Because the Constitution of the United States in 2081 requires all citizens to be equal, the Handicapper General must force handicaps on those who have above average strength, beauty, or intelligence. A person who is strong must carry about extra weight so that they will experience the same level of fatigue and difficulty in life that those who are less strong do. George Bergeron has to carry a 47-pound bag of birdshot around his neck. Harrison, who is much stronger, carries 300 pounds of extra weight. Those who are more intelligent than the average person must wear a "little mental handicap radio" in their ears. Every 20 seconds the radio receives transmissions of loud and distracting noises, which have the effect of interrupting smart people's thought processes so they can't take "unfair advantage of their brains." Harrison must wear a "tremendous pair of earphones," presumably to make the sounds louder and harder to ignore. Beautiful people must wear masks to hide their beauty or otherwise modify their faces. The ballerina who reads the news bulletin "must have been extraordinarily beautiful, because the mask she wore was hideous." For Harrison's part, he has to shave his eyebrows, wear glasses with wavy lenses (which also make it harder for him to think), wear black caps on some of his teeth, and wear a ridiculous clown nose. By giving handicaps to those with superior talents or gifts, the government believes it can ensure that all of its citizens will be equal.
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