The Meaning of Life in Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut :: essays research papers

In his science fiction novel The Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut attempts to answer the meaning of life and ultimately comes with the answer that in order "to realize that a purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved." (220). However, giving such a straightforward and blunt answer obviously hints that Vonnegut's sarcasm to such a simple solution. Throughout the novel, Vonnegut ridicules religion and science simultaneously in order to come to the ultimate "answer" to the mankind's purpose of life. The Sirens of Titan gives a great sense of direction and compactness. It is astounding in that the novel with its science fiction nature creates human warmth. Three reasons for this phenomenon present themselves. Vonnegut's skill has been developing in 7 years and the science fiction disposition offers the reader more impassiveness. Also he is more informative in this particular work. Like many other Vonnegut's books, The Sirens of Titan was influenced by Vonnegut's experiences from World War II. Although the war is not the novel's major target, it has a significant affect on it. Winston Niles Rumfoord's believes that "'everything that ever has been always will be, and everything that ever will be always has been" (20). In order to escape Dresden with a newer vision, Vonnegut cleverly attempts to rid himself of his youthful philosophy (romanticism and liberalism) by acquiring background from Rumfoord's theory of time and by isolating to define the visual problem caused by Dresden. Vonnegut also describes the Martian Army planning a failed attack on Earth. He illustrates the soldiers on the planet as unthinking puppets forbidden by radio. In order to embed the antenna into a soldiers' intellect, one's head must be shaved and bald. Vonnegut also men tions people who are volunteers. As you can see Vonnegut's description of a soldier is quite ironic. Another significant point in the novel is Vonnegut's believe of God and other religions. He illustrates how ppl blindly and enthusiastically follow Gods and their religions and how ridiculous it is. "Boaz's home vault had a boor on it, a round boulder with which he could plug the vault's mouth" (200). For instance, he also "had slept with his door open, he would have awakened to find himself pinned down by hundreds of thousands of his admirers. They would have let him up only when his heart stopped beating" (142).