The Sirens of Titan :: Sirens of Titan Essays

The Sirens of goliathMarek VitIt took us that long to realize that a purpose of valet de chambre life, no matter who is controlling it, is to lovewhoever is around to be loved. (Vonnegut220) The Sirens of Titan is Kurt Vonneguts second novel. He haswritten it in 1959, seven years afterward his previous Player Piano.It has been described as a pure acquaintance prevarication novel and, afteronly one reading, it really spate be considered to be one. Theintricate plot and fascinating detail whitethorn obscure the seriousintent of the novel. If compared to other novels by this author,it makes much aerodynamic reading because there are much fewersubplots, digressions and simultaneous developments. The storyline of Sirens of Titan is much more straightforward than inthe other deeds (e.g. Slaughterhouse-Five, Galapagos, HocusPocus, Breakfast of Champions etc.) The Sirens of Titan, for all its wonderings,futurity and concern with lar ger, abstract questions,transmits a greater sense of direction andconcreteness. Rather surprising, too, is the fact thatthe novel with its science fiction orientation, withits robots and near-robot humans, and with its severalcentral characters who are intentionally presented asbeing sort of cold-hearted, generates more human warmththan Player Piano which is directly concerned with theagonies of exploring and following conscience, emotionand love. Three possible explanations for thisfenomenon present themselves first, Vonneguts skillhas self-aggrandising in the intervening seven years second, thescience fiction vogue affords the author moredetachment, and he is less didactic in this take a leakthird, the positive forces, particularly love, carrymore weight. (Reed66) The Sirens of Titan has been, as umpteen other Vonneguts books,influenced by his experiences from World War Two (TheFire-bombing of Dresden was a turn a profit just to one man, to KurtVonnegut. Over the years, he got five dollars for each corpse, as