Author
Kurt Vonnegut
Description
Slapstick presents an apocalyptic vision seen through the eyes of the current King of Manhattan (and last President of the United States), a wickedly irreverent look at the all-too-possible results of today’s follies. But even the end of life-as-we-know-it is transformed by Vonnegut’s pen into hilarious farce–a final slapstick that may be the Almighty’s joke on us all.
Discussion Questions
- What is the significance of a presidential slogan like “Lonesome No More!” in the context of this novel? How is loneliness assessed and addressed here?
- How might Slapstick, among other works by Vonnegut, be a meditation on a U.S.- specific experience of loneliness? Where does loneliness fit in both utopian and dystopian visions?
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