So it goes… : fate, destiny and determinism in six Kurt Vonnegut novels

Destiny, fate and determinism are constant themes in several of Kurt Vonnegut’s novels. His novels, while often prophetic and grim, encourage readers to examine their own lives and their own fatalistic tendencies. It is Vonnegut’s aim to influence his readers to take control of their lives and manipulate or change, not only their own destinies and fates, but that of the planet as well. This essay explores aspects of the concepts of fate, destiny and determinism in six of Kurt Vonnegut’s novels: Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle, God Bless You Mr. Rosewater, The Sirens of Titan, Bluebeard, and Breakfast of Champions. Part one examines the influence of fate, destiny and determinism on the individual with a focus on the extent to which characters’ lives are determined by these concepts. Part two explores the concept of the individual versus fate, destiny and determinism and to what extent the individual characters can affect their own destiny and challenge determinism, while exploring whether or not choice or free will exist. The third part of the essay looks into Vonnegut’s message. Questions concerning why he wrote about these concepts and why these are important in modern society are broached in the final section.Validerat; 20101217 (root