“I know about how harmless and gentle and dreamy he was supposed to be, how he’d never hurt a fly, how he didn’t care about money and power and fancy clothes and automobiles and things, how he wasn’t like the rest of us, how he was better than the rest of us, how he was so innocent he was practically jesus….”, explained Marvin Breed. In the funeral shop, Marvin spoke to Jonah about the gossip that surrounded Felix Hoenikker when he first moved to Illium County. In the excerpt, Marvin’s emphasis on words like, “...supposed to be…”, and “...he was practically Jesus….”, reveal that Felix Hoenikker preconceived reputation was different from the Felix they all grew to know. In the novel “Cat’s Cradle” by Kurt Vonnegut, his character Dr. Felix Hoenikker serves as an important villain in the story due to his lack of wisdom, his similarities to the real life Dr. Langmuir, and absence of humanity. Intertwined in the plot of the novel are characters that have influences from real life people, such as Dr. Felix Hoenikker inspiration …show more content…
Hoenikker devoted himself to researching and developing the impossible, but never stopped to reflect upon the effects of his research on society. After a Marine general propositioned him about a substance that could freeze mud on instantly, Hoenikker insisted that it was impossible. However, Hoenikker made it his goal to create this frozen substance. In fact, he killed himself experimenting with the substance called ice-nine, “... on whose label he had written: ‘Danger! Ice-nine! Keep away from moisture!’ All day long the old man had been nagging his children with words like these, merry in tone: ‘Come on now, stretch your minds a little. I’ve told you that it’s melting point is a hundred fourteen-point-four degrees Fahrenheit….Apparently, before he sat down in his wicker chair and died, the old man played puddly games in the kitchen with water and pots and pans and ice-nine” (Vonnegut
Marcus Campos English 102 Mrs. Jerien Rausch “What You Do Today, Will Effect You Tomorrow” Sonny’s Blues is the story of the upbringing of a African American child during a time that he was not welcomed, at a place, the Harlem ghetto, where its easier to remain a street smart child. Being, black during this time period I believe that everyone has an untold story. I would argue that in Sonny Blues by James Baldwin poverty, drugs, and living conditions eventually result with doing time in prison . We sympathized with Sonny, being a drug addict, rather than with his brother, the narrator.
The internal surface of the walls was covered with a thick frost…the only bed was wet, and the outside covering was completely saturated with drippings from walls and stiffly frozen. (American Nation Biography quoted Dix’s Report) (Describing the mentally ill man [Simmons]) “In utter darkness, encased on every side by walls of frost, his garments [were] constantly more or less wet, with only wet straws to lie upon, and a sheet of ice for his covering, has the most dreadfully abused man existed through the past inclement winter…his teeth must have been worn out by constant and violent chattering for such length of time, night and day.” (American National Biography quoted
Is honesty the best policy even if the truth disturbs many people? Kurt Vonnegut bluntly relays his opinion on the war between science and religion and other controversial topics concerning life though his novel, Cat’s Cradle. Consequently, it was banned by the Ohio School Board in 1972 “without stating an official reason”(“Taboo Titles”). The debunking of the validity of religious and scientific beliefs, and the harsh truth embedded within his work has earned Vonnegut a spot on the controversial “Banned Books” list.
Too often humanity strives for power and will go as far as warping nature itself to satisfy the needs of themselves. This mentality was what was prevalent during the Cold War years. The arms race between America and the Soviet Union was about who could obtain the most nuclear weapons when only one could end all life on the planet. Likewise, Kurt Vonnegut wrote a story of how a small filament ended most of the life on Earth. The novel Cat’s Cradle was first published during 1963 but the content of
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey, considers the qualities in which society determines sanity. The label of insanity is given when someone is different from the perceived norm. Conversely, a person is perceived as sane when their behavior is consistent with the beliefs of the majority. Although the characters of this novel are patients of a mental institution, they all show qualities of sanity. The book is narrated by Chief Brodmen, an observant chronic psychiatric patient, who many believe to be deaf and dumb.
He started off as a father who was so obsessed with money and status, he lost sight of his family. From this point he kept making mistakes and sank deeper into a hole of his obsessions. Walter finally climbed out of the hole by choosing to help his family over himself by declining Lindner’s deal. In this climax of pride, it is clear that, in many ways, Walter dreams of being a man and is simply consumed by the incorrect belief that materialism is the only means toward this goal. Achieving the status of head of the family and proving his worth as a man opens Walter's eyes to the variety of ways that he can better his family’s future.
Vonnegut Jr. is an author who believes that everyone deserve to be different and not treated as if they are less than anyone
Racism in America has and always will be an ongoing issue among people. Since Americans take up nearly 17% of the population, it makes us the so called “biggest racial group.” In the book Pudd 'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain, it states just that; how racism is such a major problem in society today, and how harsh it actually is on people. Mark Twain shows that racism is unjust by: creating an unlikely protagonist, showing empathy throughout the book, using nature versus nurture and the author himself coming out with his opinions and thoughts on racism and other horrible things at that time.
During this time, he became associated with a man named Robert Pronge, a.k.a “Mister Softee”, as he drove around a Mister Softee ice cream truck. It is from his association with Robert, that Richard learned the various methods of killing. Even by Richard’s standing, Robert was certifiably crazy. His nick name “Ice Man” came about because he would put the body in a freezer and by the time the body was discovered it was so frozen the time of death could not be determined. Over the next thirty years, it has been concluded that he killed anywhere between 30 – 200
Examine the dangerous jokes that that form the bassis of the book. How does the author use satire to critique the idiocies and short comings of his contemporary world? The real purpose behind Vonnegut’s writings is “to poison minds with humanity … to encourage them to make a better world”. This is the author’s primary purpose in Cats Cradle, to highlight the weaknesses of humanity which is the author’s flaws in his contemporary world, black humour as well as other satirical techniques such that; Vonnegut is in a way, holding a mirror in humanity’s face to allow humanity to understand their own weaknesses and attempt to improve.
People are influenced by the events that surround them. Individuals transform into a product of their environment and experiences of the time. The literature and art often reflects the time period in which it is written in, and Vonnegut’s novel is no exception. The novel takes place during World War II, but is written during the time of the Vietnam War. With the Vietnam War, came a lot of anti-war propaganda.
His saliva turns into ice before hitting the ground, and he knows this means that it is more than fifty degrees below freezing. Despite the obvious danger and forewarning from an older man, the man and dog continue along the trail. The temperature is the main factor resulting in his death. The human body has limits,
Theory According to Vito and Maahs (2011), Psychodynamic Theory is A view that explains personality in terms of conscious and unconscious forces, such as unconscious desires and beliefs. Sigmund Freud proposed a psychodynamic theory according to which personality consists of the id (responsible for instincts and pleasure-seeking), the superego (which attempts to obey the rules of parents and society), and the ego (which mediates between them according to the demands of reality) (p.113). Homicide and psychodynamics come together because people act according to their mental state.
The author continuously repeats how cold the temperature is, painting a picture of a kind of loneliness and cruel (surrounding conditions). He also relates the man 's state of being along the mood of the story. "He was not much given to thinking. " He had only mind to reaching his goal and not much thought about the temperature. "
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest The film, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, prompts very important aspect of the human condition. In the movie, the protagonist, Mac McMurphy, is deemed dangerous, so the mental institute tries to suppress him (Kesey). The film highlights various aspects of human conditions like psychology, sociology and philosophy. The mental institute tries to suppress the mentally challenged people rather than to try to communicate with them.