Kurt Vonnegut's Rejected Thesis on Story Shapes Gets Infographic Treatment
Graphic designer Maya Eilam created an infographic illustrating Kurt Vonnegut's 'Shapes of Stories' theory, originally from his rejected University of Chicago master's thesis in anthropology. Vonnegut argued that stories have shapes that can be plotted on graph paper, reflecting a society's narratives as meaningfully as its artifacts. The infographic visualizes his story archetypes with examples. Vonnegut's thesis was rejected for being too simple and fun, but he later called it his 'prettiest contribution to the culture.' The theory was featured in a 2011 video and a condensed version appeared in Lapham's Quarterly.
Key facts
- Kurt Vonnegut's master's thesis in anthropology for the University of Chicago was rejected because it was too simple and looked like too much fun.
- Vonnegut's theory states that stories have shapes that can be drawn on graph paper.
- Graphic designer Maya Eilam created an infographic illustrating Vonnegut's story shapes.
- Vonnegut described the thesis as his 'prettiest contribution to the culture' in his autobiography Palm Sunday.
- A video of Vonnegut explaining the theory was featured on Open Culture in 2011.
- A condensed version of the thesis appeared in Lapham's Quarterly.
- Vonnegut also wrote 'How to Write With Style' and 'Eight Rules for Writing Fiction.'
- The article was originally published on Open Culture in 2014 and updated in 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Kurt Vonnegut
- Maya Eilam
- Josh Jones
Institutions
- University of Chicago
- Open Culture
- Lapham's Quarterly
Locations
- Durham, NC
- United States