S.O.A.P.S.Tone: How to write with style
Speaker: The speaker of this article is Kurt Vonnegut. He is a male author and humorist who originated from Indianapolis, Indiana. With this knowledge; this article would be full of satire with the definitions and meaning shrouded in the joke.
Occasion: The author likely wrote this article due to the successes of his novels (Slaughterhouse-Five, Jailbird, and Cat’s Cradle). This is a response to his writing style and the similarities & differences between other’s writers. People might have questioned his style of writing or wanted to learn how to write similarly to his style, so Kurt could have written this article to answer to the demands to avid readers and writers.
Audience: The speaker identifies
Kurt gave numerous points where I felt I was lacking in my writing. I felt that the humor could have been omitted, because it sacrificed my attention to the informative point. For example, I would have like more information on ways not to ramble throughout my writing, but due to the large influence of satire, the author simply responded with: “I won’t ramble on about that”. Overall, the article did present its necessary information; making me feel better as writer.
Subject: The subject of the article is the different writing styles presented throughout the article. The author bolded the important points of his writing, which gave emphasis on what the reader had to remember. The author presented the information with bolded titles, satire, history, and explanations.
Tone: The immense use of satire gives the speaker a joy or whimsical feel. The writer seemed like a joyful person and they were quite confident in their points. Words like monkey wrench, ink-stained wretches, egomaniac, and chowderhead gave the happy-go-luck tone. The author is confidence and knowledge in the subject, due to his generalized quotes and information. He reveals his attitude due to the numerous quotes and phrases used in this
Most literary scholars accredit Kurt Vonnegut’s literary voice as a style of dark comedy or humor to tell the stories in his writing that are typically horrific and macabre. According to Smith (2014), “In Slaughterhouse-Five, Vonnegut embellishes the scope of black humor by incorporating irony and by using vocabulary that creates a mock-serious tone, often leading to absurdity”. Arguably Vonnegut’s most famous novel and where most scholars agree Vonnegut’s literary voice is most prominent is in Slaughterhouse-five. An example of Vonnegut’s dark humor is a scene in which American prisoners
Kurt Vonnegut places his experiences and his views in the text. He begins the book by stating, “All this happened, more or less. The war parts, anyway, are pretty much true...I’ve changed all of the names.” Viewing war as a sen...
Harris, Robert. "The Purpose and Method of Satire." VirtualSalt 20 Aug. 1990. 13 April 2001. <http://www.virtualSalt.com/satire.htm>
While the tone may range from playful to angry, satire generally criticizes in order to make a change. Exaggeration, parody, reversal, and incongruity are satirical devices. Author’s use satirical devices to strengthen their central idea.
The tone of the first chapter of Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut is a mixture of candid and matter of fact, with an underlying tone of indifference and detachment. This tone is displayed throughout the chapter with Vonnegut’s use of informal language and phrases, such as the first sentence “All this happened, more or less.” He conveys this tone not only through phrases such as “and so on” or “so it goes”, but with stylistic elements with his use of punctuation, spaces, repetition, and ellipses. He uses this tone in the first chapter to set the audience up for how the rest of the novel will be written, and to display to the audience his style of writing and how it may not always be reliable.
Satirical writing allows the author to express his or her opinion about a problem in society. A writing must follow three rules in order for it to be classified as satirical. First, a continuous focus on one’s subject’s faults. Secondly, instead of telling the reader directly, information must be given indirectly. Thirdly, the writing must have a variety of satirical techniques in general (Festa). With these simple guidelines, an author can demonstrate his beliefs of what he thinks needs to be changed in society.
Kurt Vonnegut’s fictional novel “Cat’s Cradle”, indirectly explores issues that parallels into topics such as religion, scientific/technological advancements, political power and much more. Vonnegut’s novel is narrated by a character named Jonah (John). He, Jonah, sets out to write an anthropological book based off of what key people were doing on the day that the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Throughout Vonnegut’s novel it can clearly represents how a writer can become a very destructive person to society. As for this novel, it shows through the uses of parallels that a writer can become a very destructive person to society, these parallels are reflects to real world issues throughout his novel to show this claim, that a writer too can be a destructive person to society.
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s short story “Harrison Bergeron” was created during the time frame of the Civil Rights Movement and the Cold War and encompasses the definition of the word satire. Though the story itself is set in the distant future, the year 2081, one can see the influence of the past in this dark satirical portrayal of an American society. The author satirizes the very elements he was exposed to in his own environment and lifetime. Vonnegut mocks forced ideas of equality, power structures, and oppression, ideas that were prevalent and thriving in the atmosphere of his time of writing “Harrison Bergeron”.
Vonnegut, Jr., Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five. New York City, New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1968. Print.
Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, ironically on Veteran’s Day, 1922. He studied at Cornell University until his studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. While in the army as an advanced infantry scout, he “was captured by the German army during the Battle of the Bulge in December, 1944” (“Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.”, 2). His time as a prisoner of war was highly influential on his life and writing. Many of his characters would go through similar experiences as he did. During his time in the Dresden jail, he, unlike many others, survived “the Allied firebombing that destroyed that architectural treasure and killed between 70,000 and 180,000 civilians” (“Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.”, 20). On the topic of the infamously unsuccessful bombing, Vonnegut has said that "‘only one person benefited,’ he recalls today. ‘And that was me. I got five dollars for every man, woman, and child killed.’" (“Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.”, 2). His experience in Dresden during the firebombing inspired his novel Slaughterhouse-Five which catapulted him into literary fame. “During the 1960s Kurt Vonnegut emerged as one of the most influential and provocative writers of fiction in America” (Westbrook, 1).
Vonnegut's writing style throughout the novel is very flip, light, and sarcastic. The narrator's observations and the events occurring during the novel reflect a dark view of humanity which can only be mocked by humor. At the beginning of the novel the narrator is researching for a book he is writing. The book was to be about the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and the lives of the people who created the bomb. The narrator travels through the plot of the story, with characters flying in and out, in almost a daze. He is involved in events which are helplessly beyond his control, but which are inevitably leading to a destination at the end.
Thoughtful laughter is a technique used frequently in satirical pieces in literature. It allows for the audience to enjoy the wittiness of a work, later ponder on the meaning, and then apply the message to reality. Thoughtful laughter is often an inner experience that can only be achieved by authors who write meticulously. Two examples of satirical works in literature that display this concept explicitly are Voltaire’s Candide and C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. Both authors explore the depths of satire and simultaneously deliver an important message to readers through skillful technique.
Satire is a great tool used by many writers and actors since ancient times. The earliest example that we know about is a script from 2nd millennium BC in Ancient Egypt (Definition: Satire) and since then has evolved into a great part of our society. Satire is used to point out the faults of human vice in order for change and reform in either of two ways. There is a very bitter Juvenalian or a mild and light Horatian. In order to fully understand these forms of satire, method, purpose, and applications will be addressed.
Brown, Earl B., Jr. "Kosinski's Modern Proposal: The Problem of Satire in the Mid-Twentieth Century." Ebscohost. N.p., 1980. Web. Mar.-Apr. 2014.
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, and plot. However, a close examination reveals that both contain common themes and ideas. Examining and comparing the two novels and their presentation of different themes provides a unique insight into both the novels and the author – allowing the reader to gain a fuller understanding of Vonnegut’s true meaning.