Biography of Kurt Vonnegut - 2381 Words

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was born to third-generation German American parents in the city of Indianapolis, year 1922, November 11th. While at Shortridge High School in Indianapolis, Vonnegut was heavily involved with the school’s daily newspaper, the first and only daily high school newspaper in our nation. During his time at Cornell University, Vonnegut became the school paper’s senior editor. World War II then began, and so Vonnegut joined our nation’s armed forces. Mother’s Day came in 1944, and during this time while Vonnegut was home on leave, his mother committed suicide. Later on while in the army, Vonnegut was sent to Europe where he was captured and made into a POW by Germans. He witnessed the 1945 bombing of Dresden, which was later†¦show more content†¦After hearing of the quick selling of Mr. Delahanty’s home, old Mrs. Hellbrunner, who’s mansion has been on the market for three years, begins to lose faith in her real estate agen t, the narrator. She delivers to the narrator an angry telephone call, adding evidence to the narrator’s earlier statement. In a very timely entry immediately following Mrs. Hellbrunner’s call, right when the narrator is feeling that nothing can go his way, an army colonel and his wife who share an aura of superiority enter the narrator’s office, requesting to view the Hurty estate. The man and his wife visit the estate and ask Mr. Hurty if they could wander around a bit, as though the place was already their own. Mr. Hurty complies and his guests unexpectedly stay at his house for the next three days, making much use of his swimming pool, stable, liquor and cigars. When finally pressured to buy the mansion, the couple suddenly becomes disinterested and decide that they want something else. Mr. Hurty decides to find a new real estate agent. And so the next day Colonel Peckham returns to the narrator’s office, his attention now attracted to old Mrs. Hellbrunner’s estate. They visit, seem to love the place, and ask Mrs. Hellbrunner if they could wander around a bit, as though the place was already their own. Mrs. Hellbrunner complies, and four days later is sick of her guests. The couple is once again pressured to buy, and thisShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Kurt Vonnegut s Slaughterhouse Five 1634 Words   |  7 PagesKurt Vonnegut once said, â€Å"So it goes† to describe the unavoidableness of fate. This aspect of seeing terrible things and being able to continue on would become a main theme in his novels. Vonnegut, as an author, received his essential voice by writing about his own experiences, using what would become his sig nature pessimistic yet humanist view. Vonnegut is described by Lindsay Clark as, â€Å"Worse than a pessimist†¦ he is an eternal optimist doomed to disappointment† (Clark, â€Å"Viewing Four Vonnegut NovelsRead MoreKurt Vonnegut And Roald Dahl882 Words   |  4 PagesKurt Vonnegut and Roald Dahl are two very unique people. They are often described as quirky, weird, and downright zany. If they were stuck in a crowd, they would easily stand out. Although they are very different from others, they share many similarities with each other. Roald Dahl and Kurt Vonnegut are two divorced, agnostic authors who fought in and survived World War II. First of all, Vonnegut and Dahl both grew up in religious families. However, as most people do, they outgrew some of theirRead MoreEssay about Slaughterhouse-Five: A Peace Novel1419 Words   |  6 Pages Many of these examples tend to reflect feelings against war. Kurt Vonnegut is no different and his experience with war inspired him to write a series of novels starting with Slaughter-House Five. It is a unique novel expressing Vonneguts feelings about war. These strong feeling can be seen in the similarities between characters, information about the Tralfamadorians, dark humor, and the structure of the novel. Kurt Vonnegut is an American novelist from Indianapolis, Indiana, born in 1922Read MoreGreat American Authors: Kurt Vonnegut890 Words   |  4 Pages Kurt Vonnegut When people are asked to name great American authors names come up like Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Louisa Alcott, but Kurt Vonnegut would not make their lists. This is because no one really knows who he is because he is taught in school. His book Slaughterhouse five show the destructiveness of war and cannot really be taught like Uncle toms Cabin where that book showed the real side of slavery. There are many well-known American authors but very few that defined American LiteratureRead MoreSlaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut Essay821 Words   |  4 PagesIn an interview on Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut states, â€Å"I worked as a miner of corpses, breaking into cellars where over a hundred thousand Hansel and Gretels were baked like gingerbread men† (â€Å"Vonnegut†). Vonnegut Jr. (1922-2007), born during the Modern Age, wrote his first story in 1947, known as the Contemporary Period. The Modern Age was different from the Contemporary Period because of it s focus on art while trying to connect with traditions in the world due to their desire to have aRead MoreKurt Vonnegut : First Generation German American Parents1213 Words   |  5 Pages1, 2017 Rough Draft Kurt Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 11, 1922. His parents, Edith and Kurt Sr. were third-generation German-American parents. Vonnegut was raised without any knowledge of the German Language. Edith the daughter of Albert Lieber, a millionaire and Indianapolis brewer while Kurt Sr. an architect. The only profound name on Kurt Sr, side was his great-grandfather Clemens Vonnegut, founder of Vonnegut s Hardware Store. Kurt Vonnegut graduated from ShortridgeRead MoreSlaughterhouse Five By Kurt Vonnegut Essay1560 Words   |  7 Pagesissue (NBC). One of these soldiers is Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut grew up in Illinois where his family would eventually lose all their money along with his mother (notable biographies). After attending Cornell University Vonnegut enlisted into World War II. His experiences in World War II shaped his anti-war novel Slaughterhouse-Five. Slaughterhouse-Five was published â€Å"during the peak of protest against American involvement in the Vietnam war† (Notable Biographies). Slaughterhouse-Five appears to beRead More Kurt Vonnegut Essay2033 Words   |  9 PagesKurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. is a contemporary American author whose works have been described by Richard Giannone as comic masks covering the tragic farce that is our contemporary life (Draper, 3784). Vonneguts life has had a number of significant influences on his works. Influences from his personal philosophy, his life and experiences, and his family are evident elements in his works. Among his comic masks are three novels: Cats Cradle, The Sirens of Titan, and God Bless You, MrRead MoreKurt Vonnegut s Slaughterhouse Five 1901 Words   |  8 PagesKurt Vonnegut developed his view of America through a history of personal loss and trauma that was largely endured at the same time by his characters. As a child, Kurt Vonnegut lived in Indianapolis, Indiana, which he would use in many of his later novels. His father was a prominent architect, while his mother came from the family of a wealthy brewer. After the depression hit, his father lost his business and gave up, his mother became addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs. In his teen yearsRead MoreAnalysis of Chapter 3 of Kurth Vonneguts Slaughter House Five1553 Words   |  7 Pages In this essay I will be stylistically analysing an extract from Chapter 3 of Kurt Vonnegut’s novel; Slaughterhouse Five. I am particularly interested in the effects different perspectives have throughout my extract, as well as the effects of the narrative structure and if it conforms or diverges from the typical models of narrative structure. I am also going to be analysing the characterisation of different figures in my extract and the impressions these give on the characters. I will also be looking