The year was 2081, and everybody was finally
equal. They weren't only equal before God
and the law. They were equal every which
way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else.
Nobody was better looking than anybody else.
Nobody was stronger or quicker than
anybody else. All this equality was due to the
211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the
Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance
of agents of the United States Handicapper
General.
-"Harrison Bergeron," Kurt Vonnegut
Vonnegut wrote this story in 1961. Why did he
describe a society 120 years in the future?
A future setting distances Vonnegut's
audience from the story and minimizes the
risk of offending readers.
A future setting allows for a sharp contrast
between present-day society and the future.
A future setting provides a warning of what
could happen if present-day society does not
address a problem.
DONE