The Intertextuality of Kurt Vonnegut's Short Story
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HARRISON BERGERON by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr
HARRISON BERGERON by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General. Some things about living still weren't quite right, though. April for instance, still drove people crazy by not being springtime. And it was in that clammy month that the H-G men took George and Hazel Bergeron's fourteen-year-old son, Harrison, away. It was tragic, all right, but George and Hazel couldn't think about it very hard. Hazel had a perfectly average intelligence, which meant she couldn't think about anything except in short bursts. And George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear. He was required by law to wear it at all times. It was tuned to a government transmitter. Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains. George and Hazel were watching television. There were tears on Hazel's cheeks, but she'd forgotten for the moment what they were about. On the television screen were ballerinas. A buzzer sounded in George's head. His thoughts fled in panic, like bandits from a burglar alarm. -
A Discourse of Redemption in Three of Kurt Vonnegut's Novels
Tutton Parker 1 What’s in the Potato Barn: A Discourse of Redemption in Three of Kurt Vonnegut’s Novels A Thesis Submitted to The Faculty of the College of Arts and Science in Candidacy for the Degree of Master of Arts and English By Rebecca Tutton Parker April 2018 Tutton Parker 2 Liberty University College of Arts and Sciences Master of Arts in English Student Name: Rebecca Tutton Parker Thesis Chair Date First Reader Date Second Reader Date Tutton Parker 3 Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction………………………………………………………………………...4 Chapter Two: Redemption in Slaughterhouse-Five and Bluebeard…………………………..…23 Chapter Three: Rabo Karabekian’s Path to Redemption in Breakfast of Champions…………...42 Chapter Four: How Rabo Karabekian Brings Redemption to Kurt Vonnegut…………………..54 Chapter Five: Conclusion………………………………………………………………………..72 Works Cited……………………………………………………………………………………..75 Tutton Parker 4 Chapter One: Introduction The Bluebeard folktale has been recorded since the seventeenth century with historical roots even further back in history. What is most commonly referred to as Bluebeard, however, started as a Mother Goose tale transcribed by Charles Perrault in 1697. The story is about a man with a blue beard who had many wives and told them not to go into a certain room of his castle (Hermansson ix). Inevitably when each wife was given the golden key to the room and a chance alone in the house, she would always open the door and find the dead bodies of past wives. She would then meet her own death at the hands of her husband. According to Casie Hermansson, the tale was very popular in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, which spurred many literary figures to adapt it, including James Boswell, Charles Dickens, Herman Melville, and Thomas Carlyle (x). -
Elements of Gallows Humor in Vonnegut's Slaughter House Five
Journal of Literature, Languages and Linguistics www.iiste.org ISSN 2422-8435 An International Peer-reviewed Journal Vol.41, 2018 Elements of Gallows Humor in Vonnegut's Slaughter House Five Negar Khodabandehloo M.A. Student of Payame Noor University, Arak Branch, Iran Mojgan Eyvazi Assistant professor, English Department,Payam-e-Noor University, Tehran, Iran Abstract This study analyzes the outstanding satirist Kurt Vonnegut's novel Slaughter-house-five to demonstrate how the elements of Gallows Humor are applied to provide a better understanding of the author's worldview and of his narrative process. This is an anti-war book in which Vonnegut has attempted to blend the serious theme with humor. Through the choice of his protagonist- Billy Pilgrim- and the manipulation of black humor, Vonnegut exposes the atrocities of war from a new viewpoint. The focal point is to extract the phrases containing gallows humor, a sort of black humor, to be studied and explained by details, accordingly some literary terms are to be precisely defined and the unique style of writing is indispensable. Keywords: Anti-war, Black Humor, Gallows Humor, Satire, Humor, Vonnegut 1. Introduction Gallows humor is a kind of black humor in which the threatened person witnesses the oppression. As the name represents, the person threatened is implicated with no hope and no way to escape from the disaster. The misfortune is obvious to him, and he prefers joking about it instead of feeling sorrow. This section includes a definition of the gallows humor followed by some examples for more clarifications. In an essay posted on the website of the Philosophy Club, which meets regularly in Santa Monica, CA. -
Being in the Early Novels of Kurt Vonnegut
