Question

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 copyright 1961, by kurt vonnegut jr. 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.

Answer 1

Kurt Vonnegut describes a society 120 years in the future in "Harrison Bergeron" to create a stark contrast with contemporary society and warn of potential issues if inequalities are not addressed.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron," the author depicts a society in the year 2081 where every form of human inequality has been eradicated by the 211th, 212th, and 213th amendments to the Constitution. Vonnegut chose a future setting for several reasons. Firstly, setting the story in the future allows for a sharp contrast between the reader's present-day society and the imagined dystopian future. This contrast serves to highlight current societal inequalities and provoke thought about the direction in which society is headed. Secondly, a future setting provides a warning of what could potentially happen if current societal issues related to equality are not effectively addressed. This speculative approach is characteristic of dystopian fiction, which often serves as social commentary on contemporary issues. The case of "Harrison Bergeron," reflects concerns about the potential overreach of government in the pursuit of enforced equality, a topic that resonates with historical struggles for civil rights and the interpretation of amendments like the Fourteenth Amendment, which invokes equal protection under the law.

Answer 2

It was a future setting allows for a sharp contrast between the present-day society of year 1961 and the future 2081. He describe it to show he sees the future of humanity that the once dream of the oppressed and the undermined is equality become a reality in the future and gives hope to continue and strive for the future.