This is definitely thought-provoking in this day and age, making one wonder how one is impacted by the speed and immediacy of the Internet and other forms of technology on this generation. However, this is one of Vonnegut's more hopeful stories. "Though Vonnegut has a reputation as a black humorist, this is an unusual love story between the most timid of men and a lonely receptionist" (Smith, 274). While one can interpret this story in a cynical fashion, one can also appreciate it for the positive attributes it has to offer. "Yet, as in other Vonnegut works, art can be redeeming and transformative. Harry, when he is playing a character in a play, becomes larger than life. Helene, speaking with the narrator and Doris Sawyer at her audition, lights up when she begins to talk about the movie stars she admires" (Farrell, 418). This represents a positive outlook on the power of the arts that is somewhat anachronistic. The redemptive power of the arts is something which is eternal and not a specific byproduct of the time. Vonnegut appears to be expressing anxiety once more about the impact of technology and...
Much of these concerns were a byproduct of the era that Vonnegut was a part of: Vonnegut had borne witness to the tragedies and nightmares of World War Two and had seen the terror of the Hydrogen bomb. As Vonnegut explores the development and impact that the changing times can have on the human race, he still believes in the salvation and promise that art can provide.
SCIENCE FICTION & FEMINISM Sci-Fi & Feminism Origins & Evolution of Science Fiction As with most things including literature, science fiction has progressed and changed a lot over the years. Many works of science fiction were simply rough copies and following the altready-established patterns of prior authors. However, there has always been authors and creators that push the envelope and forge new questions and storylines that have not been realized or conceptualized before.
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