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Satire
Explanation and Analysis—Thomas Jefferson:
Throughout the novel, Vonnegut uses biting satire to critique a variety of aspects of American life. A great example occurs in Chapter Three, when Vonnegut mentions that Kilgore Trout attended a school called Thomas Jefferson High School in his youth. He writes:
His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world's greatest theoreticians on the subject of human liberty.
This line uses stark juxtaposition to satirize Thomas Jefferson and expose the hypocrisy of simultaneously enslaving people and theorizing about human liberty. The effectiveness of this satire relies heavily on Vonnegut's direct, no-frills style. By placing two juxtaposing facts in close proximity without mediation or commentary, Vonnegut lets his readers do the work of noticing the contradiction at play and thereby condemning Jefferson's actions.
This is a good example of Vonnegut's satire because it is meant not only as a critique of Jefferson but also of the broader way ideas have material impact and can hide unjust truths. Though Vonnegut condemns Thomas Jefferson's actions, his real focus is on the way in which Jefferson's legacy operates in the modern world: he is thought of as highly moral, important to remember, and worth naming a school after, but many of the immoral facts of his life have been forgotten or glossed over. By exposing these facts, Vonnegut critiques stories that misrepresent the realities of America and its history. This is the real project of his satire: to expose contradictions and injustices for the sake of helping people tell stories and histories more clearly, more accurately, and more fairly.
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