A MORAL BEING IN AN AESTHETIC WORLD: BEING IN THE EARLY NOVELS OF KURT VONNEGUT BY JAMES HUBBARD A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS English May 2015 Winston-Salem, North Carolina Approved By: James Hans, Ph.D., Advisor Barry Maine, Ph.D., Chair Jefferson Holdridge, Ph.D. Table of Contents Table of Contents ii Abstract iii Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Chapter 2: Being Thrown 7 Chapter 3: Being as a Happening of Truth 27 Chapter 4: Projecting the Poetry of Being 47 References 53 Curriculum Vitae 54 ii Abstract In this this paper I will address notions of being in four of Kurt Vonnegut’s novels using Martin Heidegger’s aesthetic phenomenology. The four novels that this paper will address are Player Piano, Sirens of Titan, Slaughterhouse-Five, and Breakfast of Champions. Player Piano and Sirens of Titan are Vonnegut’s first two novels, and they approach being in terms of what Heidegger referred to as “throwness.” These initial inquiries into aspects of existence give way to a fully developed notion of being in Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions. These novels are full aware of themselves has happenings of truth containing something of their author’s own being. Through these happenings, Vonnegut is able to poetically project himself in a way that not only reveals his own being, but also serves as a mirror that can reveal the being of those reflected in it. iii Chapter 1: Introduction Kurt Vonnegut’s literary significance is due, at least in part, to the place that he has carved out for himself in popular culture. -
Harrison Bergeron," Which First Appeared in Fantasy Ture Or a Pretty Face, Would Feel Like Something the Cat Drug In
KURT VONNEGUT JR. Harrison Ber;geron The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody [Curt Vonnegut Jr. (b. 1922) was born on November 11 in Indianapolis, Indi ana. The son ofan architect and a homemaker, he attended Cornell University was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody and Carnegie Mellon University before the outbreak ofWorld War II, when he else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality interrupted his studies to serve in the U.S. Army. As aprisoner ofwar in Dres was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitu den, Germany, he survived a devastating air raid on February 13, 1945, by tion, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handi staying in a meat locker under a slaughterhouse during the bombing. After capper General. World War II, Vonnegut worked in public relations at the General Electric Com Some things about living still weren't quite right, though. April, for pany in Schenectady, New York, before becoming a freelance writer. Player instance, still drove people crazy by not being springtime. And it was in Piano, his first novel, appeared in 1952, followed by a second fantasy novel, that clammy month that the H-G men took George and Hazel Bergeron's The Sirens of Titan, in 1959. Two years later he published Mother Night, a fourteen-year-old son, Harrison, away. first-person fictional narrative about World War II. -
Slapstick Or Lonesome No More Free
FREE SLAPSTICK OR LONESOME NO MORE PDF Kurt Vonnegut | 170 pages | 24 May 2016 | Vintage Publishing | 9781784870980 | English | London, United Kingdom Slapstick, or Lonesome No More! by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Slapstick: Or, Lonesome No More! A pseudo-autobiography of how the author imagines his future, Slapstick takes Slapstick or Lonesome No More in an apocalyptic future as Wilbur Daffodil Swain, a former pediatrician and President of the United States, writes a memoir of his life at years old. The story skips around to different periods but is generally told chronologically to explain his current existence in the Empire State Building on the solitary island of Manhattan. Wilbur's childhood is unusual. Born in a set of physically deformed twins, he and his sister Eliza are assumed mentally retarded with short life expectations. Their very wealthy parents fix up an Slapstick or Lonesome No More mansion in Vermont and the locals and a family practitioner care for the children while the parents visit once a year and on birthdays. Wilbur and Eliza quickly educate themselves through the many books in the mansion. While Eliza never grasps reading Slapstick or Lonesome No More writing, she is a creative problem-solver, while Wilbur is very analytical and can read and write. When they are in close proximity to each other, their minds meld to create a 'genius' that becomes the author of several masterpieces of writing and invention. However, they become so consumed by the genius, that they often lose themselves in an incestuous orgy, grasping to get intellectually even closer to each other. -
Context and Neglect: Kurt Vonnegut and the Middleclass Magazine
