how does the book contain elements of political criticism .. I know the author is known for his strong political opinons and criticisms.
The following excerpt is from a group of reviews, and the reviewers all approach the subject of Vonnedgut's politics. I've linked the page in sources; you might want to go and take a closer look.
Vonnegut’s implementation of simple and blunt dialogue aids in revealing his societal statements to the reader. When outlining the hypocrisy of American politics, Vonnegut states, “It didn’t think that Earthlings who had a lot should share it with others unless they really wanted to, and most of them didn’t want to. So they didn’t” (13). The author bluntly describes the American stance on communism and sharing the wealth in the previous text. By using such word choice, Vonnegut clearly displays his ideas concerning the flaws of government. Along with word choice, the author also applies his characters in order to advance his theories on modern culture.
Vonnegut utilizes his characters to exemplify societal troubles. He places characters such as Hoover and Trout into certain situations in order to expose cultural issues such as racism. When Dwayne is asked to start a KFC restaurant, he replies, “’So you want me to open a Nigger joint’” (164)? Vonnegut formulates a theme of racism through many of the white characters within the novel. The previous passage illustrates the author’s clearly negative outlook on racism through Dwayne’s use of derogatory terms. Vonnegut also employs his characters to portray arguments on pollution and sex. For example, Patty Keene, a waitress, is “raped by a white gas-conversion unit installer” (143), again showing Vonnegut’s utilization of characters and plot to highlight the worst aspects of our society.
In total, Kurt Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions effectively displays perceptions concerning societal flaws such as racism, government, and pollution in an entertaining manner. Vonnegut furthers his ideas through the creative and direct application of point of view, word choice, and characters. Breakfast of Champions is a fantastic novel and an enjoyable read that will provoke awareness on many cultural issues
