Dehumanization In Breakfast Of Champions By Kurt Vonnegut

The Europeans, in order to better adjust to their new atmosphere on American soil, employed what was viewed as inexpensive labor. Nash comments on the Africans' availability, saying they were simply "the most available people in the world for those seeking a bound labor force." Third-world countries are not often supplied with lavish money used to pay their hardworking employees and for this reason, cheap labor must be used. However, by using these types of labor, society assumes a hierarchical structure, with the third-world workers/slaves skimming the bottom. People begin to lose their national identity - the early African slaves gradually lost their heritage because they were completely "cut off from most that was familiar - family, wider kinship relationships, community life, and other forms of social and psychological security," writes Nash. Using these types of labor is detrimental to

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut was written in 1963. "It is a satirical commentary on modern man and his madness" (back cover). It is a book that counters almost every aspect of our society. As well as satire, Vonnegut also includes apocalyptic elements in this novel.

Today, many American’s are very prideful of being part of a Country that not only portrays, but also truly offer an abundance of opportunities for education, careers, housing, for many immigrants’ jobs, and most importantly Freedom. Currently the American motto is that there are no impossibilities, work hard to achieve highest potential and failure is not a negative innuendo, but a mark of the imprints of success. Nevertheless, as one researches and studies American history the stroll down memory lane is sad and disappointing. Use The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database website (http://www.slavevoyages.org/voyage/search)1 take a stroll into the past during 1607-1808 the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade slaves took the place of what we call today America’s industry workforce. Unfortunately, during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade the slaves did not have a choice, mistreated and stripped of their rights and dignity, dehumanized, and all for the purpose of commercialism competitiveness and industrial prosperity. As shown on the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database, during 1607-1808, the total number of slaves embarked on voyages to the Mainland North America was 360,999; however, these slaves experienced the highest form of cruelty and uncaring treatment

In America, the lives of Africans did not get any easier. Once the demand for labor began increasing dramatically, more and more Africans were imported to America. Originally, white people and black people worked together in the plantations. As a result of the increase in Africans in these British colonies, less white people took jobs on plantations. Eventually, enslavement became based on race. Numerous slave codes were developed, which included denying slaves the right to be out past sunset and denying slaves the right to meet in groups of three or more. These Africans forced to live enslaved in America were treated as if they were inferior to white people. It is discouraging to think about the fact that this country, though it was long ago, once accepted this kind of social injustice.

With a massive transport of millions of enslaved African Americans across the Atlantic Ocean, Caucasians and African Americans were both performing tasks such as clearing of new land and tending to new crops so that colonization could continue to spread; and that it did indeed. In fact, colonization began to spread at such a rate that landowners began to become more dependant on the labor of African-Americans because it was more economically sound. Dependant on skill sets acquired before slavery, Slaves began to have variances in

The life of African Americans in the 1800 was so harsh and unfair. Their owners would treat them cruelly and made them work long hours. They were not fed and had no sanitation which led to malnutrition and disease. Many young girls also went through sexual abuse and owners wouldn’t even get prosecuted because they were the ones who ruled everything. They separated many families from husbands, wife’s, and children. Those who were not prepared suffered every day because they were not with their families. Many of them never saw their family again.

Africans were brought to America on a ship through the Atlantic trade system. During their journey to America, Slaves faced hardships and were placed in critical conditions. One predicament that the slaves encountered on their journey to America was the compact spaces. One slave stated "The height, sometimes, between decks, was only eighteen inches... the unfortunate human beings could not turn around or even on their sides... usually chained to the decks by their necks and legs." (Foner 141, 2014) Olaudah Equiano was a slave who was strongly opposed to the idea slavery. Colonist defined Africans as uncivilized people, this belief was a reason to why colonist thought Africans should be slaves. Equiano Thought otherwise by stating that everyone is capable of improving. Culturally, Africans were nonfactors in society and was only used for laboring cash crops such as tobacco, sugar, and cotton.

