IDSM 240 - Kurt Vonnegut and Contemporary Apocalyptic Thought

The novels Player Piano, Cat’s Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five, and Timequake are the lenses into Kurt Vonnegut’s commentary on the period from World War II to his death in 2007, and on into the present day. The course explores the great ideas Vonnegut tinkers with, opening a dialogue with students concerning how Vonnegut’s satiric absurdism is actually a brilliant vehicle to dissect our social imaginations. The ultimate goal of the course is to view apocalyptic thought through Vonnegut’s writings, from diverging angles and interconnecting perspectives, and between decades and disciplines. Course is graded pass/fail.

Credits: 3