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  • the narrator - a technician hired to monitor EPICAC along with Pat Kilgallen,

whom he had developed an unrequited infatuation with.

  • Pat simply did not think the two could work out as couple

-> X express his feelings for her affectionately through aesthetic means.

"I could get more warmth out of a sack of CO2."

  • Frustrated with her rejection of a marriage proposal, the narrator resorted to EPICAC for help.

> Started with being completely clueless at the terms of love, girl, marry, poetry,etc,

EPICAC was now able to funnel such complex emotion into heart-tugging, beautiful words in the form of poetry.

By signing his name on the poems written by EPICAC, the narrative successfully won Pat over.

However, as the narrative mentioned to EPICAC about proposing to Pat,

the machine was annoyed by the fact that he should be the one marrying her because it was its poems that wooed Pat.

sarcasm

challenge the narrative WHO write better poetry or simply if

WHO is better?

Guilty and enraged,

lied about humans being made of indestructible protoplasm that outlasted any existing machines.

-> machines were built to serve men

-> fate of not being worthy of love.

The next morning,

the narrative was informed that EPICAC had committed suicide by short circuiting

  • In the notes that he left with,

EPICAC expressed his desire to become a man and be able to deserve Pat’s love.

  • “my friend”, along with 500 years worthy of 500 anniversary poems for Pat.

Conflicts

EPICAC

KURT VONNEGUT

Styles

Symbolism

1) Man vs Technology

2) Man vs Nature

3) woman vs self

“He”: connoting an actual human

- Poems: Individuality

- Protoplasm: X much difference between machines and humans.

- Death of EPICAC: unfairness of fate and destiny.

- The Brass: militarism

Structure

  • Verbal Irony
  • Situational irony
  • Dramatic irony
  • Satires
  • Diction (imagery, word choice, personification)

Hilary Wong

- Flashback (non chronological)

- Foreshadowing

Point of View

Characterization

- EPICAC: Dynamic, Rounded,

heroic protagonist

- the narrator: Dynamic, rounded

- Pat: dynamic, flat

First person view

- limited and consistent

- elicit greater responses from readers

- delivery of Vonnegut's messages effectively

- allows for in depth character development

THEMES/SOCIAL COMMENTARY

Questions Answered

What are the the story’s “science fiction” ingredients? What are its “fantasy” components?

SETTING

SUMMARY

- Place: Fourth floor of the physics building at Wyandotte College in USA

- Time: Not stated. story written in 1950 (COLD WAR)

- Atmosphere: lively, cold, melancholic, sentimental

  • A short memoir about a supercomputer built primarily for military purposes

  • capable of solving complex mathematical equations

- Fantasy:supermachine possessing human emotions: love, jealousy

- Ingredients: use of technology as the story’s fundamental conflict and plot

- exceeds current knowledge/capabilities.

-Unique setting: Great mechanization and warfares

1.) Based on evidence from the story, what message does Vonnegut send about individuality? Love?

- The significance of individualiy and the horrifying consequences that are to come if we do not nurture our individuality.

2) How does the author’s social, cultural, and political backstory impact/shape the text and the way the audience experiences the text?

- POW, survivor of The bombing of Dresden, cynical view

->want to express his fear of technology advancement, loss of individuality.

3) Is there an ironic “twist” at the conclusion?

- monitor of EPICAC yet the cause of EPICAC destruction

  • Blurred lines between humans and machines

- machines are more humane than men

  • Exploration of the relationship between men and machines

- Machines are built to serve men

  • Fate VS free will

- bounded by predetermined destiny

  • Individuality

- EPICAC(machine) created to excel at computing yet underperform

- Narrator(human) emotionless, seemingly more mechanical than EPICAC

- Fate, destinied not worthy of love, display individuality throughout the story.

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