World War II was the deadliest worldwide conflict in history. It was estimated to cause over 70 million fatalities.(NEED SOURCE) What many people may not consider though, is how World War II affected people's inner self, not just casualties. In Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, Louis “Louie” Zamperini suffered imprisonment, beatings and is neglected essential/basic human rights. Like so many other American prisoners of war (POWs), Zamperini is dehumanized and his dignity is taken away. Japanese-Americans were also treated equally horribly during World War II. After Pearl Harbor was bombed, Japanese-Americans were forced into internment camps throughout the United States. Miné Okubo was among these citizens who were unjustly accused/judged and mistreated. Zamperini and Okubo alike resisted the attempts in World War II camps to make them feel dehumanized and isolated.

During the Holocaust, German Nazis slaughtered Jewish people and held them prisoner as well. While they were held captive, the Jewish people were often dehumanized. Dehumanization is defined as the process of depriving a person or group of human qualities. Throughout the book Night by Elie Wiesel, there is many examples of dehumanization, like taking away personal identities, starvation, and being forced to watch others be murdered that helped Adolf Hitler achieve his ends.

During the period of slavery, African Americans had to accept the fact that they were being used as workers for the Caucasians because they were cheaper and more plentiful labor

Transitioning from slavery to free-labor created new issues to arise between African Americans and white Southerners. It was believed that if no longer slaves, African Americans still must work. Henry Adams, an African American observing planters, wrote that, “white men would drive colored women out in the fields to work…and would tell colored men that their wives and children could not live on their places unless they worked in the fields.”10 In the same line of thinking, M. C. Fulton requests that freedwomen be required to work, stating that it is impossible for one man to provide for his family while his wife is in “idleness,” without stealing.11 What Adams observed and what Fulton complained about shows two different reasons for pushing freedwomen to work, in a way that, presumably, was different than what was expected of white women. The free-labor system caused disputes in what qualified as “work.” White employers claimed that, “the labor of the employee belongs to him for the whole year, that he must labor for him six days during the week and do all kinds of work required of him wether directly connected with the crop.”12 Freedmen, however, claimed that they had “no other work to do but to cultivate and gather the crop.”13 White employers did not seem to view African American laborers as employees, rather they saw them as slaves with contracts, able to submit complaints about their employment

It was a hot blistering summer day not a leaf in sight or a hint of shade to be found. Mouth is dry as cotton from thirst and hands bleeding and blistering from a hard days work, exhausted from fatigue and hunger, because Master had me out here since the crack of dawn. Tending to the crops in the field and told me not come until every last crop has been tended which is about three football fields long. This is some of the Vigorous work that slaves had to endure. Slavery is a big part of American history. Many of the African Americans you see today are descendants of the 500,000 plus Africans who were sent to North America as slaves. To work

    Cat's Cradle is, "Vonnegut's most highly praised novel. Filled with humor and unforgettable characters, this apocalyptic story tells of Earth's ultimate end, and presents a vision of the future that is both darkly fantastic and funny, as Vonnegut weaves a satirical commentary on modern man and his madness" (Barnes and Noble n.pag).  In Cat's Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut uses satire as a vehicle for threatened self-destruction when he designs the government of San Lorenzo.  In addition, the Bokonists practice of Boko-maru, and if the world is going to end in total self destruction and ruin, then people will die, no matter how good people are and what religion people believe.

Throughout his career, Kurt Vonnegut has used writing as a tool to convey penetrating messages and ominous warnings about our society. He skillfully combines vivid imagery with a distinctly satirical and anecdotal style to explore complex issues such as religion and war. Two of his most well known, and most gripping, novels that embody this subtle talent are Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse-Five. Both books represent Vonnegut’s genius for manipulating fiction to reveal glaring, disturbing and occasionally redemptive truths about human nature. On the surface, Cat’s Cradle and Slaughterhouse-Five are dramatically different novels, each with its own characters, symbols,

People may argue that the practice did not become "dehumanizing" until white Europeans came along and took slaves to the Americas’. " Slavery had existed in Africa as it had in other parts of the world, for centuries, but it was not based on race and it did not result in dehumanization and death, as did transatlantic slavery." This statement is claiming that because the economies of Africa did not depend on slave labor, the number of enslaved people was small until European traders arrived. I am convinced that the African slave trade led to the dehumanization of Africans because it was focused on the legal institution created by law in America, which allowed white American settlers to actually own Africans. This type of slavery was severe and brutal, and also degenerated Africans. The rise of industrialization in America brought the demand for large amounts of labor which Americans took advantage of to gain profit. The only group of Africans benefiting from the