How Did Kurt Vonnegut Impact Society

Survivor: the one word that can best describe the life of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. After surviving one of the worst events in human history, nobody would’ve blamed Kurt for hiding away for the rest of his life. But he didn’t. Instead, he found the humor in tragedy and became a bestselling author. Today, Vonnegut is considered one of the greatest writers in American history, having written classics such as Cat’s Cradle and Slaughterhouse-Five. With a roller coaster of a life, from the highs of literary success, to the lows of his time in Dresden, Kurt Vonnegut had work that was decade-defining, serving as an outcry for the antiwar youth of the 60’s and 70’s, leading to an impact that is still felt today due to the credibility he lended the genre of

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was born to an affluent family in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1922. According to Authors & Artists for Young Adults, his family had become prominent from their involvement in the brewing industry. Unfortunately, after Prohibition came into effect, the Vonnegut’s business rapidly spiraled downward. Due to his depression and financial struggles, Vonnegut Sr. began fading from young Kurt’s life. To supplement their lowly income, Vonnegut’s mother attempted becoming a writer, perhaps inspiring Kurt later in life. Because of their money problems, Kurt was pulled from private school and sent to public school, where he worked on one of the country's first school papers (Mustazza 505). He decided to attend Carnegie, yet dropped out of school after Pearl Harbor to join the Army. It is worth noting that in the rising tension of WWII, Vonnegut and other U.S. citizens of German descent were very much prejudiced against. Vonnegut went off to camp, and was set to return home later that year on Mother’s Day. To Kurt’s horror, he found his mother had committed suicide. It has been speculated that the timing of her death was uncoincidental (207-208). Suicide seemingly remained on Kurt’s mind for the rest of his