An_Exegesis_on_the_Writing_of_Kurt_Vonnegut

WELCOME TO THE MONKEY HOUSE by Kurt,Vonnegut, Jr. (copyright 1960), is a collection of stories ranging from science fiction to wartime situations. The common denominator is the author's satiric mockery of human institutions and behavior. In this article, I will restrict my analysis to two stories I have enjoyed teaching to high school students. "A Long Walk to Forever" is a gentle satire of the societal institution of matrimony that has overshadowed and complicated the natural response of falling in love. The only characters who appear and speak are a girl named Catharine and her long-time friend, Newt. The two "had grown up next door to each other, on the fringe of a city, near fields and woods and orchards, within sight of a lovely bell tower that belonged to a school for the blind." The twenty-year-olds had not seen each other for about a year, since Newt had joined the army. "There had always been playful, comfortable warmth between them, but never any talk of love." Newt comes for a visit and knocks on Catherine's door. Catherine had not been expecting anyone. She had been reading a "fat, glossy magazine . . . devoted entirely to brides." Newt asks Catherine if she can come for a walk with him. "'A walk'' said Catherine. 'One foot in front of the other,' said Newt, 'through leaves, over bridges.'" Each time one of the characters speaks, there is an identical speaker tag - "he said," or "she said." When I used to teach the story, I always read it aloud. The repetitiousness always puzzled students and seemed at first a writing fault they did not expect in the work of a writer of Vonnegut's ability. Before they start on their walk, Newt asks to see the magazine Catharine is carrying. Catharine hands it to him adding that she is getting married in a week and is very busy. "'If we go for a walk,' he said, 'it will make you rosy. It will make you a rosy bride.' He turned the pages of the magazine. 'A rosy bride like her - like her - like her,' he said showing her rosy brides." Newt had received a letter from his mother informing him of Catharine's upcoming marriage to Henry Stuart Chasens of Pittsburgh. The groom-to-be with his three names contrasts with Newt, whose one-syllable name also denotes a small salamander. We infer that Newt's mother has gotten her information from a betrothal announcement in the society page of a newspaper. Henry Stuart Chasens of Pittsburgh sounds like money. Not so Newt, an army PFC. The engagement announcement, the society page, the magazine exclusively for rosy brides are aspects of Vonnegut's satirical target, the commercialization of matrimony. Catharine hastily decides to invite Newt to the wedding if his furlough will be long enough to allow it. "'Furlough'' said Newt. He was studying a two-page ad for flat silver. I'm not on furlough. . . . I'm what they call A.W.O.L..' said Newt." Catharine, incredulous, demands an explanation. Newt's reply adds further detail to the matrimonial machinery being satirized. "'I had to find out what your silver pattern is,' he said. He read names of silver patterns from the magazine. 'Albemarle' Heather'' he said. 'Legend' Rambler Rose' . . . I plan to give you and your husband a spoon,' he said." Newt tells Catharine that he has gone A.W.O.L. and hitchhiked to see her because he loves her. "'Now can we take a walk' he said. 'One foot in front of the other - through leaves, over bridges.'" Newt must get Catharine away from her home and her bride book and her bridal registry. He must put her back in nature and hope that basic instincts and emotions will assert themselves. They do so, one foot in front of the other. No histrionics, no adverbs, just "he said" and "she said." Catharine "realized that a woman couldn't hide love. Newt was seeing love now. And he did what he had to do. He kissed her." After further discussion of Henry Stewart Chasens and the thirty days in the stockade that Newt willingly assumed in order to declare his love, "Newt kissed her again. He kissed her again because she wanted him to." Soon bells rang in the tower of the school for the blind, perhaps playing on the cliche that love is blind. They sit in the orchard beneath trees. "Bees were humming in the trees." Our romantic hero with the unromantic name falls asleep and snores softly. Reasserting the idea of love overcoming the influence of commercialized matrimony, we hear birdsong. "'Chick-a-dee-dee-dee' went a chickadee.'" And "far away an automobile starter nagged and failed, nagged and failed, fell still." Natural replaces mechanical as a simple Newt begins to replace Henry Stuart Chasens in the heart of Catharine. Newt awakens. After some talk about parting and the usual well wishing, Newt asks, "'Marry me, Catharine'' 'No,' she said." Newt walks away. Catharine watches his retreating figure, and she "knew that if he stopped and turned now, if he called to her, she would run to him. She would have no choice. Newt did stop. He did turn. He did call. 'Catharine,' he called. She ran to him, puther arms around him, could not speak." Vonnegut tells the simplest of love stories illustrating the theme of natural response and listening to one's heart. One foot in front of the other, on the way to forever. "Harrison Bergeron" is set in 2081, 120 years after its publication. Vonnegut is humorously attacking the notion of equality using hyperbole, understatement, paradox and irony. Equality is a fine sounding term until it is mixed with governmental regulation and construed as mandated mediocrity. Constitutional amendments have been made to assure that "Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking . . . stronger . . .quicker" and this equality was enforced by the U. S. Handicapper General. George Bergeron had above average intelligence, so a handicap radio was installed in his ear and he would hear harsh noises if he tried to think too much. His wife Hazel was of "average intelligence" and needed no handicaps. Ballerinas performing on TV wore weights and masks so they would not be more pretty or graceful than anyone else. TV announcers had built-in speech impediments. 14-year old Harrison Bergeron, son of George and Hazel, had been imprisoned for being a genius, a 7 foot tall athlete, and one who protested submitting to governmental handicaps. He escapes, tears off his pounds of handicap, the Halloween nose and tooth caps and declares himself Emperor. He releases a beautiful ballerina from her mental and physical handicaps, declares her his Empress, and they begin to leap and dance to the music of liberated musicians. But then the two are shot and killed by the Handicapper General as George and Hazel watch on their television set. George goes to the kitchen to get a beer. Both he and Hazel have forgotten "something real sad" they have just witnessed on the TV that has burned out. George hears "the sound of a riveting gun in his head." The story is absurd but makes serious points about politics and education. Think of schools where the games of tag and dodge ball are outlawed because no individual child should have to be "it" or the person in the center of the dodge ball circle. Spelling bees or spell-downs are against policy to save poor spellers from having their mistakes made public. And worst of all, excellence is not to be celebrated. Imagine a world where sameness, conformity and mediocrity become synonyms for equality.