2BR02B

This study guide will help you analyze the short story “2BR02B” by Kurt Vonnegut. You can also find a summary of the text, as well as inspiration for interpretation and perspectives.

Presentation of the text

Title: “2BR02B” (1986)
Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Genre: Short story

Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007) was a prolific American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright. His prose is famous for its satire, dark humor, and in-depth analysis of the human condition. His best-selling novel Slaughterhouse Five (1969) received several awards such as the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award, both important awards for science-fiction writers. The story “2BR02B” was written in 1986 and included in the 1999 collection Bamboo Snuff Box: Uncollected Short Fiction.

Excerpt

Below, you can read an excerpt from our study guide:

Language and style

The language is simple and easy to understand. The sentences vary in length, and the author does not use complex words that would make the story more difficult to perceive. To make the short story more appealing in terms of language and style, the writer makes use of different narrative techniques. Here are some of them, illustrated with examples from the text.

Imagery – It is mostly used when the setting is described and it makes it easier for the reader to enter the mood of the story:

He was so rumpled, so still and colorless as to be virtually invisible. His camouflage was perfect, since the waiting room had a disorderly and demoralized air, too. Chairs and ashtrays had been moved away from the walls. The floor was paved with spattered dropcloths.
Satire – It is used to criticize a certain aspect through irony or humor. In our case, the painter uses irony to satirize the paradox of the mural.