Vonnegut as a "Bug in Amber"

Connection of Fiction and Autobiography in the Works of Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

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CONCLUSION

      This  essay has  dealt  with  several aspects  of Kurt
Vonnegut's writing. Firstly, it showed that his works, apart
from particular books being studied and analysed separately,
can  be taken  as a  whole, as  one literary  body. This  is
particularly  enabled by  Vonnegut's tendency  to repeat his
thoughts  and  themes  over  and  over  again throughout his
writing, using recurring places and literary characters etc.
His  books  seem  to  fit  together  in  order  to  form one
consistent picture or image.
      Looking  at his  works in  such a  holistic way,  this
essay dealt with  the images of humanity and  God as seen by
Kurt Vonnegut,  two images frequently  appearing in most  of
his books.  It was concluded  that Humanity and  Divinity in
his  novels  can  be  taken  and  examined  as  any literary
characters, can be attributed character traits etc.
      Humanity was examined  first: its physical appearance,
the  environment and  its actions.  People were  found to be
neglecting  themselves,  neglecting   the  environment,  and
neglecting  one  another.   Apart  from  causing  ecological
catastrophes and cruel wars humans were proved to be causing
catastrophes of  their own lives, being  driven into doom by
fatal lusts,  such as sex, money  and ambition, often ending
in  suicide.  Almost  all  of  the  presented  qualities  of
Humanity tend to show the human being in the m ost miserable
way.  However, Vonnegut  seems  to  find these  qualities or
traits to be pre-programmed in human beings, as if they were
merely  machines. He  supplies a  definition of  'a machine'
into  which Humanity  fits  almost  perfectly. There  is one
detail, however that does not fit: human imagination.
      Divinity has been found to  be the 'higher force' that
is  responsible  for  Humanity  and  its  actions, yet it is
altogether indifferent to people and all of its creation. It
either  does  not  care  about  what  it  created at all, or
follows its mysterious plans  regardless to the human beings
and   other  creation.   Divinity   is   seen  as   a  cruel
puppet-master leading its  puppets into terrible situations.
It is seen  as a writer who likes  to write about suffering.
It is seen as the oversize brain of Humanity, m aking people
do terrible things.
      Further,  this essay  identified the  villain and hero
characters  in  Vonnegut's  books.  Humanity  was  found not
guilty,  since it  must obey  the puppet  master, it must do
things that  are beyond its  control. The blame,  therefore,
lies on Divinity. It is the villain. Humanity is, therefore,
left  the post  of the  hero. Humanity  could not  claim it,
however, if there was not  anything more to people than dead
machinery.
      This essay further explored several novels and stories
separately  and identified  the  way  that people  find from
being trapped  in "amber", a  way out they  find in a  place
where there  is no free  will and they  are tossed about  by
fate and  Divinity's will. Putting  these ways together,  it
was possible to generalise and identify how Humanity manages
to escape  the grip of  Divinity: it is  in re-invention and
seeking  individual   answers.  Having  managed   to  outwit
Divinity,  to   win   over  it,  Humanity  therefore  can be
identified as the hero and Divinity as the villain.
      The   essay  has   shown,  that   though  majority  of
Vonnegut's novels seems to be fiction or science-fiction, it
is in fact a mixture  of fiction and autobiography. Vonnegut
makes  it possible  for the  reader to  notice this  through
various hints. His characters in many cases reflect himself,
go  through  similar  life  situations,  etc.  One  of these
characters  is  Kilgore  Trout.  Vonnegut  ususally uses the
first  person narrative,  which also  helps to  identify him
with   his   writing.   Another   aspect   might   be  using
autobiographical places  in his books, such  as Indiana, New
York, Cape Cod etc.
      Based on an exploration  of Vonnegut's life, the "ways
out" found in his writing were  applied to his own life. The
"amber" appearing in his writing  was identified in his life
as  well: the  inescapability from  history, human violence,
absence of love, death, wars, the fire-bombing of Dresden in
World  War  II.  The  same  principle  of  escaping was also
identified  in  Kurt  Vonnegut's  life.  Vonnegut manages to
escape   through  re-invention:   re-invention  through  his
literature and re-invention through love for his neighbour.
      Literature  offers Vonnegut  several advantages. First
is the  fact that through it  he can approach events  in his
life that  are very painful. Humor  and sci-fi elements help
him  in touching  these events  deeper. Further,  literature
enables Vonnegut to deal with the  issue of God, it makes it
possible to put the blame for  the bad things in life on God
and make people clean and worth loving.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

	INTRODUCTION			
	CHAPTER I: Humanity			
	    Characteristics of Humanity		
	    Playthings, puppets			
	    Human life and its value		
	    Bugs in Amber			
	CHAPTER II: Divinity
	    Characteristics of Divinity		
	    Other Divinity characters		
	    The Divine Father			
	    Religion				
	CHAPTER III: Hero vs Villain
	    Hero vs. Villain			
	    Unsuccessful Ways Out
	    Successful Ways Out 			
	    Humanity vs. Divinity			
	    On meaning and purpose of life	
	CHAPTER IV: Vonnegut as the Hero
	    Fiction and Autobiography merged	
	    Vonnegutīs amber			
	    Vonnegutīs ways out
	CONCLUSION
	List of Abbreviations Used			
	Bibliography
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