Abstract This paper expounds on the main theme in "Cat's Cradle" that life is meaningless. The paper discusses Vonnegut's use of images, irony, and eccentric characters to express his theme about the meaningless of life. It also explains how Vonnegut relates this theme to religion, marriage, and almost everything else humans teach each other.
From the Paper "Clearly, Vonnegut is depicting a side of human nature that cannot deal with the truth, so it is fed and willingly believes the lies it is told by the ?religion.? In fact, "Truth was the enemy of the people, because the truth was so terrible, so Bokonon made it his business to provide the people with better and better lies" (172). In addition, to create more "zest" and "tang" within the lives of the people, Bokonon decides to have himself declared an outlaw. He emphasizes his belief that "A really good religion is a form of treason" (173). The legend of a holy man in the jungle and the tyrant in the city was the only thing that made the people happy. (174) Perhaps the most striking example of this theme is the last scene of the book in which Bokonon writes in the final sentence of his book that if he were a younger man, he would "make a statue of himself, lying on my back, grinning horribly, and thumbing my nose at You Know Who" (287). Again, we are shown Vonnegut's opinion regarding the power of religion. Through the willingness of the people to accept Bokonon, Vonnegut is asking us to search our own lives for such blind faith."
Abstract The paper discusses the general role of KurtVonnegut in modern literature and includes a discussion of his interviews with newspapers through which he expresses his own view on the influence of his literature. Several of Vonnegut's books such as "Player Piano" and "Galapagos" are examined.
From the Paper "It has been twenty years since all sorts of academic critics began paying attention to Kurt Vonnegut's work. Many of his critics and fans have attempted to explain the very original style of Vonnegut's books. Most of them usually do come up with some sort of a purpose for his books, but the style, usually, can?t be explained. In order to "catagolize" Vonnegut into literary criterion, has been called, among other less presentable things, a fabulist, a fantasist, a black humorist, a mythic writer, a satirist, and a science fiction writer. Many different critics have attempted to explain his true reasons for his creations, but almost all of them are doomed to failure from the moment they begin. This is true, not because of their lack of intelligence or creativity, after-all most of them carry numerous degrees in prestigious schools, but because they aren?t Kurt Vonnegut."
Tags: Mustazza, science, fiction, satirist, Breakfast, of, Champions
Abstract This paper discusses how KurtVonnegut's novels such as "Cat's Cradle" and "Slaughterhouse Five" have a reputation both as great literary classics and great works of underground fiction. It looks at how "Slaughterhouse Five" is his most famous novel and also regarded his most personal, as it was based on his experiences as a prisoner of war in Germany during the Allied firebombing of Dresden in 1945. It also discusses how Vonnegut is credited with helping to elevate the genre of science fiction, once considered a staple of pulp magazine racks, to that of high art and how "Cat's Cradle" tells the tale of scientists trying to create 'ice-nine,' a crystal that could turn all water solid and thus destroy all life on earth.
From the Paper "Vonnegut is credited with helping to elevate the genre of science fiction, once considered a staple of pulp magazine racks, to that of high art. Cat's Cradle tells the tale of scientists trying to create 'ice-nine,' a crystal that could turn all water solid and thus destroy all life on the earth. In 1963, Cat's Cradle slowly developed a readership as Cold War Americans were increasingly receptive to a book that showed the dangerous potential of science and technology to develop faster than ethics and morality ("Novelist Kurt Vonnegut dies at 84," CNN.com, 2007, p.1) The novel, takes its title from an Eskimo game in which children try to snare the sun with string (Smith, 2007, p.1). Although its first printing sold only 500 copies, it has become a staple of English classes all over America today (Smith, 2007, p.1)."
Abstract This paper provides an overview of KurtVonnegut and his book, "Slaughterhouse Five", or "The Children's Crusade", from the perspective of its inadvertent contribution to increasing the level of overall geopolitical awareness in America, followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.
