The Life of Kurt Vonnegut Jr.Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is a famous American author “known for his works combining satire, black comedy and science fiction” (Kurt Vonnegut). Although Kurt Vonnegut is best known as a science fiction writer, what if his readers knew that he didn't consider himself that at all? He once said that he “learned from the critic” that he was a science fiction writer. Regardless of what Kurt Vonnegut considers, he is one of the most sought-after science fiction writers in history. Plagued by the Great Depression, World War II, his mother's suicide, and a long list of other dramatic events, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. leads a difficult life. Although these events seem terrible, it is not unreasonable to consider them the mainstay of his literary success. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. lived a prosperous life until the Great Depression hit the United States. Vonnegut was born on November 11, 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Vonnegut was born into a family with two older siblings; he had a brother, Bernard Vonnegut, and a sister, Alice Vonnegut (Cavalière). In his early years, Vonnegut and his family lived well. “Vonnegut’s youth was extremely privileged” (Rider). However, this all took a drastic turn when the Great Depression hit in the late 1920s. Kurt Vonnegut's father took a particular hit. His father, Kurt Vonnegut Sr., "was a wealthy architect whose fortune, job opportunities, and mental health declined significantly with the Great Depression" ("Kurt Vonnegut"). Although depression did not affect Vonnegut's mother as much as her father, it was difficult for her as well. Kurt Vonnegut's mother, Edith Lieber Vonnegut, was the daughter of a wealthy local family from Indianapolis, Indiana (Rider). Therefore, she was not as well conditioned for the minimal lifestyle she was forced to live. As a child, Vonnegut took the example of his uncle Alex, who taught him to appreciate the most beautiful and simple things in life; this influenced the rest of his writing career. Kurt Vonnegut and his family lived a very average and simple life until the Great Depression hit; From that point on, life became hard, and this struggle laid a solid foundation for Kurt Vonnegut's successful writing career. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. had a difficult and rather difficult middle life. Vonnegut attended Shortridge High School in 1936; here he was editor of the school newspaper, The Daily Echo.