Outline
Thesis: In Breakfast of Champions, Kurt Vonnegut portrays a prepackaged, robotic society, and
an American culture plagued with despair, greed, and apathy.
I. Introduction
II. Social problems
A. Racism
B. Commercialism and materialism
C. Violence
D. Lack of culture
E. Greed
III. Destruction of America
A. Pollution
B. Destruction for wealth
IV. Conclusion
Vonnegut's portrayal of society in Breakfast of Champions
'The country Vonnegut takes us through has been plasticized, prepackaged, and
brainwashed beyond redemption. The poor are sinking into oblivion and the rich are choking
on the fruits of their wealth.' This quote is a very adequate discription of the literary journey
through the current scene of America. At one point or another, Vonnegut discusses nearly
every social, political, or cultural problem afflicting America. Racism, violence, greed, and
commercialism are a few among the many problems prevalent in this country ('Briefly'
146). Vonnegut's novel is an exhibit of the flaws of a robotic, self-destructive society (Allen
107). In Breakfast of Champions, Kurt Vonnegut portrays a prefabricated, unfeeling society
and an American culture plagued with despair, greed, and apathy.
The issue of society's flaws is a major concern of Breakfast of Champions. Such
problems arise and are dealt with as failure to communicate, ecological destruction, a
contempt for art, and the government's inattention to important problems (Merrill 157). The
experiences and trials of Kilgore Trout, an unknown science fiction writer from New York,
and Dwayne Hoover, a Pontiac dealer from Indiana, show the suffering and unintelligibility
of daily living (Giannone 107).
Dwayne Hoover suffers greatly despite his apparent wealth and prosperity, being
burdened with the problems of himself and his family (Merrill 158). Hoover's mother killed
herself by drinking Drano (130), and his son is a homosexual (131). Although Dwayne owns
a Pontiac Dealership, a fast...