Close reading of Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut - Essay Example

Vonnegut points out that machine dramatically changed society to an extent where everyone had a real life. Influence of machines evidences in better healthcare, luxury, and reliable security. In addition, machines create stratification depending on accessibility and perceived control. In this regards, managers and some few engineers with access to control of machines lived a better life (Vonnegut 85). From a general perspective, the features made society look better. However, a deeper focus provides an unlikely picture of the community.

Machines make individuals to loose real dignity in most jobs. Hence, the only people with jobs that matters are the managers and the engineers. To him, such a society becomes a dystopian society. In his work, Vonnegut uses themes like religion, war and the social inequality. He also uses elements of the science of fiction and black humour. Other notable features include satire and protagonist. Paul Proteus is protagonist in the novel. He shows displeasure with his privileged position and imagines the experience of the worse off people in life.

The dissatisfaction is what leads to a rebellion by the elite class. Player Piano revolves around power. Specifically, the close reading relates the concept to the notion of power distribution in the society. Any particular community has a set of rules that act as a social contract. Such regulations serve to control actions of the subjects. With rules, everyone has a role, power and a given level of freedom in the society. For example, a modern democratic society has the police who are entitled to coordinate law enforcement.

The coordination stipulates clear roles to every member of the community. Policy makers formulate laws while everyone has a democratic right to vote. In relation to the player piano, the author also presents elements of power distribution. Specifically, the importance interplay of power distribution and dystopian fiction. Therefore, Vonnegut identifies the