Question

read the excerpt from \harrison bergeron.\
\thats all right—\ hazel said of the announcer, \he tried. thats the big thing. he tried to do the best he could with what god gave him. he should get a nice raise for trying so hard.\
how do hazels comments help vonnegut develop his critique of society in the united states?

• they illustrate the absurdity of trying to make everyone the same.
• they emphasize the importance of having compassion for others.
• they emphasize the importance of doing ones best.
• they illustrate the need for laws that enforce equality.

Explanation:

In "Harrison Bergeron", the society enforces sameness. Hazel's comment about the announcer trying his best with what he has (implying limitations due to the equality - enforcing system) shows the absurdity of a system that tries to make everyone identical. The other options: emphasizing compassion is not the main critique, emphasizing doing one's best misses the satirical take on forced equality, and illustrating the need for equality - enforcing laws goes against the story's critique of such a system.

Answer:

A. They illustrate the absurdity of trying to make everyone the same.