From the Paper "According to one of his many biographers, Kurt Vonnegut studied at Cornell University before serving in the U.S. Air Force in World War II (Reed 1997). Vonnegut was captured by the Germans, and was one of the survivors of the fire bombing of Dresden, Germany, that took place in February 1945. Vonnegut's book, Slaughterhouse Five, or The Children's Crusade (1969) is his attempt to recreate his Dresden experiences in a fictional form; the book uses that bombing raid as a symbol of the cruelty and destructiveness of war down through the centuries using a mixture of dark fantasy and ?numb, loopy humor ?(Giles & Dickstein 2003:11). An interesting benefit that has been realized from this evocative story about an otherwise-horrifying event (particularly one in which the United States did not play an all-that-honorable-role) has been its impact on raising the level of geopolitical awareness among Americans who have read the book. In this regard, Vonnegut has provided a poignant account of an event in history that contributes to this understanding. "
Abstract This paper examines the film "Mother Night" directed by Keith Gordon and adapted by KurtVonnegut's novel of the same name. The writer of this paper details the film's tragic dimensions as well as the surreal yet inspired moments of dark humor. This paper discusses the plot and characters of the film, including that of actor Nick Nolte who plays American playwright and expatriate Howard Campbell. The writer also ponders the questions raised in the film regarding responsibility and the roles people often play for survival.
From the Paper "During Campbell's years in Nazi Germany, the colors are very vibrant. The bright, nearly golden cinematography evokes a nostalgic feel--the rose-tinted hues that accompany one's memories of his or her days of youth and glory. However, in the postwar years, the colors are dull and dreary. And the last days of Campbell's life in an Israeli prison are shot in stark black and white. This inventive use of cinematography reveals the tragically ironic fact that the happiest years of Campbell's life were when he broadcasted hate over the airwaves, and the Nazis who revered him exterminated millions of innocent people. In his days of glory, he was treated as a celebrity among many Germans and had the undying love of his beautiful wife Helga."
Tags: film, analysis, literature, american, world, war, two, holocaust
Abstract The paper compares the protagonists in Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451," and KurtVonnegut's "Player Piano." The paper discusses the plot, protagonists and themes and views the novels as cautionary tales.
From the Paper "The notion of Utopia as an ideal society set apart from that which we live was coined by the sixteenth century scholar Michel de Montaigne in his novel "Utopia" that essentially described for Europeans the societies of the New World that was America at the time. Since then the world has seen an influx of philosophical utopian societies portrayed in literature. Many of these works, however, do not describe ideal societies at all. Rather, they portray dystopian mutations of political zeal gone awry."
Tags: utopia, dystopia, kurtvonnegut, player piano, ray bradbury, fahrenheit 451
Abstract The paper suggests specific awards for the three main characters in KurtVonnegut's novel, "Slaughterhouse Five'. Specifically, the paper discusses why a scrapbook is a suitable award for Billy Pilgrim, why a pencil with an eraser is appropriate for the narrator and why a trip around the world would have benefited Valencia Pilgrim.
Outline:
Award 1: A Scrapbook for Billy Pilgrim
Award 2: A Pencil with an Eraser for the Narrator
Award 3: A Trip Around the World for Valencia Pilgrim
From the Paper "Billy Pilgrim is described as a character unstuck in time. His memory serves as the narrative structure of Slaughterhouse Five, a series of memories that occurs after Billy is in a plane accident. At the time of the accident, Billy is employed as an eye doctor in upstate New York. Billy has a wife, children, and comfortable life, but he is haunted by memories of his captivity during World War II, and digging out from his imprisonment in a work camp during the bombing of Dresden. Rather than finding comfort in material success and his physical survival, he is disenchanted with his current existence. He dreams as well that he is captured by aliens, who underline the principle that human beings have no free will, evidently reflecting Billy's sense of powerlessness over the actions that have shaped his life."
