Essays on Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. is a contemporary American author whose works have been described by Richard Giannone as “comic masks covering the tragic farce that is our contemporary life” (Draper, 3784). Vonnegut’s life has had a number of significant influences on his works. Influences from his personal philosophy, his life and experiences, and his…

Galapagos – a heavenly island in the disguise of hell (final) In “Galapagos”, Kurt Vonnegut uses Darwin’s evolution theory to base a dark and funny narrative on human beings. Told from the narrative of the spirit of Leon Trout, the novel humourously and painstakingly compels its readers to reflect on humanity and our roles as…

“The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else.”(Kurt Vonnegut Jr.) This is a quote from both the story “Harrison Bergeron”, and the film 2081, which greatly…

In Kurt Vonnegut Jr’s short story, ‘Harrison Bergeron’, the setting contributes significantly towards the meaning of the story. Set in the year 2081, an alternate reality in which the future USA government achieved “equality” among all citizens by enacting amendments that handicap those whom surpass other citizens in strength and talent. Vonnegut gives a satire…

“Harrison Bergeron” was written to give the reader some sort of idea as to what it would be like if there was no competition in the world. The main character is 14, tall, handsome, strong, athletic, smart, and above average in every way imaginable. The author uses humor and irony to depict a rather horrible…

“Death may be the greatest of all human approvals. ”The above rubric comes from the well known philosopher Socrates. and in fact he is right. Since the morning of humanity. there has invariably been decease. devastation. calamity. and horror. Because if it weren’t for these things. would more worlds exist today? More coevalss of more…

With each tick of the clock, precious moments slip away. Time, like matter, can neither be created nor destroyed. The future cannot be seen and the past cannot be changed. People who choose to dwell on past experiences dwell in vain. No amount of will power can erase the past. It exists as a memory….

Vonnegut’s Galapagos Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Galapagos was written in 1985 and is written using addictive prose from an imaginative perspective. Like Vonnegut’s earlier work, Galapagos is characterized by exaggerated characters, imaginative scenarios, and striking insights into the human condition. And while Galapagos paints an often unflattering picture of the human species, there is great humor…

Harrison Bergeron, by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., shows constrained uniformity. The creator communicates his expectations on the results of constrained correspondence in the year 2081. Arriving at a reasonable harmony between each individual is endeavored, in spite of being considered very unachievable. Vonnegut Jr. presents the torment and anguish felt by most people that adhered to…

Cat’s Cradle Religion  If humans strive to fulfill their void, of a lack of meaning in their lives, their folly will blind them from the truth.  Kurt Vonnegut portrays his inner emotions and feelings of the insignificance of religion through the characters of his novel, Cat’s Cradle. His satiric approach to a subject that many…