Why Is Vonnegut Known As A Non Conventional Humanist

With skewed curly hair, dark bags under his eyes, and battered clothing, Kurt Vonnegut often looked like a mad scientist. Considering his education in areas of science and his family history, this should not come as a surprise. Despite his physical appearance and odd personality, Vonnegut maintained a somewhat professional persona, caring about the environment, human rights, and more. Along with his own life experiences, this aspect of Vonnegut’s character contributed to his writing and style. From his mother’s suicide to the firebombing of Dresden, Vonnegut encounters influential moments throughout his entire life. When writing about his experiences fighting for the United States during World War II, Vonnegut describes the total and absolute
Before the war, Vonnegut joined the class of 1922 at Cornell University as a dual major in biology and chemistry hoping to become a biochemist (“Kurt Vonnegut, Jr”). World War II interrupted his education, causing Vonnegut to be placed on the front lines after failing to avoid the draft. In the years after the war, Vonnegut worked for the City News Bureau, a news service for several of Chicago’s daily newspapers, while studying at the University of Chicago (“Kurt Vonnegut, Jr”). Since he was unable to get his thesis accepted, “Vonnegut left Chicago without a degree and began work for the General Electric (GE) Research Laboratory in Schenectady, New York” (“Kurt Vonnegut, Jr”). Here, Vonnegut used his talents as a scientist and journalist to get people excited about the many new advancements in technology. However, this new age of technological advancement that Vonnegut experienced at General Electric caused him to become skeptical. Soon after, Vonnegut began writing about dystopian futures where technology and science dominate while humanity is ripped to shreds. His experience at General Electric and as a science major in college caused Vonnegut to focus on human kind’s relentless desire to invent and innovate at the expense of morality. Using dark humor and satire, Vonnegut pushes the idea that technology is dangerous and should be used carefully in order to prevent the societal catastrofes shown in his novels. This attitude of civic responsibility to warn people about technological advancement is one of Vonnegut’s most prominent traits, especially in his writing. Even so, Vonnegut could not always maintain this professional and influential persona due to his mental health