T OMORROW AND T OMORROW AND T OMORROW BY K URT V ONNEGUT

T HEME The Detrimental Effects of Living in a Society Controlled by a Greedy Faction

P LOT O VERVIEW The setting is 2158 A.D. and the Schwartz family is at the mercy of Gramps, a nearly 200 year old elderly man. The family lives in one apartment and tries to please Gramps, but secretly wonder when he will cease living and hope for his final day to come as soon as possible. Gramps threatens his family of their removal from the family will whenever anyone tries to rebel against his authority. Anti-gerasone causes the elders of the society to rule the community, and increases the over-population problem. Ironically, Em, Lou, and the rest of the family find peace and solitude in jail where they can escape the confined life they lived with Gramps.

I MPORTANT Q UOTES "Life was good. He could hardly wait to see what was going to happen next.“ pg 331 From Gramps Schwartz's point of view. Shows the abuse of the anti-gerasone among the elderly. Despite being over 200 years old, Gramps still wants to live as long as he can. He is living for himself and doesn't care for his family. He greedily chooses to stay on Earth as long as he can in spite of his family. Also it is puzzling that his idea of a "good" life is just living and being a bother to his family.

I MPORTANT Q UOTES "Sometimes I wish folks just up and died regular as clockwork, without anything to say about it, instead of deciding themselves how long they're going to stay around." – pg 317 Emerald Conveys the family's concern about Gramps and elders in general. The younger generation is concerned how the old get to decide their own life and be able to live longer. They abuse anti- gerasone and do not care about the problems, the youth are restricted of their resources and want their independence.

C HARACTERIZATION Gramps selfish, greedy, easily-irritated, impulsive, old, no concern for his family "wrinkled", "head of the family“ Emerald Optimistic, honest, says what everyone else is thinking, opinionated “I don’t guess I could ever bring myself to dilute his anti-gerasone or anything like that but gosh”

S YMBOLISM Anti-gerasone- a clutch to keep living, necessity, greed Central point of all problems in society. It shows how when given an option to benefit either ourselves or society, we choose ourselves. Although the elderly realize they should die so that the youth can live life to the fullest, they stubbornly insist on living decades longer than they were ever meant to live The use of technology that cripples society, rather than benefits it Too much of a good thing

S YMBOLISM day bed- independence, freedom, goals in life Gramps purposely causes problems by creating a competition over the day bed amongst the family The day bed is the only spark of light and it’s temporary because it’s always given away to another member of the family in a short period of time It serves as a reminder of the “old days” back when the older family members could remember a life where each person had suffice resources.

I RONY Jail Desired place to be. People have lawyers to get them more time in jail rather than to get them out of jail as soon as possible “Sometimes I get so mad, I feel like just up and diluting his anti-gerasone,” said Em. “That’d be against Nature, Em,” said Lou Getting rid of anti-gerasone which has expanded life against what is naturally possible is “against nature.” Anti-gerasone itself is against nature. Anti-Gerasone Meant to help society by increasing life but has actually crippled a society because it has limited resources available and made life intolerable for the younger generations.