Mentor Text

[Ben]

The third saturation book I read was "Jailbird" by Kurt Vonnegut. One of the most highly regarded writers and known for his unique style. He definitely didn't disappoint in this book either. The first thing I noticed in this book was how similar to "A Cat's Cradle" it was. They are very unique but get hooked on the same path. They both take historic events that likely shaped his perception of life, and changed them around to be more fictional and unimaginable. The first pull from this book was how he creates such strong satire out of the world surrounding him. Vonnegut is magnificent at letting his imagination run wild into his books, something of which I have never really tried in my poetry.

The second pull that I had from this book was his strength and dynamic of characters. Specifically how he handles the persona of the main character Walter F. Starbuck. It is a first person narrated novel by Walter who recounts his role in the Watergate scandal, his time in jail and the two days following his release. Walter's personality is shown through his narration and the way he talks to and about other people. His strong development is shown early from when he is growing up in a family of Polish immigrants to playing a small role in the Watergate scandal.

The third thing I took from this book was relationship dynamics and how they play a role in a piece of writing. Walter's dynamic between his ex lover plays a major role in the story and helps make the plot of white collar crime a little more interesting. The character interactions are a good way to help show character development as well.