Summary Of The Foster Portfolio By Kurt Vonnegut

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“The Foster Portfolio,” is a short story piece within Kurt Vonnegut’s Welcome To The Monkey House. Differentiating the piece from the others is the ironic touch “The Foster Portfolio” seems to carry that is different from Vonnegut’s short comically audacious works. Vonnegut realized this is a materialistic world where people evaluated by their physical features, and possessions of the moment. Small details such as what shoes are being worn, what kind of car stands in the driveway, and how one is attired is speculated before partaking in a conversation with them. Within the introduction of each character they are described using the objects around them, attire, physical attributes, and social standing is made clear to the reader. Therefore, …show more content…

Vonnegut construes Jim’s occupation is evaluating bond value and handling large sums money for a living, as a result he is superficial and judges based on the bountifulness he sees. Although he does not seem to have acquired any substantial amount of money, he adopts the appearance of a victorious businessman because of the desperation he has that one day he will become one. “Since I don’t have a portfolio, my job is a little like being a hungry delivery boy for a candy store” (Vonnegut 59). He puts on a clean fake façade of the man he really wants to …show more content…

Vonnegut hopes to reach out to the common working class, the ones that are constantly seeking improvement in terms of material luxuriance. Upon meeting his new client, Jim's shallow views are tested. Because Herbert’s lifestyle is quite humble, Jim is forced to look within and doubt his life choices. Herbert Foster appears as a conservative man with strict moral values. Herbert resorts to living a lie because he is overcome with desperation to conserve his impoverished status so he can consequently retain his guilty life pleasure concealed. Although he most certainly does not need to, considering the inheritance bestowed. “Herbert already had what he wanted. He had had it long before the inheritance or I intruded. He had the respectability his mother had hammered into him. But just as priceless as that was an income not quite big enough to go around. It left him no alternative but… to play piano in a dive, and breathe smoke, and drink gin, to be Firehouse Harris, his father’s son, three nights out of seven.” (Vonnegut

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