Definition: Symbolism - The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, particularly in literature.

Highlight: The television broadcast serves as both a literal window into the story's events and a metaphor for government control of information.

Quote: "Nobody was smarter than anybody else" - This quote encapsulates the fundamental flaw in the society's approach to equality.

Example: The handicaps themselves symbolize how artificial constraints on human ability can lead to societal stagnation rather than true equality.

Definition: Dystopian fiction presents a fictional society characterized by great suffering or injustice, typically one that is totalitarian or post-apocalyptic.

Highlight: The story's setting in 2081 creates an immediate sense of distance from our present while maintaining enough familiarity to make its themes relevant.

Example: George Bergeron's mental handicap radio demonstrates how the government suppresses individual intelligence by interrupting thoughts with jarring sounds.

Quote: "The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal" - This opening line establishes both the setting and the central irony of the story.