A Literary Analysis of Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut Essay

Rage Against the MachinesIn Kurt Vonneguts first novel, Player Piano, he brings up quite a few interesting points. His portrayal of a United States that has become a slave to its own ingenuity is somewhat entertaining. What really got to me was the fact that its easy to imagine people acting the way they did. As a reader I can see myself making those very same mistakes, and being just as childish as the ghost shirts, as conniving as Shepherd, and as manipulative as Rev. Lasher. Maybe in our society these people would have acted the same way, but if you look at their alternatives, you dont find that theres much left for them to do in their efficient and productive country. The society portrayed in Kurt Vonneguts Player Piano degrades and dehumanizes its inhabitants, robbing them of their dignity and literally boring them into sin. Theres not much worse than knowing, deep down in your heart that nothing would change if you disappeared. Going through life accomplishing nothing save for your continued existence is not much if at all for their meals, but would they be any better for it? There were so many labor saving devices available to the people of America. The country practically ran itself, and the people were left with a lot of time on their hands. An idle person, made so by some choice other than hisor her own, is going to try to do something to spice up his or her life. "A guy's got to have kicks or he doesn't want to live- and the only kicks left for a dumb bastard like me are the bad ones" (Vonnegut, p. 162). Everyone needs a little excitement in their lives, some kind of pressure. When everything comes along so easily, no work, no effort, then why not add a little danger and go do something illegal, who cares if you get caught, youd just end up sitting around,...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Character Analysis of Basil Hallward in The Picture of Dorian Gray, a Novel by Oscar Wilde Essay

The main character in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian, is a man too easily influenced by his surroundings. He is quoted as saying, Basil Hallward is what I think I am Lord Henry is what the world thinks me Dorian is what I would like to bein other ages, perhaps (Wilde). This comparison falls in line with the moral of the story because Dorian is stuck with eternal youth and beauty even though he has a wicked soul. This causes different views of him by people who observe his daily life. Dorian is a sponge throughout the novel that absorbs everything and allows it to shape his personality, morals, and actions. Dorian Gray takes influence from Lord Henry, Basil Hallward, and the culture of society during which the novel was written. Lord Henry is the epitome of a wealthy, hedonistic gentleman seeking only pleasure, with little regard to cost or consequence. Lord Henry Wotton outwardly propounds hedonism, but it is his extreme egotism that drives him to manipulate both Basil Hallward a
Read more

An Analysis of the Character of Chichikov in the Poem, Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol Essay

Dead Souls takes place in the Russia of the late 1800s, where, unlike in America, one must be born into a prosperous family in order to have opportunities. The main character, Chichikov, is clever enough to develop a scheme in which he can rise from being a petty clerk to a respected landowner. In order to do this, Chichikov moves into a new town, pretending to already be a landowner, and begins a quest to buy the names of dead serfs who have not yet been officially reported dead. Each person that Chichkov presents this offer to has a different reaction, starting with the shy and introverted Manilov. Though he does not understand Chichikov's need for the names of these dead serfs, Manilov is a character that is so desperate for company that it does not take any effort to trick him into selling his dead souls cheaply. However, as Chichikov continues his journey, he starts to deal with more clever landowners who become suspicious of his scheme. Chichikov finds that the townsmen know
Read more

A Literary Analysis of the Third Twin by Ken Follett Essay

The Third TwinThe Third Twin by Ken Follett is a type of mystery book. It makes you look at different aspects of the story. When you think you know whats happening it is not always what you think.Dr. Jeannie Ferrami, a scientist funded by a university who is doing a study on twins is one of the main characters in the story. Jeannie Ferrami is tall with long brown hair and is also very athletic. Steve Logan a student at another college is also a very important character in the story. Berrington Jones the head of the college funds Dr. Jeannie Ferrami until Jeannie discovers something Berrington didnt want her to know. Ricky Phillips Berringtons son is a twin just and he plays a small part but with a big impact on the story. Lisa Miller who is Jeannies best friend comes early into the story playing a very dramatic role, another small character is Dennis Pinker one of the twins in the story who is a murderer and is also being studied He is one of Steve Logans twin brothers.Lisa Miller and
Read more