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.