The Effect of Martyrdom on Society Throughout history, ordinary everyday people rise to power, only to force or ruin a society and its morals. There are also some who rise up and react. In stories and real life, these “heroes” who fight back usually end up dead. Even today, a martyr's sacrifice is essential in most changes in society. An example of martyrdom in today's literature is shown through the short story written by Kurt Vonnegut, "Harrison Bergeron". In this story, a society is governed through “handicaps” in order to “equalize” citizens, but this level of equality has been set at a low level. So, overall, society has been brought to a very low level. Harrison Bergeron however was different. Diana Moon Glampers, the general of handicappers, attached various objects to him, to make his appearance grotesque. This didn't matter to Harrison, though. Despite his handicaps, he loudly expressed his vision of freedom, and for this reason he was imprisoned. The regime knew he was smart and that scared them. After escaping from prison, he dances with a dancer, both of whom have no handicaps. That's when Diana Moon Glampers burst into the room, killing the dancer and Harrison on live television. Their death was soon forgotten, due to the mental handicap, which limited their memory and intelligence. Their deaths, however, were not in vain. They achieved true freedom, something no one had ever achieved before. The most common martyr in history would have been Jesus of Nazareth, who is the basis of Christianity. He claimed to be “King of the Jews” and was later imprisoned for this little claim. They mistreated him until he could barely stand, and finally they crucified him. They forced him to......middle of paper......ster. His father was the only family member to survive and returned to the annex after the war ended. Rummaging through the attachment, his father found his diary, where he wrote everything that had happened over time. He published it and sold millions of copies worldwide. He refused to let his daughter die in vain. He proved that even in the shadow of death one can be a light of happiness. This indicates that without sacrifice, personal freedom is unattainable. Throughout history, man has been mistreated in some way. During these times of need, at least one person stood up for their beliefs and helped others do the same. The United States Constitution states that man has the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” This idea, of course, was triggered at the expense of many martyrs who were willing to donate for such a cause..