Epicac by Kurt Vonnegut - 897 Words

EPICAC is a short story which is written by Kurt Vonnegut and published in his book  ¨Welcome to the Monkey House ¨ (1968). This book is a collection of short stories with different themes from war-time epics to futuristic thrillers. This story was first published before in 1950 for Colliers Weekly. Kurt Vonnegut (1992-2007) is considered one of the most influential American novelists of the twentieth century. Some of his most important literary works are the following: Mother night (1961), Slaughterhouse-Five (1969) and Breakfast of Champions (1973). Summary of the story: The narrator begins by explaining his reasons for telling the EPICAC ´s story.†¦show more content†¦The designer of EPICAC is Von Kleigstadt who created it in order to be used to solve problems related to the war and any other subject. It could plot the course of a rocket from anywhere on earth. Evidence:  ¨Von Kleigstadt and the Brass wanted him to be a super computing machine that(who) could plot the course of a rocket anywhere on earth to the second button from the bottom on Joe Stalin ´s overcoat, if necessary ¨ (pages 297-298) Von Kleigstadt is inspired in two real persons. One of t hem is Wernher von Braun (1912-1977) who was a famous rocket engineer of the 20th century. He also was a member of the Nazi party and he worked for Adolf Hitler; he designed the V-2 rocket for him during the Word War II. Later, he was taken to the U.S. as part of the then-secret Operation Paperclip which was a program used to recruit the scientists of Nazi Germany for employment by the United States in the straight after the World War II (1939–45). Later, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen. The second one is J. Robert Opeinheimmer (1904-1967) who was an American theoretical physicist and professor of physics at the University of California,Show MoreRelatedEpicac Analysis1029 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of EPICAC A short story written by Kurt Vonnegut The short story EPICAC is written by Kurt Vonnegut. It is a fictional text about a very intelligent and expensive computer, EPICAC, built by Dr. Ormand Von Kleigstadt to solve complex worldly problems. The narrator works with EPICAC on the night shift along with another mathematician; Pat Kilgallen, whom the narrator wishes to marry, but because of his lack of romance and poetic skills she keeps turning him down. That is how one day theRead MoreThe Shah of Bratpur in Players Piano1601 Words   |  7 PagesOne literary technique that authors often employ is to use a character who is a â€Å"visitor† to provide insight into a society’s culture. In Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Player Piano, the author employs the Shah of Bratpuhr in such a manner. Instead of seeing a society that is better because of its reliance on machines, the Shah instead observes that the people of Ilium have become slaves to their machines instead. Instead of observing a society that worships a reli gious God and looks to him for inspirationRead MoreHumor And Science Fiction By Kurt Vonnegut1298 Words   |  6 PagesKurt Vonnegut was a very popular American writer. He wrote novels and short-stories filled with humor and science-fiction. His writing has become so iconic mainly due to his rule breaking literary innovation and the serious moral vision and cutting social commentary incorporated in his writing. One of the most recurring themes discussed by Vonnegut in his work is individuality. He constantly highlights the importance of individuality in an ironic way; by displaying the negative repercussions of anRead MoreEssay about The Role of Technology in Kurt Vonneguts Writing2806 Words   |  12 PagesbOutline/b br brThesis: Technology is the villain in Kurt Vonneguts works because of his hatred of corporate insensitivity and his awareness of the destructive social impact of science and technology. br brI. Kurt Vonnegut has a great awareness of the destructive social impact of science and technology. brA. Contraptions that Vonnegut calls social transplants replace contact with the awful real relatives and friends with synthetic ones. br1. Computers minimize human contact even