Essay Database

Kurt Vonnegut, like so many other writers before him, has taken up the role of humanities critic. He is a satirist. His works cause us to laugh out loud at the stupidity of human behavior, and then recoil in self-defense. Like all satirists, Vonnegut mercilessly takes aim at the unholy truths on mankind. It is, however, his weapon and his approach that makes him stand out from all the rest. His characters are insane. So …

…Throughout his novels, Kurt Vonnegut has used a wide range of characters with a wide range of deficiencies. Whether it is nuclear scientists with the incapability to have human emotion; religious founders who openly admit that everything they say is a lie; aristocratic socialists; or complimentary geniuses and idiots. All of these characters are in some way insane, or socially irrational; but all of these characters are used to make bold and rational social statements.