2BR02B is a science fiction short story by KurtVonnegut. He was a writer known for his humanistic and pacifist beliefs. He stood as a US soldier in WWII. His experiences can be seen through his writing styles. His most traumatic battle was the Battle of Bulge. He was captured by Germans and was a prisoner of war. One can tell her experiences were truly horrible due to the fact he attempted suicide in 1984.
Plot Summary
The setting plays a crucial role in the short story. The characters live in a society where aging has been cured. People never die or grow old. The government controls the population because population in United States had reached forty million. The only way someone could be born is if someone chose to gave up their life. The main character is named Edward K. Wehling. His wife is in the process of giving birth to triplets. The only way they can all be born is if three people die. In the hospital room there is a painter. He is decorating the wall for the new room. Dr. Benjamin Hitz, the hospital's Chief Obstetrician. Leora Duncan, from the Service Division of the Federal Bureau of Termination, arrives to pose for the mural. Without hisitating Wehling kills the doctor, Duncan and himself in order to allow his three children to be born. The painter then paints the scene on the wall and calls a phone number to give up his life. The last line of the novel reads...
"Thank you, sir," said the hostess. "Your city thanks you; your country thanks you; your planet thanks you. But the deepest thanks of all is from future generations."
Theme
The theme is that people will do crazy things in order to protect the ones they love. Death is natural in society and should not be controlled. A totalitarian government is yet again the stepping stone for a much greater meaning.