Context and Neglect: Kurt Vonnegut and the Middleclass Magazine The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:37945101 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA Context and Neglect: Kurt Vonnegut and the Middleclass Magazine. Lori Philbin A Thesis in the Field of English for the Degree of Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies Harvard University May 2018 Copyright 2018 Lori Philbin Abstract The scholarship focusing on the work of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. has largely centered on his novels. Most studies have neglected Vonnegut’s start in the popular magazine market writing short stories. A few notable scholars have focused on the stories: Jerome Klinkowitz, Peter J. Reed, Jeff Karon, James Thorson, and Steve Gronert Ellerhoff. Even with the work of such scholars, there have been few studies that consider the context of Vonnegut’s earliest stories and how the influence of the middleclass magazine market not only shaped Vonnegut’s career but had continued impact on his later novels. This study explores Vonnegut’s first eight stories: “Report on the Barnhouse Effect,” “Thanasphere,” “EPICAC,” “All the King’s Horses,” “Mnemonics,” “The Euphio Question,” “The Foster Portfolio,” and “More Stately Mansions.” The stories are considered within the context of their first publication venue, the magazine Collier’s, and how that context shows connections between the stories and his novels such as Player Piano, Cat’s Cradle, and Slaughterhouse-Five. -
2015-2016 Illumination
Digital Proofer illumination 2015-2016 Authored by mgccc 6.0" x 9.0" (15.24 x 22.86 cm) Black & White on White paper 84 pages ISBN-13: 9781530434558 ISBN-10: 1530434556 Please carefully review your Digital Proof download for formatting, grammar, and design issues that may need to be corrected. We recommend that you review your book three times, with each time focusing on a different aspect. Check the format, including headers, footers, page 1 numbers, spacing, table of contents, and index. 2 Review any images or graphics and captions if applicable. 3 Read the book for grammatical errors and typos. Once you are satisfied with your review, you can approve your proof and move forward to the next step in the publishing process. To print this proof we recommend that you scale the PDF to fit the size of your printer paper. illumination the literary journal of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Each year, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College students are encouraged to submit their best compositions for our annual writing contest. This journal includes winners of the 2014-2015 contest in the categories of Personal Essay, Critical Essay, Short Story, Structured Verse, Free Verse, and Original Stage Play. Artwork was contributed by the students of Jefferson Davis Campus. Front Cover Art: Kim Iglesia, “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life” Back Cover Art: Kim Iglesia, “Coastal Goddess” Contest Coordinators: Colter Cruthirds, Denise Maguire, Tammy Townsend Contest Committee: Language Arts of Jefferson Davis Campus Journal Sponsors: the Jefferson -
University of Edinburgh Postgraduate Journal of Culture and the Arts Issue 20 | Spring 2015
University of Edinburgh Postgraduate Journal of Culture and the Arts Issue 20 | Spring 2015 Title “Being Alive is a Crock of Shit” - Kurt Vonnegut’s Kind Pessimism Author Andrew Hicks Publication FORUM: University of Edinburgh Postgraduate Journal of Culture & the Arts Issue Number 20 Issue Date Spring 2015 Publication Date 01/06/2015 Editors Yanbing Er and Sarah Bernstein FORUM claims non-exclusive rights to reproduce this article electronically (in full or in part) and to publish this work in any such media current or later developed. The author retains all rights, including the right to be identified as the author wherever and whenever this article is published, and the right to use all or part of the article and abstracts, with or without revision or modification in compilations or other publications. Any latter publication shall recognise FORUM as the original publisher. FORUM | ISSUE 20 Andrew Hicks 1 “Being Alive is a Crock of Shit” – Kurt Vonnegut’s Kind Pessimism Andrew Hicks University of Bristol Kurt Vonnegut, long considered one of the arch-misanthropes of the American literary canon, could more accurately be said to have only fallen into genuine cynicism at the very end of his life. Before this final despair, however, Vonnegut was a trenchant critic of a variety of aspects of American culture. In The Sirens of Titan (1959) and Slapstick (1976), Vonnegut respectively satirises the self- made myth of the American Dream and tackles the issue of modern loneliness. In both novels, he proposes far more modest but perhaps more achievable and compassionate goals than those promised by American convention – goals that only appear pessimistically limited in light of unrealistic or unfulfilled ideals. -
Reel Hope: Literature and the Utopian Function of Adaptation
