The Breakfast of Champions: Life with OthersFor anyone who has ever wondered what the meaning of life is, it is to be the eyes and ears of the Creator of Universe, if one believes Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut (1973). In Breakfast of Champions the protagonist, Kilgore Trout, is a reclusive science fiction writer who lives in a hole in the dredges of New York City. His only published work was "giving volume to books and magazines of salacious images" (21). Finally catching a break, Trout is invited to the Midland City Arts Festival, home of Dwayne Hoover. Hoover, who is a wealthy car salesman, owns virtually everything in Midland City. However, Hoover is on the verge of madness right now and thinks that one of the artists featured at the festival will help him find the solution to his search for fulfillment. Vonnegut uses characters from different lifestyles to develop his daunting views of humanity. Through comedic writing, Vonnegut shows how love, relationships, ideas, and even gossip can have strong effects on humans and society. Sometimes people don't realize the effects of words on others. In Breakfast of Champions, Dwayne Hoover comes to this realization the hard way. Already having a bad day, Hoover meets one of his employees named Harry. Not too fond of the way Harry dresses, feeling it too bland, Hoover turns to him. "Harry, why don't you take a bunch of cotton scraps from Vern Garr, dip them in the Blue Suncoe* and burn your damn wardrobe?" (46). Later in the chapter, he ridicules Harry's appearance again. "I have news for you: modern science has given us lots of wonderful colors, with strange and exciting names like red!, orange!, green! and pink!"(48)...... middle of paper.. .54). Hoover rose from the table to fly into the rage of eleven people which included: his son Bunny, mistress Francine, and Kilgore Trout. “Trout was shocked to realize that he too could bring evil into the world, in the form of bad ideas” (15). Thanks to Hoover, Trout realized how powerful his words were and won the Nobel Prize in medicine. Trout and Hoover's disparaging comments and reckless actions served to discourage and devastate the lives of those around them. The satirical comedy with which the novel is perceived by the reader makes it entertaining, but as the story unfolds it becomes depressing. There is a sense of truth in Vonnegut's disturbing vision of humanity. The road of life is laid out for people to walk, being careful with your actions will make it less bumpy. Work cited Vonnegut, Kurt. The breakfast of champions. Dell Publishing Co. 1973