Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was an unusual man with an unusual point of view and that's what made him such a great writer. Vonnegut is very talented and used his talents in many amazing ways. He is a writer of science fiction, drama, plays, comedy, social commentary, as well as being an artist and orator. Vonnegut's brilliant novels and short stories won him a huge fan following that started in the 1950's and is still going strong today.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was born on November 11, 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana to Kurt and Edith Vonnegut. Kurt was the third of three children and was a fourth generation German American. (Magill's Survey Of American Literature 2009). Kurt's father and Grandfather were both prosperous architects. Kurt's father was very prominent in the German section of Indianapolis. Kurt and his family suffered during the great depression. They were shaken by the Anti-German feelings moving throughout Indianapolis (Current Biography 429). Kurt's father, along with being a prosperous architect, was a brewer and was hit especially hard during prohibition. (Vinson 420). With no homes or buildings to build, and no alcohol to brew the Von

Vonnegut was enrolled at Shortridge High School. It was there that he gained his first writing experience. Kurt wrote for, and became one of the editors of the Shortridge Daily Echo, his school newspaper, which happened to be the first daily high school newspaper in the country. (Lustbager, Online) Kurt's daily writings helped him learn to appeal to a large audience with many different tastes. Kurt graduated from Shortridge in 1940. Kurt's father wanted him to do something dependable, something of constant necessity, because he did not want Kurt to be out of work like himself. Kurt decided to major in a science because he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Bernard, who became a famous physicist (Marek, Online).

Kurt's parents had never been able to adjust or accept that their wealth was gone. They were both very depressed and had given up on life. On May 14, 1944, while Kurt was serving in Europe, his mother overdosed on sleeping pills and committed suicide. Though already depressed, his wife's death put Kurt Vonnegut Sr. over the edge. After his wife's death, the elder Vonnegut became lost in what Kurt would later call, "his own little world."(Lundquist 12). Sadly, he remained in this state until his death in 1957. (Marek)

Opinion about Vonnegut's writing is as mixed up as some of his plots. In fact, public acceptance of Vonnegut's work has frequently exceeded critical acceptance. That's not to say that Vonnegut hasn't enjoyed critical acclaim. He has. But, as stated above, it seems like you either love his work or hate it.

One thing is certain about Kurt Vonnegut -- He will die but his works will continue to have a place in the hearts of both current and future readers.

Critical Analysis of Vonnegut's Works

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Approximate Word count = 3312
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)