Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Kurt Vonnegut Jr

Basic Comprehension

• Re-read the first sentence. How does it help set up your expectations as a reader?

• What do you think of the ending? Does it change your opinion of Gramps?

• Chicago is actually in Illinois, not Iowa. Why do you think this fact is wrong? What is Vonnegut suggesting?

• What lesson is Vonnegut trying to teach through this story? Do you think this lesson is still pertinent today?

Focus Groups

• Choose a facilitator. You will feed your findings back to the class via the forum.

• Focus group topics: Spend 10 minutes developing a thesis (opinion) on the statement you are given. And 20 minutes finding evidence to support your opinion.

Statements• Humanity’s search for eternal youth will lead to its destruction

• Some say that Dystopia and Anti-utopia are two separate terms – dystopia being a completely flawed world, and anti-utopia appearing to be perfect but for one major flaw. Comment on this in relation to “Tomorrow…”

• Read Macbeth’s Tomorrow speech. By naming the story for this speech, Vonnegut is being deliberately ironic. Discuss.

• Lou states that watering down Gramp’s anti-gerasone is against Nature. Has humanity already gone too far against Nature? And who decides?

• The larger the group, the more difficult it is to control. Manipulation is a necessary part of being in a big family.

• Is quality of life or quantity of life more important?

• Is watering down the anti-gerasone essentially the same as murder? If so, how should it be punished?