Monday, April 30, 2012
Slaughterhouse 5: Anti-War or Not?
"The doctors agreed: He was going crazy. They didn't think it had anything to do with the war." Page 100
So the question is: war or no war? I was under the impression this was an anti-war novel. I believed that, like these no-good Communists above, who poison America with unpatriotic nonsense, Kurt was going to tell us exactly why we should never have a war again. However, if anything, this is satirical in regards to war in a way. Although the scenes depicting Dresden were accurate, Vonnegut stayed very removed either way from his stance on war. I was impressed with his ability to create a character that merely acknowledged what he saw as he did many other parts of his life, not taking away the horror of the situation but the experience they gavee him for his life. I am still undecided as to whether this is indeed an anti-war novel or a relaying of events.
Slaughterhouse 5: Chirp Chirp
"BAM! BLAM BLAST POW! BOOM! WHIZ! *Grunt, wheeze, moans of pain , suffering, and anguish*" -- Derby's death
I won't even lie, the analysis for this blog was looked up online. But I wanted to reflect on how true it is. When the bird tweets that at Billy, It is almost as if this is a question. I used to wonder what the significance of this was. Yet now I realize that a bird asking Billy why humans did such things was sort of fit in with the theme of the novel. Why? Why did Derby get shot for a petty thievery amidst the destruction and death? Why was Dresden destroyed if it had no real military significance? Why a war in the first place? The bird is Vonnegut's reaction to what he saw in the days he was a prisoner of war. Why?
Slaughterhouse 5: Conceding to War?
"'It had to be done,' Rumfoord told Billy, speaking of the destruction of Dresden.
'I know," said Billy." Page 198
This is the first instance throughout the novel, aside from Billy failing to protest Vietnam bombing at a Lion's Club meeting, that Pilgrim takes a stance on what he saw. He often describes it as awful, or does not talk about it at all. Yet it is very rare that we see Billy reflect on his experiences as the aftermath of a necessary measure. He is obviously scarred from his experiences, such as remembering the "barbershop quartet" of German guards as they looked at the destruction of Dresden. Billy, despite this, is accepting the desolation as necessary to the cause of the war. His concession to war sort of had an odd characterization effect to me, showing how powerless this man felt at this point in his life, time traveling constantly and no longer caring about his death.
'I know," said Billy." Page 198
This is the first instance throughout the novel, aside from Billy failing to protest Vietnam bombing at a Lion's Club meeting, that Pilgrim takes a stance on what he saw. He often describes it as awful, or does not talk about it at all. Yet it is very rare that we see Billy reflect on his experiences as the aftermath of a necessary measure. He is obviously scarred from his experiences, such as remembering the "barbershop quartet" of German guards as they looked at the destruction of Dresden. Billy, despite this, is accepting the desolation as necessary to the cause of the war. His concession to war sort of had an odd characterization effect to me, showing how powerless this man felt at this point in his life, time traveling constantly and no longer caring about his death.
Slaughterhouse 5: The Moon
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the moon. We've all seen it, right? Well take a look behind this astronaut. What do you see? Nothing? Correct. Now try for a minute to imagine this kind of environment on Earth. After Dresden was bombed, Billy describes it looking like the moon, plus some ruins of buildings. The firestorm killed every single person and living organism that wasn't protected by some sort of shelter. Desolation beyond recognition from the firepower dropped on the city. I think that the only thing more amazing than the appearance of the place would have been that anybody was able to survive it. Billy was lucky, to say the least.
Slaughterhouse 5: Campbell the Juxtaposition
"He was Howard W. Campbell, an American who had become a Nazi." Page 162
This man is a walking juxtaposition. He approaches the American prisoners in his custom made uniform. He sports a cowboy hat, boots, a red, white, and blue swastika, and a silhouette of Abraham Lincoln. As he describes his uniform to the prisoners of war, he speaks with pride of the accomplishments of the Americans. However, this idiot is fighting for the Nazis. What kind of man preaches of the wonders of America while sporting a swastika? Derby was right in calling this man a snake. yet more interesting than his lack of patriotism is the contradiction in his message, of both American pride and honor in fighting for the Nazis, and American enemy.
This man is a walking juxtaposition. He approaches the American prisoners in his custom made uniform. He sports a cowboy hat, boots, a red, white, and blue swastika, and a silhouette of Abraham Lincoln. As he describes his uniform to the prisoners of war, he speaks with pride of the accomplishments of the Americans. However, this idiot is fighting for the Nazis. What kind of man preaches of the wonders of America while sporting a swastika? Derby was right in calling this man a snake. yet more interesting than his lack of patriotism is the contradiction in his message, of both American pride and honor in fighting for the Nazis, and American enemy.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Slaughterhouse 5: Foreshadowing
"He said, too, that he had been kidnapped by a flying saucer in 1967." Page 25
The foreshadowing in this story is not quite normal. In chapter two, in the first two pages, every significant event that happens to Billy throughout the story is listed in a very matter-of-fact manner. This type of foreshadowing tells the reader what the book is about exactly. However, this is an effective tool used by Vonnegut. Because the audience knows what will happen throughout the book, they anticipate and wait to see how certain events will play out. Additionally, because chronological order plays no significant role in the story, the audience has no idea when an event will occur. This direct foreshadowing is unusual though very effective in keeping the reader engaged in the story.
The foreshadowing in this story is not quite normal. In chapter two, in the first two pages, every significant event that happens to Billy throughout the story is listed in a very matter-of-fact manner. This type of foreshadowing tells the reader what the book is about exactly. However, this is an effective tool used by Vonnegut. Because the audience knows what will happen throughout the book, they anticipate and wait to see how certain events will play out. Additionally, because chronological order plays no significant role in the story, the audience has no idea when an event will occur. This direct foreshadowing is unusual though very effective in keeping the reader engaged in the story.
Slaughterhouse 5: Billy Pilgrim
"Billy is spastic in time," Page 23
Billy is a very complicated character. At first glance, he seems an innocent and naive young man caught up in a conflict much bigger than himself. However, once he begins his time travel, he sees the world in a whole new perspective. He no longer fears death or its consequences. Many times throughout the story I wondered if Billy was simply insane, and that none of this was real at all. It could possibly be a consequence of post traumatic stress syndrome, since many time travels are associated with terrible events, such as the war, or the death of his wife which caused him to go public about his experiences with the Tralfamadorians. His mental delirium could be a side effect of the terrible events in his life. He remained much too calm during his time as a prisoner of war, and perhaps hallucinations are an outlet for his fear.
Billy is a very complicated character. At first glance, he seems an innocent and naive young man caught up in a conflict much bigger than himself. However, once he begins his time travel, he sees the world in a whole new perspective. He no longer fears death or its consequences. Many times throughout the story I wondered if Billy was simply insane, and that none of this was real at all. It could possibly be a consequence of post traumatic stress syndrome, since many time travels are associated with terrible events, such as the war, or the death of his wife which caused him to go public about his experiences with the Tralfamadorians. His mental delirium could be a side effect of the terrible events in his life. He remained much too calm during his time as a prisoner of war, and perhaps hallucinations are an outlet for his fear.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)