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Quote by Kurt Vonnegut

“American humorist Kin Hubbard said , "It ain't no disgrace to be poor, but it might as well be". The meanest eating or drinking establishment, owned by a man who is himself poor, is very likely to have a sign on its wall asking this cruel question: "If you're so smart, why ain't you rich?" Americans, like human beings everywhere, believe many things that are obviously untrue... Their most destructive untruth is that it is very easy for any American to make money. They will not acknowledge how in fact hard money is to come by, and, therefore, those who have no money blame and blame and blame themselves. This inward blame has been a treasure for the rich and powerful, who have had to do less for their poor, publicly and privately, than any other ruling class since, say, Napoleonic times. Many novelties have come from America. The most startling of these, a thing without precedent is a mass of undignified poor. They do not love one another because they do not love themselves.”

Quote by Kurt Vonnegut

Work

SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE

Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five is a satirical and philosophical novel that combines elements of science fiction with the author's own experiences as a prisoner of war during the Allied bombing of Dresden. The narrative is non-linear and employs a time-traveling protagonist, Billy Pilgrim, who is haunted by his past and the events of the war. The book is known for its dark humor and its exploration of themes such as the absurdity of war, the nature of time, and the human condition. more

Author

Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut was an American writer known for his unique humor and profound satire. His works often explore themes of war, humanity, society, and politics. His most famous works include 'Slaughterhouse-Five' and 'Cat's Cradle'. His writing style has been widely appreciated by readers and has had a profound impact on literature. more

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“Fear of the mob is a superstitious fear. It is based on the idea that there is some mysterious, fundamental difference between rich and poor, as though they were two different races, like Negroes and white men. But in reality there is no such difference. The mass of the rich and the poor are differentiated by their incomes and nothing else, and the average millionaire is only the average dishwasher dressed in a new suit. Change places, and handy dandy, which is the justice, which is the thief? Everyone who has mixed on equal terms with the poor knows this quite well. But the trouble is that intelligent, cultivated people, the very people who might be expected to have liberal opinions, never do mix with the poor. For what do the majority of educated people know about poverty?”

“There is often talk of human rights, but it is also necessary to talk of the rights of humanity. Why should some people walk barefoot, so that others can travel in luxurious cars? Why should some live for thirty-five years, so that others can live for seventy years? Why should some be miserably poor, so that others can be hugely rich? I speak on behalf of the children in the world who do not have a piece of bread. I speak on the behalf of the sick who have no medicine, of those whose rights to life and human dignity have been denied.”

“नीलमणि ने जब प्रवरा की आँखों में देखा, तो उसे लगा जैसे उनमें अथाह प्रेम का कोई सागर उमड़ रहा है। नीलमणि ने जब प्रवरा को उस मूक समर्पण के भाव में देखा, तो उसकी आत्मा में स्थित प्रेम अब मूर्त रूप लेने को विकल हो उठा। निराकार अब साकार होने को व्याकुल हो उठा। पुष्प की श्रद्धा उसे अपने आराध्य तक खींच लाई—वही श्रद्धा जिसे अभिव्यक्त करने में शब्द असमर्थ थे। अंततः दोनों ने माया-रूपी-शरीर को निराकार तत्व की अनुभूति का साधन मान लिया- वही माया जो दो निराकार तत्वों के विलय में बाधक भी थी और एक-मात्र माध्यम भी।”

“The biggest potential for helping us overcome shame is this: We are “those people.” The truth is…we are the others. Most of us are one paycheck, one divorce, one drug-addicted kid, one mental health illness, one sexual assault, one drinking binge, one night of unprotected sex, or one affair away from being “those people”–the ones we don’t trust, the ones we pity, the ones we don’t let our kids play with, the ones bad things happen to, the ones we don’t want living next door.”

“Laziness can be a value on its own for those who want to show supremacy through contempt for work and wish to be free individuals by fighting the enslavement to labor. While they don’t want to become dependent on ‘wage slavery’ and their livelihood only hinges on salaries, they feel confined to a social stratification, causing a collective stigma that results in poverty and underfeeding. (The daily job)”

“इस अनिश्चित जीवन में 'विश्वास' ही आशा का वह दीप है जो समाज को जोड़े रखता है। निस्वार्थ प्रेम और पवित्र विश्वास अपराध नहीं हैं, वरन जीवन का आधार हैं।”

“The poverty of our century is unlike that of any other. It is not, as poverty was before, the result of natural scarcity, but of a set of priorities imposed upon the rest of the world by the rich. Consequently, the modern poor are not pitied...but written off as trash. The twentieth-century consumer economy has produced the first culture for which a beggar is a reminder of nothing.”