REEL HOPE: LITERATURE AND THE UTOPIAN FUNCTION OF ADAPTATION A dissertation submitted to Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Alexander Charles Oliver Hall August, 2013 Dissertation written by Alexander Charles Oliver Hall B.A. Miami University, USA, 2007 M.A. University of Arkansas, USA, 2009 Ph.D. Kent State University, USA, 2013 Approved by ___________________________________, Chair, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Willie J. Harrell, Jr. Associate Professor of English ___________________________________, Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Babacar M’Baye, Associate Professor of English ___________________________________, Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Donald M. Hassler, Professor of English ___________________________________, Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Paul Haridakis, Professor of Communication Studies ___________________________________, Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Leonne Hudson, Associate Professor of History Accepted by ___________________________________, Chair, Department of English Robert W. Trogdon ___________________________________, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Raymond A. Craig ii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION: THE UTOPIAN FUNCTION OF ADAPTATION . 1 I. THE UTOPIAN FUNCTION OF DISSEMINATION . 20 1. JOSÉ SARAMAGO’S BLINDNESS GETS THE MEIRELLES TREATMENT 2. “HARRISON BERGERON” MEETS CHANDLER TUTTLE IN 2081 3. LINDSAY’S DEXTER COMES TO THE SMALL SCREEN II. THE UTOPIAN FUNCTION OF REACTIVATION . 70 1. CUARÓN’S THE CHILDREN OF MEN INDICTS IMMIGRATION POLICY 2. ALAN BALL REACTIVATES DEAD UNTIL DARK THROUGH LGBT LENS 3. SAGAL EXPOSES COLD WAR FEARS VIA THE OMEGA MAN III. THE UTOPIAN FUNCTION OF FRAMING . .. 116 1. LIBMAN AND WILLIAMS BUILD A BRAVE NEW WORLD 2. BRUCE PITTMAN BRINGS “HARRISON BERGERON” TO SHOWTIME 3. JOFFÉ’S INFAMOUS ADAPTATION OF THE SCARLET LETTER CONCLUSION . 156 Notes . -
By Sarah J Griffith
THE MORAL EGOTIST: EVOLUTION OF STYLE IN KURT VONNEGUT’S SATIRE by Sarah J Griffith The Moral Egotist: Evolution of Style in Kurt Vonnegut’s Satire by Sarah J Griffith A thesis presented for the B.A. Degree with Honors in The Department of English University of Michigan Spring 2008 © 2008 Sarah J Griffith Acknowledgements I would like to thank my teachers, advisors, friends, and family without whose support this project may never have become a reality. My thesis advisor, Eric Rabkin, has been an absolutely invaluable resource of both support and tough-love. He earned my respect on the first day we met and I felt compelled to spend the following weeks drafting a project statement grand enough to satisfy his high standards. He is a phenomenal mentor and academic from whom I have learned more about writing in six months than ever before. During the writing process, my teammates and friends were constant sources of alternate encouragement, guidance, and comic relief. Many thanks to Tyler Kinley for providing a tireless and creative ear for the development of my ideas, though I am fortunate in that this comes as no surprise. Most importantly, much appreciation goes to my overwhelmingly supportive parents who affirmed their love for me one more time in soldiering through the early drafts of my writing. Thanks to my father from whom I get my passion for language and my mother whose unmatched patience and compassion have buoyed me up time and again throughout this intensive project. Gratitude is also due to both of them for my opportunity to attend the University of Michigan to meet and work with all of the incredible individuals mentioned above. -
Unit the World of a Story Plot, Setting, and Mood
unit The World of a Story 1 plot, setting, and mood • In Fiction • In Nonfiction • In Media • In Poetry 25 VA_L10PE-u01-uo.indd 25 3/28/11 8:43:38 AM unit Share What You Know 1 Which stories are WORTH reading? So many activities compete for your time and attention. You can spend your leisure time watching television, playing video games, or surfing the Internet. If you decide to invest your time reading a book, you want value for that investment. You want to be sure the story is worth reading, making you laugh, cry, or gasp in surprise. ACTIVITY Which stories made you glad you had read them? What qualities made these stories so good? Create a list of your criteria for a “great read.” Think about the following: • Do you care more about the characters or the events that happen to them? • Does suspense play a role in the stories you like? • Are there certain places you like to read about? • What emotions do you like to feel as you read? Find It Online! Go to thinkcentral.com for the interactive version of this unit. 26 VA_L10PE-u01-uo.indd 26 3/28/11 8:43:17 AM Virginia Standards of Learning Preview Unit Goals text • Analyze the author’s choices on ordering events in a text analysis • Analyze setting and its influence on mood and conflict • Analyze narrative techniques, including foreshadowing, irony, and suspense • Identify stages of plot and how characters advance the plot reading • Cite evidence to make inferences and draw conclusions writing and • Write an interpretive essay language • Support key points with evidence from the text •