Kurt Vonnegut

Since the author includes so many anecdotes and observations about his own experiences, he qualifies as a main character. His memories range from childhood to recent experience, with special emphasis on World War II and the atomic bomb. During the war, Vonnegut served as an artillery spotter. He personally did not kill a single person during the war, even while fighting the Battle of the Bulge. The nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki did leave a lasting impression that human beings work very hard at self-destruction. Extending from this, the author concludes that most people would like life to be over with as soon as possible. Tied to this is the author's overall humanistic philosophy, which he considers a luxury that only the comfortable middle class can afford. The lower classes need religion to help cope with the harsher realities, and the upper classes might not need...