Who Am I This Time?

"Who Am I This Time" is another incredibly interesting short story by Kurt Vonnegut. In this story the narrator has been tasked with directing a play, a role he accepts on the condition that Harry Nash will be his lead actor. Harry Nash although not our narrator could be considered the main character of this story. Nash has no personality in his every day life but while acting he completely embodies his character. The narrator then finds a similar character lacking in personal identity to play the role of Nash's lover, Helene Shaw. In the end Helene falls in love with Nash when he is acting but during every day life he is entirely blank personality-wise. To combat this the two perpetually act out plays together in order to keep their relationship alive.

Overall, this story seems to be talking about our place in the world as individuals and how we identify our own personalities. This is a topic that Vonnegut is very familiar with and can be seen throughout many of his works. Throughout this story we are led to feel sad for our main character Harry Nash because we see him as lacking an identity. Vonnegut also likens Helene to a machine in the way that she acts. This is him noting that we as humans need to fight to maintain our individuality and perhaps that Vonnegut thinks technology is taking this away from us as time goes on. Another theme throughout this story is the symbolism of how these two characters release their personality. Vonnegut always speaks very highly of the arts and this story is no different. It is no coincidence that these characters while lacking in everyday life can find a release for their personality through art. This is Vonnegut telling his readers that during life humans essentially play the roles they need to but when they pursue art they can get closer to their true personality. This shows the irony that when these characters are acting as someone else it is the closest they get to being themselves.

"When the scene was over, Helene Shaw was as hot as a hod carrier, as limp as an eel. She sat down with her mouth open and her head hanging to one side. She wasn't in any bottle any more. There wasn't any bottle to hold her up and keep her safe and clean. The bottle was gone."

This quote shows how much of an affect pursuing acting has had on Helene Shaw. Earlier in the story she describes herself as being "trapped in a bottle" whenever she comes into contact with other people. This metaphor is in order to give the reader a sense that even though she can see the outside world she feels as though she can't meaningfully interact with it or with other people. However, through acting she is able to break free of her prison and embrace her individuality. This really drives home the point of the story that in life we are forced to play different roles but through art we can discover our true personality and understand ourselves on a deeper level.

"Who Am I This Time" is another perfect example of Vonnegut's role in creating social commentary through his writing. Although it doesn't include his characteristic science fiction elements, his humor still shines through in order to make a point about society. This was one of my favorite Vonnegut stories that I have read and I think it has a lot to say about how people interact with the world around them.