Editing Kurt Vonnegut (section)

=== Family and early life ===
Vonnegut was born in [[Indianapolis]], on November 11, 1922, the youngest of three children of [[Kurt Vonnegut Sr.]] (1884–1957) and his wife Edith (1888–1944; née Lieber). His older siblings were [[Bernard Vonnegut|Bernard]] (1914–1997) and Alice (1917–1958). He descended from a long line of [[German Americans]] whose immigrant ancestors settled in the United States in the mid-19th century; his paternal great-grandfather, [[Clemens Vonnegut]], settled in Indianapolis and founded the [[Vonnegut Hardware Company]]. His father and grandfather [[Bernard Vonnegut I|Bernard]] were architects; the architecture firm under Kurt Sr. designed such buildings as [[Athenæum (Das Deutsche Haus)|Das Deutsche Haus]] (now called "The Athenæum"), the Indiana headquarters of the [[Bell Telephone Company]], and the [[Fletcher Trust Building]].<ref name="BoomhowerFarrell4-5" /> Vonnegut's mother was born into Indianapolis's [[Gilded Age]] high society, as her family, the Liebers, were among the wealthiest in the city based on a fortune deriving from a successful brewery.{{sfn|Marvin|2002|p=2}}

Both of Vonnegut's parents were fluent speakers of the [[German language in the United States|German language]], but pervasive [[anti-German sentiment]] during and after [[World War I]] caused them to abandon [[German culture]]; many German Americans were told at the time that this was a precondition for [[American patriotism]]. Thus, they did not teach Vonnegut to speak German or introduce him to [[German literature]], [[German cuisine|cuisine]], or traditions, leaving him feeling "ignorant and rootless".<ref name="Sharp1360">{{harvnb|Sharp|2006|p=1360}}.</ref><ref name="Marvin2Farrell3-4">{{harvnb|Marvin|2002|p=2}}; {{harvnb|Farrell|2009|pp=3–4}}.</ref> Vonnegut later credited Ida Young, his family's African-American cook and housekeeper during the first decade of his life, for raising him and giving him values; he said, "she gave me decent moral instruction and was exceedingly nice to me", and "was as great an influence on me as anybody". He described her as "humane and wise" and added that "the compassionate, forgiving aspects of [his] beliefs" came from her.<ref name="Marvin4">{{harvnb|Marvin|2002|p=4}}.</ref>

The financial security and social prosperity that the Vonneguts had once enjoyed were destroyed in a matter of years. The Liebers' brewery closed down in 1921 after the advent of [[Prohibition in the United States|prohibition]]. When the [[Great Depression]] hit, few people could afford to build, causing clients at Kurt Sr.'s architectural firm to become scarce.{{sfn|Sharp|2006|p=1360}} Vonnegut's brother and sister had finished their primary and secondary educations in private schools, but Vonnegut was placed in a public school called Public School No.&nbsp;43 (now the [[James Whitcomb Riley]] School).<ref name="Boomhower">{{harvnb|Boomhower|1999}}.</ref> He was bothered by the Great Depression,{{efn|In fact, Vonnegut often described himself as a "child of the Great Depression". He also stated the Depression and its effects incited pessimism about the validity of the [[American Dream]].<ref name="Sumner">{{harvnb|Sumner|2014}}.</ref>}} and both his parents were affected deeply by their economic misfortune. His father withdrew from normal life and became what Vonnegut called a "dreamy artist".<ref name="Sharp1360Marvin2-3">{{harvnb|Sharp|2006|p=1360}}; {{harvnb|Marvin|2002|pp=2–3}}.</ref> His mother became depressed, withdrawn, bitter, and abusive. She labored to regain the family's wealth and status, and Vonnegut said that she expressed hatred for her husband that was "as corrosive as [[hydrochloric acid]]".<ref name="Marvin2-3">{{harvnb|Marvin|2002|pp=2–3}}.</ref> She often tried in vain to sell short stories she had written to ''[[Collier's]]'', ''[[The Saturday Evening Post]]'', and other magazines.<ref name="Sharp1360" />