2BR02B+plot+summary

=2BR02B=

This story by Kurt Vonnegut is set in a future where population control is enforced. This book has a 40,000 person population. For every person who is born, someone has to volunteer to die, seeing as lives have been extended to almost forever. Edward K. Wehling Jr. is having triplets at the hospital. He is very upset because he only has one person who is willing to die, so he has to pick only one of his triplets will live. His grandfather is willing to die but Edward does not want him to die. Leora Duncan from the population control comes in to find out what three people are willing to die. A conflict goes on between Edward, Leora, the painter, and the doctor. Edward takes his gun out of his pocket and shoots Leora. When the doctor comes in, Edward shoots him, and then shoots himself so there is room in the world for all three of his children. The painter, after witnessing the deaths, calls the catbox to arrange for his death.

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 * Characters**
 * Dr. Benjamin Hitz-** He is the hospital's chief Obstetrician. ** The painter is painting a portrait of him. They also describe him as very tall and and very admired in the hospital. **
 * Leora Duncan-** She runs population control. She is in charge of making appointments for people to die when new babies are born. Since babies are not born often, she finds out when they are. She is always there to make sure that there is a person who is willing to die for every baby that is born. She was shot by Edward so that there is one more spot in the world for one of his new triplets. Since she works with the population control she has a mustache just like all the other woman that work there.
 * Edward K. Wehling Jr-** He is the father of new born triplets. He is mad about how is grandfather has to volunteer to die to keep his children alive. He also would have to only keep one of his children because he only has one volunteer to die. He also killed Leora Duncan, Dr. Benjamin Hitz, and himself to keep his children alive and his grandfather.
 * The painter- The painter's name was never mentioned in the story. In the beginning of the story, he is painting a picture in the hospital of people dressed in white, which are doctors and nurses. They were planting seeds, spraying bugs, and spreading fertilizer. Then there were men and women dressed in purple pulling weeds and cutting down dead plants. **

**SYMBOLS/THEMES:**
 * The painting that the painter was working on the beginning of the story symbolizes what the world is going through right now. The painting that he is painting is people dressed in white, which are the doctors and nurses. They were planting seeds, spraying bugs, and spreading fertilizer. It represents that the doctors and nurses are bringing new people into this world. Then there are people who are dressed in purple, who are pulling weeds and cutting down dead plants. They represent the people that take people out of the world, so that the doctors and nurses can bring people into it. **


 * Full story is at http://publicliterature.org/books/2BR02B/xaa.php **