The Satirical Writing of Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

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The Satirical Writing of Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Considered to be one of America's imaginative, original, and talented contemporary writers, Kurt Vonnegut has treated readers to such wonderful works of literature as Slaughterhouse-five and Breakfast of Champions. Most of his many novels, short stories, and plays criticize various wrongs of society. Vonnegut's work is often humorous and light-hearted, mixing settings of fantasy with everyday situations of life. Deeper themes concerning the welfare of society are clearly evident in his satire. Throughout this long career Vonnegut has used his unique style to effectively portray his outlook of the world.

Edith Vonnegut gave girth to her second son, Kurt, Jr.., on November 11, 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana. She and her husband Kurt had been married nine years at the time os junior's birth. The couple's eldest child Bernard was born in 1914, and a daughter Alice followed three years later. Kurt, Sr. had built a reputation as a qualified architect and was able to support his family fairly well. Kurt, Jr.'s early education came at Orchard Public School NO. 43 in Indianapolis from 1928 to 1936. After grade school he moved on Shortridge High, where he served as a staff member for the Shortridge daily Echo, the school's newspaper. Here we see his early like for writing. Finding himself interested in biochemistry, Vonnegut, Jr. attended Cornell Daily Sun. A year later in 1943 the young Hoosier transferred to the Carnegie Institute of Technology. Studies there were cut short by his enlistment into the army to fight in World War II.

Vonnegut fought in the battle of the Bulge as a scout for the 106th US Infantry Division, after which he was taken prisoner by the Germans. H...

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...gan reading Slaughterhouse-five I knew I was going to enjoy it. I couldn't put the book down. Its unusual structure and organization made it more intriguing for me. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. is clearly an accomplished writer. After I read the book, I could see that I would most likely enjoy more of his writing. Through my conducted research I understand how he is influenced by the world around him and what he says in his works.

Works Cited

http://copper.usc.indiana.edu/~briscott/vonnegut.html

"Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr." Discovering Authors, Gale Research, 1993.

Harris, Charles B. "Time, Uncertainty, and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.: A reading of Slaughterhouse- five'," in The Centennial review, Vol. XX, No. 3, 1976.

"Harrison Bergeron." Literature and Language, MCDOUGALL LITTELL, CO., 1992.

"Adam." Responding to Literature (yellow), MCDOUGALL LITTELL, CO., 1992.

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