Read this passage from kurt vonnegut's “report on the barnhouse effect”: at ten minutes before h-hour the general came in, shepherding the professor before him. the professor was comfortably attired in sneakers, gray flannels, a blue sweater, and a white shirt open at the neck. the two of them sat side by side on the love seat. what is the function of this description and how does it influence the development of the characters and the plot in the story?

a - the placement of the characters on the love seat and the professor’s relaxed attire represents dramatic irony and the characters’ uncertainty about future events.
b - the description of the time as “h-hour” and the general “shepherding” in the professor reveals the seriousness of the impending situation.
c - the contradiction between the general’s seriousness and the professor’s indifference show how professor barnhouse is a static character in the story.
d - the professor’s casual attire and the characters sitting on a love seat just before the critical “h-hour” creates an ironic contrast and a playful mood.

The function of the above description and its influence on the development of the characters and the plot in the story is that:

A - The placement of the characters on the love seat and the professor’s relaxed attire represents dramatic irony and the characters’ uncertainty about future events.

Kurt Vonnegut's short story "Report on the Barnhouse Effect" is an example of postmodernism as it uses irony on a serious topic.

He expresses his feelings about the war with his personal experience. His reaction to the war, bombings and the ills of scientific advancement brought distress in his life. He accepted the deaths as the result of the war in a very casual manner. Throughout the stories, he uses irony and sarcasm to bring the effects of the war in a different look. Using irony and sarcasm to describe serious topics like war and destruction is one of the characteristics of postmodern literature.

mark twain, real name samuel langhorne clemens, was an american writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. among his novels are the adventures of tom sawyer and its sequel, the adventures of huckleberry finn, the latter often called "the great american novel". wikipedia