Abstract This paper uses the historical novel "Slaughter-House-Five" by KurtVonnegut to illustrate the effects of the Dresden Bombing during World War II. Not only is the book historical fiction, evidently based on true events, but most of the events are based on specific happenings. Vonnegut illustrates the life of a soldier during the war. His writing shows the destruction that occurs during this time
for both sides. Vonnegut writes of the war both objectively and truthfully, telling of each nation's soldiers, the effects of war on them, the brutality of the war, and the bombing of Dresden. The paper concludes that Vonnegut's writing, along with eyewitness accounts presented, show the true devastation of the Dresden Bombing.
From the Paper "Slaughter-House-Five is a historical novel that tells of World War II, specifically the Dresden Bombing. Through a combination of both historical and science fiction, Kurt Vonnegut illustrates the life of a soldier during the war. Vonnegut writes about the war in an unbiased manner giving different views about its participants and attacks. His strong voice is not, however, diminished by his objectivity. Vonnegut writes of the war both objectively and truthfully, telling of each nation's soldiers, the effects of war on them, the brutality of the war, and the bombing of Dresden."
Abstract The author examines the writings of Vonnegut's "Player Piano" and the writer's view of the threat to the U.S.'s future, by the story's main theme being that Americans were becoming far too reliant upon machines and technology, which is relevant today as well. The paper explains why fiction of this sort is plentiful now, but back when the book was written, it wasn't as common.
From the Paper "Paul's work is to run the factory in that its productivity still increases and so that there are no saboteurs. Computers operate everything else. Paul is married and his wife; Anite depends on him and always tells him to strive to follow his father's example. His father was a celebrated founder of the local industrial plant and its first general manager. Anite lectures him on the virtues of the hierarchy and opportunism. He is at the beginning of his career and he desires to obtain a better position and he knows he should follow in his father's footsteps."
Abstract This paper examines and analyzes the theme of KurtVonnegut's 1952 novel, "Player Piano". The author discusses what themes play out in the life of Paul Proteus, what elements of American politics might lead to the sort of society described in the novel, and what elements might prevent such a society.
Abstract KurtVonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five" is the tale of a World War II veteran/soldier, Billy Pilgrim, whose wartime experiences and their effects lead him to the conclusion that war is unexplainable. The paper shows that to portray this effectively, Vonnegut presents the story in two dimensions. as history and science-fiction. and the irrationality of war is emphasized in each dimension by contrasts in its comic and tragic elements. The historical seriousness of the Battle of the Bulge and the bombing of Dresden are contrasted by many ironies and dark humor; the fantastical, science-fiction-type place of Tralfamadore is, in truth, an outlet for Vonnegut to show his incredibly serious fatalistic views. The paper shows that the surprising variations of the seriousness and light-heartedness allow Vonnegut to show effectively that war is absurd, making the story an anti-war novel.
From the Paper "As a result of the trauma of Billy's war experience; he faces an inability to deal with reality later in his life and the fantastical Tralfamadore is a planet where Billy escapes to when he feels life's stresses; however mad Billy seems to have become, Tralfamadore doubles to reveal Vonnegut's earnest fatalistic views. Tralfamadore is the epitome of all that is right in the universe and points out all that is wrong on Earth. The Tralfamadorians tell Billy that, although Earth is corrupt, there is nothing he can do about it: "Everything is all right, and everybody has to do exactly what he does? (Vonnegut, 146). Just as Billy was destined to go to war, decided on by a "higher being", the government was forced to go to war by a "higher being" than they, and the war was predestined and this idea of fatalism attempts to justify the irrationality of war."
