The Future

Vonnegut's exploration of the future in this collection is, for the most part, cautionary. Each story set in the future gives a detailed account of what the world is like in the given future year. All the details given are negative, but they are presented either in the positive light of progress, or as the only way things could possibly be. "Unready To Wear," "Harrison Bergeron," "Welcome to the Monkey House," and "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" are all set in the future.

"Harrison Bergeron" puts forth the most optimistic point of view, meaning the narrator presents the information as though the changes made in the future world are positive ones. Really, though, the state of the "Harrison Bergeron" future world is terrifying. The concept of all men being created equal is taken quite literally, to devastating effect. Men and women are required to wear mental and...