Analysis of The Report on the Barnhouse Effect by Kurt Vonnegut
The story The Report on the Barnhouse Effect was written by Kurt Vonnegut in 1950. Only five years from the World War II passed, the Cold War began recently, and many scientists on both sides were working on developing and creation of a powerful weapon, which could have destroyed the Earth. It was the time of many scientific discoveries and technical progress. It was the time when scientists were considered almost as wizards.
The story created by Vonnegut depicts the moments of life of professor Barnhouse, the professor with unusual skills. His skills were accidentally discovered during the World War II. His mates observed that during card games the professor could roll dices in a roll. He somehow could control the number of dots that would appear. Developing this skill the professor discovered that he could move or control bigger objects or their parts. He possessed the power which was called “Barnhouse effect” by the ordinary people but it had a scientific name, dynamopsychism. First, professor Barnhouse hid his power but being conscious of the consequences of its implementation he decided to reveal his secret to the government. Surprisingly for the professor but very logically to the government members, the professor’s power was used in a military experiment. Barnhouse got the chance to see how strong his skills are. After successful finishing of the experiment he ran away because he is frightened that his power would be used for bad reasons. The story is made is made in the form of the report by one of the ex-students of the professor.
Kurt Vonnegut writes that the human abilities are unlimited and there is much to be discovered in the future about the human nature. The professor is the humanistic ideal of the newest times. He has a superpower and he wants to make positive changes in the world like foresting deserts of moving clouds in the regions with the lack of rains. He proclaims that a man can do everything with the power of his brains and mind like the Enlightened did three hundreds year before. But they also declared the responsibility a man bears for his actions. So the professor does. When he understands that in this militaristic society his skills won’t find any peaceful implementation he escapes without revealing the formula of his secret. It is not because of his weirdness but because he wants the science to serve the ideals of peace and development and not for war and destruction. Also as a scientist Barnhouse does not want his power to vanish and therefore he writes a coded message to his student. After several months the student manages to decode it and his dynamopsycic power increases. And he also decides to escape.
The story tells the reader that people have unlimited abilities and they can always be developed further. But they should not use for military purposes. Every power can be either destructive or reconstructive. The true scientists should always use the power he has for the good. Scientist should also be responsible and aware of all possible consequences of his actions. All people, who posses power of might should be aware of their actions and bear responsibility for that.
