Socialism In Kurt Vonnegut's Player Piano

Since the early days of civilization economic systems have provided its benefits and follies. From bartering, monetary exchange and credit, the economy has grown to be a pillar with in any society. Within the western world, economy has had the power to influence society and culture. Capitalism is the economic system most commonly used around the world, which begun its bloom in the early industrial ages. Socialism and communism are other socio-economic systems which arose in in retaliation of a capitalistic world. While a majority of the world uses this system, it has negative side effects, as pointed out in the philosophy of socialism. Published in 1959, Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut, is a satirical novel which looks at an industrial post war

In Player Piano, the world is divided into three parts, “In the northwest are the managers and engineers…the northeast the machines…and in the south, the area known locally has Homestead where almost all the people live” (Vonnegut 1). The people in this world are literally divided by land mass. The individuals who live and Homestead have no connection with the individuals who live in the northwest. These two people provide two different demographics, the proletariat and the “capitalists”. The “capitalists” are those which work on and manage the machinery. These individuals are highly educated with doctoral degree’s opposed to the proletariats who have no need for higher education and spend most of their days simply existing. The “capitalists” and proletariats are divided intellectually, and often times cannot relate. More so, the commonalties feel as if they were the lesser group. When Paul enters into a bar in Homestead that is mostly frequented by the common people, a waitress says, “What are you doing here- having a good laugh at the dumb bunnies?” (Vonnegut 103). This intellectual division has led to an emotional division as well. A majority feels lesser than the minority simply because of intelligence. The waitress referring to herself and those around her as “dumb bunnies” shows that in her eyes and the eyes of the many, “capitalists” look down upon them and mock them

Among the individuals who live within Homestead, there are some which possess a good understanding of mechanics and engineering. While driving through Homestead, Paul’s car breaks down as he runs into a group of laborers. As Paul gets out of his, the group starts theorizing about what is broken on the car, the oldest of the group says, “Sucking in air. I knew the minute I heard you coming a mile off” (Vonnegut 70). He proceeds to fix the fuel pump and, lo and behold he was right, that was the source of the problem. This individual does not lack the intellectual ability to become an engineer, but lacks the aspiration and ambition to do so. The working class has no purpose; they feel lesser hence they do not have goals or want to be anything other than what they are. Capitalism produces a system where the value of the worker becomes deflated. They are being alienated due to the circumstances surrounding them, the fact that machines are favored gives them the ideology that they cannot compete with a machine. They look down upon themselves and see that they are trapped where they are and no longer aspire to be anything else. In “World Without Work”, the author says “Most people want to work, and are miserable when they cannot” (Thompson). This state of being miserable and depressed stops these proletariats from seeing the bigger picture. They cannot see the end of the tunnel. They become stuck in