel said of the announcer, “he tried. That’s the big thing. He tried to do the best he could with what God gave him. He should get a nice raise for trying so hard.” How do Hazel’s comments help Vonnegut develop his critique of society in the United States?

Hazel praises the announcer simply for trying, even though his handicaps make him unable to deliver the news smoothly. Her suggestion that he deserves a raise for trying shows how absurd society’s enforced equality has become: people are rewarded for effort rather than ability because everyone must be kept from excelling. This supports the choice that the scene illustrates the absurdity of trying to make everyone the same.

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