Choice and Direction in the Writings of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Satire in American literature has evolved in response to the development of the American mind, its increasing use of free will, and the context that surrounds this notion. Satire is the biting wit that authors (labeled satirists) bring to their literature to expose and mock the follies of society. Satirists can be divided, however, into two groups with very different purposes. One type mocks simply for the enjoyment of mocking. These satirists are found almost everywhere in the world, on every street corner, household, and television sitcom. It is the second type of satirist who is a strong force in the world of literature. The satirical author will mock to heighten the reader's awareness of the problems that threaten to destroy the world that they believe has so much potential. They do this with the hope that their satire will encourage others to better society. "I have often hoped that the arts could be wonderfully useful in times of trouble" (32) says the writer who is perhaps the king of this second type of American satire, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Vonnegut uses his literature to help guide a disillusioned America, in which free will has been fundamental since the writing of the Constitution. As a humanist, Vonnegut uses the idea of free will as a constant motif in his writing. He believes that every soul has the freedom to do anything, but that the problem with society is that people lack direction. Free will, used as a theme in Timequake, is an enormous responsibility. Acknowledging the free will that one has also involves accepting the responsibility that is necessary to use this privilege in a way that will benefit humanity. In several essay... ... middle of paper ... ..., 1988. Hansen, Devin. "Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut." http//205.243.76.8/rereader/books97.htm February 4, 1998 (5 May 1999). Litz, A. Walton. American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies, Supplement 2, Part 2. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1981. Richardson, Jack. "Easy Writer." New York Review of Books July 2, 1970, pp. 7-8. Rpt. In The Chelsea House Library of Literary Criticism. New York.:Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. Sayers, Valerie. "Vonnegut Stew." The New York Times Sept 28, 1997, pp. 219. Vonnegut, Kurt Jr. in Contemporary Literary Criticism, 16 vols. Michigan: Gale, 1981. Vonnegut, Kurt Jr. Slaughterhouse Five, New York: Dell, 1968. -----.Timequake, New York: Berkley, 1997. -----.Wampeters, Foma and Granfalloons (Opinions), New York: Dell, 1974.
Relationships and Interdependence in the Works of Kurt Vonnegut While on the surface Kurt Vonnegut's works appear to singularly contain the pessimistic views of an aging, black humorist, his underlying meanings reveal a much more sympathetic and hopeful glimpse of humanity that lends itself to eventual societal improvement. As part of Vonnegut's strategy for enhanced communal welfare, the satirist details in the course of his works potential artificial family groups to connect the masses and alleviate the lonely.
215-225. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism Select. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
to this rigid structure of the plants and so, it is very useful as a
Votteler, Thomas. Contemporary Literary Criticism Vol. 75, edited by Thomas Votteler, Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1993, p. 334-335.
Heller, Joseph. The Chelsea House Library of Literary Criticism. Twentieth-Century American Literature Vol. 3. New York. Chelsea House Publishers, 1986.
Heberle, Mark. "Contemporary Literary Criticism." O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Vol. 74. New York, 2001. 312.
The Doctrines of Kurt Vonnegut The writing of Kurt Vonnegut exhibits perception without restriction and imagination without limitation. It surpasses mountains of ignorance and rivers of innocence to extend emotions for society to sympathize with reality. He incorporates his knowledge and view-points into a variety of literary genres for everyone to learn of his inquiries and philosophies. To draw readers into his sphere of influence, Kurt Vonnegut administers an inflection on the present to state other tenses
Baym, Nina, and Robert S. Levine. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York London: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. Print.
The Mind of Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut is one of the preeminent writers of the later half of the twentieth century. His works are all windows into his mind, a literary psychoanalysis. He examines himself as a cog in the corporate machine in "Deer in the Works"; as a writer through the eyes of Kilgore Trout in several works; and most importantly, as a prisoner of war in Slaughterhouse-Five. Vonnegut created short stories and novels that dealt with events in his life. One of the most obvious self examinations is in "Deer in the Works".
To make the test fair I will use the same amount of water and the leaf
164-69. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter. Vol. 341. Detroit: Gale, 2013.Artemis Literary Sources. Web. 5 May 2014.
...n American Literature. By Henry Louis. Gates and Nellie Y. McKay. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2004. 387-452. Print.
Litz, A. Walton, and Molly Weigel, eds. American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies, A Retrospective Supplement. Vol. 1. New York: Scribner's, 1998.
Baym, Nina et al. Ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Shorter 8th ed. New York: