Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnguts Brakfast of Champions criticizs Amrican socity as a whol, by addrssing aspcts such as racism and mans vulnrability towards mdia, which both spring from th ignoranc of th Amrican cultur. Th continuous critical viwpoint of Amricanism and th incssant qustioning of th Amrican dram throughout this novl mak it a stylishrn artifact, a contmporary rprsntation of Amrican socity, and a guid to larning out of past tense mistaks. As media and propaganda play a medium-large role in the story, Vonnegut criticizes what an immense impact it has on the American and how its capture can lead to hysteria and madness.After Trouts kidnapping, when the police questions him well-nigh the criminals, he cannot recall anything due to his blackout. His provocative reply, For all I know, they may not even have been Earthlings . . . that car may have been occupied by an intelligent gas from Pluto serves as the first germ in an epidemic of mind-poisoning (76) amongst the credulous masses. As a r eporter rewrites Trouts medical record into a story with the headline Pluto Bandits Kidnap Pair, various cover soon copy the story and it all escalates to the point where all of peeled York is taught to fear a so-called Pluto Gang.People purchase locks for doors and gratings for windows, and the sensationalist media continually feeds the mass hysteria with this rubbish terror. No one questions the foundation of the Pluto Gang and everyone believes what the media spreads across the country. Vonnegut goes on about the foolishness of these people, tho his style is both too gambolny and intelligent for many, who infract to recognize his earnestness and critical voice due to his recurrent sarcastic sketches. Racism and discrimination in American society is another saying Vonnegut at-tacks and plays an important role in Breakfast of Champions as well.As the American College mental lexicon defines racism as any belief that human races have classifiable makeups that determine their respective cultures, usually involving the idea that ones proclaim race is superior and has the right to rule others, it becomes clearer and clearer how filled with criticism about this certain practice this Vonneguts novel is. Again and again, does the word ringtail come up in the novel to beneathscore the harsh intervention blacks were forced to undergo, and it is used in a crabby manner by Vonnegut to express again, how pathetic, blunt and almost funnily absurd this entire arbitrariness of discrimination towards blacks was.Vonnegut purposely generalizes opinions on blacks when saying how White people were the only when people with money enough to buy new automobiles, except for a few black criminals, who always wanted Cadillacs(41). His striking generalities poke fun at those masses that discriminate blacks and try to force them all under a certain, negative cliche. His blunt and exaggerated language also makes this particular discrimination seem absurd. Obviously, not ev ery single Blackman feels the desire to witness a Cadillac, but hearing this point presented in such a comical way brings across the stupidity of such bigotry.Vonneguts, seemingly depress view of life, uses America to criticize mankind and to make people cognisant of their capabilities. He shows how people can act ridiculous, cruel, and naive. He criticizes to show man what mistakes have been made, so that future prevention is possible. His thoughts go under the come up and point out things everybody can learn from. America is such a good example to show this by, because this nation was founded on a daydream of self-realization and happiness. This dream, however, can only be obtained through seeing past mistakes with a critical eye, learning from them, and fighting to achieve dreams.