Great American Authors: Kurt Vonnegut

Throughout the readings assigned in the fall semester of 2017, certain themes appear prevalently from one piece of literature to the next. One such recurring theme is that of invalidation, more specifically how various forms and levels of such leads to some measure of destruction of an individual, or even as grandiose as an entire civilization. Two examples of this theme, consistent across multiple readings, are: the short story “Harrison Bergeron” written by Kurt Vonnegut, and the poem “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelly. “Harrison Bergeron’s” satirical portrayal of a futuristic [false] utopia in which all citizens are not created equal, but forced into “equality” through the implementation of various imposed handicaps; tells of a world in which all citizens (except those who are in charge of allocating the degree of retardation from achievement of full potential that each individual receives) are assigned a device to limit their physical or intellectual abilities. The character of Harrison Bergeron displays his forbearance, publicly liberates himself from bondage, along with a handful of talented performers, and proceeds to defy the status quo briefly before being put down by an elite member of society. “Ozymandias" is written as a recount of a tale told from a third party, about a civilization lost to time and forgotten by many in the “present” in which the poem takes place. The imagery imposed is that of a toppled

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is one of the most well known World War II authors. His humble beginnings and early life misfortunes shaped not only his writings, but also his view of the world. His imprisonment in Dresden in World War II, however, formed his opinions about war at an early age and later inspired many of his works and style of writing. After the returning from World War II, Vonnegut voiced his sentiments through his writing that war was wasteful and uncivilized. Vonnegut developed a unique blend of sadness, satire, and simplicity, along with his ability to understand the audience, which made his novels comprehensible and inspirational to any

Vonnegut calls upon his personal experiences to create his breakthrough work, Slaughterhouse Five. Vonnegut expresses his own feeling on war, family, and free will through the non-linear narrative of the protagonist, Billy Pilgrim. His experience as a soldier and death within his family are mirrored into Pilgrim’s character.

In the short story "2BR02B" by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., population balance overrules all aspects of a persons' life as well as the society that they live in. In order for more people to be brought into the world, others must die or be killed off to maintain what is thought to be an ideal population of humans on the planet. The quote "We humans have become a disease, the Human Pox" by Dave Foreman relates to this story exceptionally well because it basically implies that humans are rapidly multiplying and that if we do not take growth rate into consideration, soon enough, our population is going to be too high for anything to function in the correct manner. If we have a lot of people, it means that there will be an increase in the amount of resources

Kurt Vonnegut followed many principles in his writings. He claimed that “people do not realize that they are happy” (PBS NOW Transcript). Feeling that people had the wrong view on war, he felt that he needed to get the facts straight. Vonnegut believed that art can come from awful situations, and that the truth is not always easy to look at. Kurt Vonnegut wrote Slaughterhouse – Five to tell of his experience in the bombing of Dresden, as a prisoner in war and the atrocities that occurred.

Every so often, a person comes along and encompasses the meaning of a generation. This person will capture everything people want to say, and then word it so well that his or her name becomes legendary. The sixties was an era with many of these people, each with his or her own means of reaching the people. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., armed with a typewriter and a motive, was amongst those that defined the sixties. Like other notable figures of the sixties, his strong opinions moved the people. Vonnegut’s opinions cover a wide range of topics and address almost all aspects of society. He represented the flower children of the sixties, as he

The 1930’s were certainly a marked departure from the 1920s. The nation plummeted into the worst economic depression in its history and the social and cultural consequences were huge. One of the most interesting developments is the changing relationship between intellectuals and the broader public in those years. Many American writers like Zora Nealle Hurston, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, and Ernest Hemingway grew skeptical and weary of the general public during the 1920s, but during the Great Depression, were moved by the hardship they witnessed, the nation began to empathize with and work through the struggles of ordinary Americans. If the 1920s was marked by cultural division and by the disillusionment of intellectuals, than the thirties were marked by economic despair and by the discovery of the virtuous “common man” by the nation’s intellectuals. The period of the 1920s and 1930s is arguably the richest period in intellectual life of the nation and for that reason alone people should have some familiarity with it. The parallels between the cultural debates of that era: over immigration, religion, the role of the federal government, and the meaning of the American Dream. An understanding of the time between World War I and World War II years will enhance the understanding of the cultural, political, and economic debates of the present.

What truly is the new America voice of literature? How many real authors out there can even compare to the likes of Edgar Allen Poe, or William Falkner? In a highly re-defined country such as the United States, where education is a big part of our lifestyles, you’d expect a plethora of new age authors to appear from each and every corner. However, our system does not run like that. These days, most literature is based off of cheesy storylines, with no real educational value. Works such as Twilight, Harry Potter, and many more are what have been infiltrating the minds of many young readers alike. There are several hidden gems though,

Kurt Vonnegut is an American novelist from Indianapolis, Indiana, born in 1922. A very important part of his life was when he served in WWII where he was taken as a prisoner of

Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on Nov. 11th, 1922. His father, Kurt Sr. and

Research Rough Draft Paper By: Elizabeth Mozey December 11, 2015 English 2 Ever wondered who was the best author in America? John Steinbeck was an amazing author and his life story was also interesting. Steinbeck had an interesting childhood, family, and adult life, along with award winning novels. John was born to be a writer and it didn’t just brighten political views but really influenced his time.

Kurt Vonnegut was a man of disjointed ideas, as is expressed through the eccentric protagonists that dominate his works. Part cynic and part genius, Kurt Vonnegut’s brilliance as a satirist derives from the deranged nature of the atrocities he had witnessed in his life. The reason Vonnegut’s satire is so popular and works so well is because Vonnegut had personal ties to all the elements that he lambasted in his works. Vonnegut’s experience as a soldier in WWII during firebombing of Dresden corrupted his mind and enabled him to express the chaotic reality of war, violence, obsession, sex and government in a raw and personal manner. Through three works specifically, “Welcome to the Monkey House,” “Harrison Bergeron,” and Slaughterhouse-five,

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was born to his father and Edith Lieber in Indianapolis, Indiana on Armistice Day. At home, his parents struggled to pay every bill but still ensured that their children became educated. After graduating from Cornell University with

"I think there 's just one kind of folks. Folks" (Lee 304). Harper Lee is one of America 's most famous and beloved writers of her time. She has inspired people with her unique down-to-earth writing voice and her presentation of the rawness of people and life in general. Because of Harper Lee, America has learned to appreciate the differences in others from ourselves because "you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view" (Lee 39).

Kurt Vonnegut was born in 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana to German parents. As a young man, Vonnegut wrote articles strongly opposing war for his high school newspaper, and the school newspaper of Cornell University, where he attended college (Allen 1). World War II broke out when he was just 16 years old, and at the age of 20, Vonnegut joined the US army. Speaking about his disdain for war, Novels for Students discloses,