Abstract To understand the point of the humor in "Cat's Cradle" by KurtVonnegut, it is necessary to examine the point of the story itself. All of Vonnegut's books touch on broad social issues in a rather cartoonish way that serves a much darker and difficult purpose than what they appear to address. Like Breakfast of Champions, and Hocus Pocus, Cat's Cradle, is a humorous take on the organizations and social structures that the world holds as absolutes with the angle that such things do not exist - all is arbitrary. In this work, we find that there is a brilliant combination of lampoon (in the form of the polarized roles taken by the two friends who created the island nation dictatorial politics and religion, Bokononism; which are intended to oversimplify the arbitrariness of politics and religion) and of black humor (which is clearly marked in the violence, deprivation, and oppression that are used only to perpetrate the lie that is the society). Irony, perhaps, is the constant of every event and passage in this book. It is irony that makes us understand that the humor in the story is a rather caustic, disbelieving, and disenchanting look at our own and every other society.
Abstract In the short story "Harrison Bergeron," KurtVonnegut Jr. speculated what a Utopia-like society in the modern period would be like. This paper posits that the achievement of equality in the story puts forth the message to the reader that what makes human society live in harmony and unity is primarily because of our differences. Differences make 'gaps' left by someone else be filled out by another one in the society: this process makes humans interdependent on one another because each one of us complement each other.
From the Paper "Apart from the lack of competitiveness and creativity that was shown in the ballet dance, another frightening notion that Vonnegut implied in the story was that achievement of equality could become detrimental to human rights. Illustrated in the story was Harrison's and the beautiful ballerina's death, which reflects how, in an attempt to establish an extreme kind of equality, the Handicapper General Diana Moon Glamplers killed both Harrison and the beautiful ballerina."
Abstract This paper discusses KurtVonnegut's motivation behind writing his novel as well as the aspects of war. The paper also directly links the main character of Slaughterhouse-Five to Vonnegut himself. It shows how Vonnegut uses the protagonist, Billy Pilgrim, as a mask for himself. From behind this mask, Vonnegut discusses the destructiveness, inevitability, and absurdity of war and also reveals that people should accept the events in their lives and concentrate solely on the positive moments.
From the Paper "The themes of Slaughterhouse-Five do not revolve solely around the institution of war, however. In addition to its war-related themes, acceptance is another major theme that emerges from his novel. Vonnegut reveals this theme in a number of ways. When he twice includes the Serenity prayer in his novel, for example, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom always to tell the difference" (209). According to William Bly, Billy Pilgrim finds comfort in the Tralfamadorian belief that people who are dead in one moment are alive and well in many other moments and, Bly further states, that this concept of life can be interpreted as Vonnegut telling his readers that they, too, should be consoled when someone dies, because the dead live on in people's memories (27). The theme of acceptance is further evidenced when Vonnegut writes, after every mention of death in the novel, the phrase, "So it goes" (214). This phrase appears one hundred and six times throughout the novel and gives it a cyclical quality that implies that life goes on. Reflect on the happy moments in life, Vonnegut teaches, and all will be well. "
Abstract This paper examines the novel, "Cat's Cradle", by KurtVonnegut, written at the height of the Cold War when most Americans lived in fear of a fiery nuclear apocalypse. Vonnegut presents a different but equally terrifying end, a world encased in ice. It discusses how one of the novel's themes is how human irresponsibility can contribute to this icy end. It examines how Vonnegut uses the major and minor characters in "Cat's Cradle" to reflect on the consequences of human irresponsibility and how, throughout the novel, Vonnegut presents characters whose irresponsibility helps bring much of life on earth to an end.
From the Paper "Despite his small stature, Newt is the most mature and well adjusted of the Hoenikker children. Still, Newt remains focused on the major disappointments of his childhood. The fact that he found neither cat nor cradle in the tangle of strings presented by his father causes Newt to believe in the lack of meaning in all human life. He thus becomes an easy target for the Russian spy Zinka, who pretends to love him in order to get to his share of the ice-nine. At the apocalypse, Newt remains unwilling to confront the horrors of the icy apocalypse that he helped to usher. Instead, he focuses on scavenging for paint, and on turning inward and coping through his art."
