Master of the Short Story In Under the Lion’s Paw, Hamlin Garland used lots of the elements necessary to develop the perfect short story as described by Kurt Vonnegut. First, the author gave the reader at least one person to root for; then, every character wants something; and finally, Hamlin Garland is not afraid to be sadistic so his reader can see what his characters are made of. Kurt Vonnegut believes that the author of a good short story needs to give his reader at least one person he or she can cheer for. Instantaneously in the title of this short story, Garland allows the reader to anticipate a victim and a predator, to expect a balance of power between the weak and the strong, therefore to root for at least one character. In Under the Lion’s Paw, the novelist presents Stephen Council, hard working aged man of the land, with a beautiful mind and heart, willing to share: “ I don 't make it a practice t ' turn anybuddy way hungry, not on sech nights as this. (…) We ain 't got much, but sech as it is”, and his wife who, just like him, is ready to feed the hungry “set right up to the table an ' take a good swig o tea whilst I make y ' s 'm toast” and console the poor and needy. The reader wants the Councils to be right in their beliefs in the goodness of the human soul, and in their religion as the husband declares “When I see a man down, an ' things all on top
The author developed his narrative perfectly, ensuring it had most of the elements Kurt Vonnegut exposed as the secrets to write a short story. It includes characters the reader wants to support and cheer for; all of these characters desire, yearn for, or covet something; and of course, it exposes the world as a vicious place, where humans exploit humans, where it is necessary to fight, lose sometimes, but where winning and surviving can be achieved in spite of hopelessness and
Vonnegut, Kurt. “Harrison Bergeron.” Short Stories Characters In Conflict. Ed. John E. Warner. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1981. 344-353
Reed, Peter J. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (Writers for the 70's). New York: Warner Books, Inc., 1972
...dons the glimmer of hope that accompanies the fact that life has its moments of grandeur. He encourages the modern reader to escape the question "why me" and urges us to embrace a philosophy that consistently reminds us that even in the midst of the most cruel (and the most celebrated) events, humanity retains all of its virtue and vice. So it goes. Vonnegut allows us to laugh out loud, despite the tragedies of war and the anxiety of the post-modern world. His picture of the modern man is simultaneously dismal and hopeful. His unique style, satiric overview and astute ability to capture the multiple faces of mankind, properly place him in the realm of the most accomplished authors of the Twentieth Century.
Ward, Selena. “Sparknotes for Cat’s Cradle for Kurt Vonnegut.” Sparknotes. Online. Internet. Available at http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/catscradle/. 2 Dec 2001.
Kurt Vonnegut's apocalyptic novel, Cat's Cradle, might well be called an intricate network of paradox and irony. It is with such irony and paradox that Vonnegut himself describes his work as "poisoning minds with humanity...to encourage them to make a better world" (The Vonnegut Statement 107). In Cat's Cradle, Vonnegut does not tie his co-mingled plots into easy to digest bites as the short chapter structure of his story implies. Rather, he implores his reader to resolve the paradoxes and ironies of Cat's Cradle by simply allowing them to exist. By drawing our attention to the paradoxical nature of life, Vonnegut releases the reader from the necessity of creating meaning into a realm of infinite possibility. It appears that Vonnegut sees the impulse toward making a better world as fundamental to the human spirit; that when the obstacle of meaning is removed the reader, he supposes, will naturally improve the world.
Simpson, Josh. “‘This Promising of Great Secrets’: Literature, Ideas, and the (Re)Invention of Reality in Kurt Vonnegut’s God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, Slaughterhouse-Five, and Breakfast of Champions Or ‘Fantasies of an Impossibly Hospitable World’: Science Fiction and Madness in Vonnegut’s Troutean Trilogy.” Critique 45.3 (2004): 261-71. Print.
