“The world had paid so little attention to him that he supposed he was dead.He hoped he was dead.”
In this quote by Kurt Vonnegut, the protagonist expresses a deep sense of loneliness and insignificance. The character has been ignored and overlooked by the world to such an extent that he begins to question his own existence. The despair and hopelessness conveyed by the character highlight the theme of isolation and alienation present in Vonnegut's work.
In Kurt Vonnegut's writing, we can often find profound statements that evoke deep emotions in the reader. One such example is: "The world had paid so little attention to him that he supposed he was dead. He hoped he was dead.”
In Kurt Vonnegut's powerful statement, he captures the feeling of being overlooked and forgotten by the world. This sentiment remains relevant in today's fast-paced society where many individuals struggle to be seen and heard. The fear of being disregarded or feeling invisible is a common experience that resonates with modern audiences. It highlights the importance of acknowledging and valuing the presence of every individual, no matter how insignificant they may seem.
In this quote by Kurt Vonnegut, the character expresses feelings of insignificance and hopelessness. The following reflection questions can help you explore these themes further:
“Really - I'm OK." And he was, too, except that he could find no explanation for why the song had affected him grotesquely. He had supposed for years that he had no secrets from himself. Here was proof that he had a great big secret somewhere inside, and he could not imagine what it was.”
“He had supposed for years that he had no secrets from himself. Here was proof that he had a great big secret somewhere inside, and he could not imagine what it was.”
“He supposed that they were part of an amazing new phase of World War Two. It was all right with him. Everything was pretty much all right with Billy.”
“He did not think of himself as a writer for the simple reason that the world had never allowed him to think of himself in this way.”
“They didn't think it had anything to do with the war. They were sure Billy was going to pieces because his father had thrown him into the deep end of the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool when he was a little boy, and had then taken him to the rim of the Grand Canyon.”
“Fathers are always so proud the first time they see their sons in uniform," she said."I know Big John Karpinski was," I said. He is my neighbor to the north, of course. Big John's son Little John did badly in high school, and the police caught him selling dope. So he joined the Army while the Vietnam War was going on. And the first time he came home in uniform, I never saw Big John so happy, because it looked to him as though Little John was all straightened out and would amount to something.But then Little John came home in a body bag.”