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Happy Birthday

In: English and Literature

Submitted By ramsen1994
Words 291
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Write a summary of Happy Birthday, 1951 in about 150 words."Happy Birthday, 1951" is a short story by Kurt Vonnegut. The main characters in the shortstory are a man and a boy. We are told that a refugee woman left her baby by the old manand then she never came back - That's how the man got the boy. The man doesn't knowsomething about the boy and that's why they are choosing a day to celebrate the boy'sbirthday. As a birthday present the man wants to take the boy to a place without war. Ontheir way to the place, they talk about the color of different uniforms when they see foursoldiers. When they arrive, they eat their lunch, close their eyes and sleep for a while. In theend of the story, we are told that the man wakes up and discovers that the boy is gone.Different thoughts go through the man's head and those are interrupted by the boy when hesays "Gotcha!"Characterize the boy and the old man.The two main characters in the short story are the boy and the old man. The old man in the shortstory feels that he hasn't been a good father, which is expressed different places in the story, suchas:"I haven't been a good father, letting you go without birthdays this long… You're entitled toone every year, you know, and I've let six years go by without a birthday. And presents, too. Youare supposed to get presents." (7. 30 - 32)The old man does not like the war and he does not like the soldiers. Every time the boy talks aboutsomething which has to do with the war, the old man gets a bit sad and upset. The old man does not

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