Kurt Vonnegut’s Vision of the Future

It’s no secret that every student was thinking about the future at least once. Future-era America, as shown in the narrative, is America in the year 2081. In the future, depicted in the narrative, everyone must obey the law without question, and free thought and debate are strictly prohibited. People’s abilities and potentials are stifled in the name of fairness. They were like robots, programmed to adhere to rules and rely only on machinery blindly.

Mr. Vonnegut satirizes modern American culture as it succumbs to technological enslavement. Modern conveniences like smartphones and tablets have dulled people’s natural abilities. People these days don’t research topics before talking about them. It can all be changed with the right mentality. Let’s see if this writer’s vision can be helpful.

What Is His Approach Toward The Future Of Humans?

Today, there are many books regarding future predictions from the past. But not everyone has the right approach to such content. His short fiction Harrison Bergeron portrays the future of humanity. Did you know that there are many essays about it? Understudies often learn from them. They can extract useful data from the author’s ideas. In addition, this book by Kurt Vonnegut predicts a future in which everyone is treated fairly, and he emphasizes the need for variety to be kept to a minimum, which would lead to an insular civilization. Since everyone in a world of equilibrium possesses “exactly average intellect,” it may lead to a loss of uniqueness. 

The implication is that people feel trapped since they are unable to share their unique perspectives on how intellect should be measured. The fact that people are becoming more and more subject to government regulation is evidence of the decline of individual liberties.

He Was Obsessed With The Importance Of Time

When it comes to dreams predictions future, it takes time too, right? Well, that’s why Vonnegut was obsessed with it. Many of his works feature his interest in chronology. Many people believed in time travel after seeing “The Sirens of Titan” (1959) and “Cat’s Cradle” (1963), and “God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater” (1965) still has me questioning whether the United States has properly signed the Declaration of Independence. For example, in “Palm Sunday” (1981), he advocated changing the calendar so that there are six seasons instead of four.

In his most recent book, “Timequake,” he brought this recurring topic to a head (1997). Another Vonnegut display, science fiction author Kilgore Trout, forecasts a worldwide quake in the year 2001.

He Had His Ideas Regarding Technological Development Too

A picture of the future is often connected with technology. That’s especially the case nowadays. Why? Because people are almost dependent on it. And Vonnegut had his perspective about it. Vonnegut, playing the role of skeptic, debated Tom Clancy, also writing for Inc. in 1995, on technology’s positive or negative effects on people’s daily lives. Using the O.J. Simpson prosecutions as examples of early entertainment, Vonnegut predicted that “people would simply follow the series.”

Our unquenchable appetite for cable network pundits and reality content can be traced back to the initial media attention of the white Bronco hunt and successive judicial scandals surrounding the killings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. They captivated a nationwide audience for days on end and sparked the creation of the modern 24-hour news cycle. 

When you include the prevalence of the internet, smartphones, fear of missing out (FOMO), and social media, it’s safe to assume that some people spend their time attempting to participate, even when they’re not watching the program in it. Is it possible that Vonnegut’s warning about “provided the ability” on the “worldwide web” prefigured the end of network neutrality?

What Was His Approach Toward A Utopian Community Instead?

In dystopian fiction, the antagonist is usually society, while the protagonist seeks to change. He either overthrows or flees the government. This topic is so exciting that students can write a research paper about it. In many dystopian novels, the problem is never addressed, or the hero fails, and society continues as before. Harrison Bergeron’s dystopian tale describes a society where government control eliminates individualism. Forcing people to hide their talents is a certain way to crush and destroy such qualities. The main character, Harrison Bergeron, drives the plot.

TVs Will Be Outdate, According To Kurt Vonnegut

Local cable providers will replace national broadcasters, Naisbitt predicted in 1982. UNC states that 20% of U.S. newspapers have closed and that there is greater media centralization than ever before, with Fox News being the most viewed news channel. Hyperlocal subjects, formerly covered by news channels, are now covered on social media. And it’s harder for local newspapers and TV stations to cover them. What people can do is focus on growth instead. Vonnegut’s idea was eventually the truth. We can see that TVs are getting irrelevant day by day. And it’s because of the technology, nothing else. Our civilization is more oriented to it. Simply, if something is about to develop, a different thing must be backed down first.

Through Harrison Burgeron’s Character, He Tried To Focus On People’s Equality In The Future

Everyone nowadays, even Harrison Bergeron, has physical or mental strengths. This dystopia suppresses individuality in all its manifestations, including power, beauty, wisdom, etc., unlike modern civilization. When inhabitants are too scared to remove their handicaps, they have limited independence. They know the repercussions of breaching the rules, so they watch while Harrison convinces the others to eliminate their disadvantages.

Conclusion

Kurt Vonnegut was a man of great vision. His thoughts are passed through many generations. And when that’s the case, you can assume his importance in global literacy. You can make philosophical statements too. But, the point is that he had clear ideas which eventually worked out to be true.

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