Assignment #2: The Crusade Against Hot Fudge Sundaes and Their Controversial Messages.

"Any reviewer who expresses rage and loathing for a novel is preposterous. He or she is like a person who has put on full armor and attacked a hot fudge sundae."
 -Kurt Vonnegut


Kurt Vonnegut's book Slaughterhouse 5 was surrounded with controversy by many people who hated it for whatever reason they had (ie. sexual themes, profane language). People challenged the book and I'm pretty sure it was banned in some places, all because  people didn't like the messages and themes of the book.  I think that the controversy that his book generated, was the inspiration for this quote. This quote to me, is just classic Vonnegut. He compares two things that wouldn't usually be compared with each other, splashes a bit of overexaggeration and at the end of it all, makes the quote make sense to the reader. My interpretation of the quote is this: Vonnegut is comparing books with hot fudge sundaes. Hot fudge sundaes, like books, are meant to be a good thing. The whole purpose of you even choosing to indulge in a hot fudge sundae or book, is for you to enjoy it. If you don't like the taste of a hot fudge sundae you aren't going to make picket signs and strike, saying that the sundae's "message and themes" aren't appropriate for today's world. You might complain a bit about the taste, but ultimately you won't make a big deal out of the experience. Same with books. If you don't like a book, you shouldn't rage at it and put it down because you don't like it's messages or themes. Just put it down if you don't like it.


Now, if I said that I've never raged at a book before, I'd be a hypocrite. I've fought my fair share of hot fudge sundaes (especially last year *cough* MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE *cough*). Then again I didn't really have much of a choice because it was my class' assigned book at the time, and I probably would have failed if I hadn't read it. But believe me, if I did have the choice, I would have definitely taken Vonnegut's advice and put it down.There's no use in fighting against something that doesn't fight back.