As the sweltering, hot sun signified the start of a scorching afternoon, a young boy lay in the fields harvesting vegetables for another family. He had been enslaved to perform chores around the house for the family, and was only given very few privileges. While his stomach throbbed with pangs of hunger, he continued cooking meals for them. After the family indulged in the cozy heat from the fireplace, he was the one to clean the ashes. Despite his whole body feeling sore from all the rigorous work he completed, the young boy had been left alone to suffer. As months passed by, he desired independence. He wanted to cook his own food, make his own fire, harvest his own plants and earn money. The lad soon discovered that he needed faith and courage to break away from his restricted environment. When put in a suppressive situation, every person has the aspiration to escape the injustice. This is what Harrison Bergeron and Sanger Rainsford do to liberate themselves from the external forces that govern their lives. Harrison, the main character of “Harrison Bergeron” written by Kurt Vonnegut, is a strong, fourteen year old boy whose talents have been concealed by the government. Growing up in an environment where equality has restricted people’s thinking, Harrison endeavors to change society’s views. Rainsford, the main character of “The Most Dangerous Game” written by Richard Connell, is a skilled hunter who believes that animals were made to be hunted; he has no sympathy for them. Stranded on island with a killer chasing him, he learns to make rational choices. While both Harrison and Ranisford are courageous characters, Rainsford’s prudence enables him to overpower his enemy, whereas Harrison’s impulsive nature results in him being ...
Through powerful visuals and specific vocabulary, Cormac thoroughly portrays the main character’s sorrow that was prompted by the loss of the animal he highly respects. The protagonist seeks to find a suitable burial site for the wolf, hoping to uncover and reveal the perfect place from Night’s blanket of darkness. Detailed descriptions establish a sense of deep respect as the main character “cradled the wolf in his arms and lowered her to the ground and unfolded he sheet. She was stiff and cold and her fur was bristly with the blood dried upon it” (McCarthy 5-8). The main character’s actions reveal great care and love for the wolf. It is difficult for an individual to cope with the death of an animal he/she places high regard for. Although wolves are often seen as brutal and deadly animals, McCarthy uses elaborate details to portray wolves as majestic and brave creatures. Such contrast is also achieved through a precise use of diction. He touches the “cold and perfect teeth”. The wolf’s “eye turned to the fire gave no light,” until the ...
The most important part in writing a novel is to enable the audience to understand what is being communicated. Krakauer did so by clearly communicating his message to his audience. He wanted to share the story of McCandless, a young man who dreamt of conquering the wilderness alone. This conquest ultimately ended in failure and cast a feeling of sorrow upon his family and friends. With the exception of a slight difficulty to understand the story during certain chapters, Krakauer’s novel was full of thrill of emotion and life-lessons.
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.
...r, we may desist to maintain any individuality or creativity in the future. If we let ourselves be overrun by constraints and restrictions, we prevent ourselves from being the mighty and influential society we are now and fall into a time of dullness and depression. Vonnegut obviously worried about the future administration of the state and wrote this story to prevent upcoming ages from making things grow any worse. By depicting a society in which no original thought could live, Vonnegut makes us ponder before allowing further commands from a higher authority. By exposing an extreme contrast between Harrison and the remainder of the world, Vonnegut encourages scholars to be like Harrison and fight for them and for what they believe. Vonnegut wants our community to precede in a positive and independent course and not be restrained and defined by any higher authority.
Baym, Nina, Arnold Krupat, Robert S. Levine, and Jeanne Campbell Reesman: Hamlin Garland. "Under the Lion’s Paw." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 8th ed. Vol. C. New York, NY: Norton, 2012. 736-46. Print.
Pike, Gerald. “Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Short Fiction Writers.” Short Story Criticism. Ed. Thomas Votteler. Vol. 6. Detroit: Gale Research International Limited, 1990. 90. Print.
Readers enjoy stories when they can empathize with the characters in them. On the surface, Facing the Lion by Joseph Lekuton and Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer seem like 2 completely different stories. Facing the Lion is an autobiography of a young boy named Joseph growing up as a member of a subgroup of the Maasai tribe in northern Kenya. Life As We Knew It is a fictional collection of diary entries by an American 16 year old girl named Miranda, whose family is fighting to survive the aftermath of a meteor knocking the moon off of its axis. But, readers of either story are able to form deep connections. Facing the Lion and Life As We Knew It are both stories that readers love because of their protagonists, conflicts, and use of pathos.
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.