Slaughterhouse Five
Kurt Vonnegut
Throughout Slaughterhouse Five, religion goes by almost unnoticed by the average reader, yet there are many references which have significance beyond themselves. For example, Billy Pilgrim is described as appearing as though he was crucified while traveling in the train to the camp. Also, Vonnegut reminisces on a crucifix of the Messiah which hung in his room as a child. One of the most important religious references, however, is that of the serenity prayer.
The serenity prayer is found in two different locations in the book: the locket on the chest of Montana Wildhack and on a plaque in Billy's optometry office. The two locations are unrelated besides the fact that they both involve Billy Pilgrim. However, they do connect the reality of Billy's tangible and recognized life with that of the Tralfamadorian fantasy life. Also, it shows the significance of prayer in Billy's life because it is prevalent in two very important memories of his. "People would be surprised if they knew how much in this world was due to prayers" comments Vonnegut (Vonnegut, 195). This short quote helps to further suggest the significance of religion throughout the story, and it also suggests an expansion of this theme to the world beyond the book. By not limiting this insight to the book, Vonnegut reaches out to bring the themes of the book into the lives of its readers.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Slaughterhouse: The Unanswered Question
Slaughterhouse Five
Kurt Vonnegut
"It is so short and jumbled and jangled, Sam, because there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds. And what do the birds say? All there is to say about a massacre, things like "Poo-tee-weet?" (Vonnegut, 13).
At the end of the first chapter, Vonnegut tells the reader how the story is to begin and how the story is to end. True to his word, the story ends with a bird saying "poo-tee-weet?" The significance of this last line, however, is left for the reader to interpret.
Although the above quote at the beginning of the novel helps to give some background as to what the bird noise is supposed to signify, the sound still holds some mystery. The idea that the entire book was written about a horrifying event, yet the author could not comment on the event to conclude the story. This is strange because it seems unlikely that someone would write a book to leave the aftermath of its main subject open for discussion and interpretation. The fact that it is a question, and not a statement, lends to its mysterious nature and allows for greater interpretation. It is almost as if the bird is questioning the reasoning behind the massacre of the Dresden fire-bombing. Perhaps, it was asking why the massacre had not worked as planned and why there were survivors. The most likely interpretation, though, would be one with a negative connotation because of the quote at the beginning of the story. But this seems contradicting because of the setting in which the sound occurs. It is spring which is traditionally a time of rebirth, but it is still a time of great destruction in Dresden. In any matter, the idea of the bird ending the story leaves it open for interpretation and adds to the overall mystery of the event of the Dresden firebombing.
Kurt Vonnegut
"It is so short and jumbled and jangled, Sam, because there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds. And what do the birds say? All there is to say about a massacre, things like "Poo-tee-weet?" (Vonnegut, 13).
At the end of the first chapter, Vonnegut tells the reader how the story is to begin and how the story is to end. True to his word, the story ends with a bird saying "poo-tee-weet?" The significance of this last line, however, is left for the reader to interpret.
Although the above quote at the beginning of the novel helps to give some background as to what the bird noise is supposed to signify, the sound still holds some mystery. The idea that the entire book was written about a horrifying event, yet the author could not comment on the event to conclude the story. This is strange because it seems unlikely that someone would write a book to leave the aftermath of its main subject open for discussion and interpretation. The fact that it is a question, and not a statement, lends to its mysterious nature and allows for greater interpretation. It is almost as if the bird is questioning the reasoning behind the massacre of the Dresden fire-bombing. Perhaps, it was asking why the massacre had not worked as planned and why there were survivors. The most likely interpretation, though, would be one with a negative connotation because of the quote at the beginning of the story. But this seems contradicting because of the setting in which the sound occurs. It is spring which is traditionally a time of rebirth, but it is still a time of great destruction in Dresden. In any matter, the idea of the bird ending the story leaves it open for interpretation and adds to the overall mystery of the event of the Dresden firebombing.
Slaughterhouse: PTSD
Slaughterhouse Five
Kurt Vonnegut
"There are almost no characters in this story, and almost no dramatic confrontations, because most of the people in it are so sick and so much the listless playthings of enormous forces. One of the main effects of war, after all, is that people are discouraged from being characters," (Vonnegut, 183).
Since the beginning of the book, I had wondered whether or not the speaker was entirely mentally sound. The jumbled organization of the book and its constant jumping around from one event to another led me to believe that the speaker had some sort of mental issue. Realizing that this was a war-based novel, I just assumed that the disorder suffered by the speaker was that of post-traumatic stress disorder. He was unable to emotionally relate to others, suffered from drinking problems, and had the need to come to terms with what had happened to him. It was not until the last section of the book that my suspicions were finally confirmed.
Slaughterhouse Five is written with a humorous tone despite the dark subject matter of the book. Vonnegut inadvertently explains this writing style by saying that "I think you guys are going to have to come up with a lot of wonderful new lies, or people just aren't going to want to go on living," (Vonnegut, 167). These "wonderful new lies" take form in Vonnegut's writing style as humor that downplays the significance of the horror of the Dresden firebombing. In the lives of the characters, however, the lie is the self-imposed forced forgetting of war-time terrors. By failing to remember the war, the veterans are lying to themselves in order "to want to go on living."
Kurt Vonnegut
"There are almost no characters in this story, and almost no dramatic confrontations, because most of the people in it are so sick and so much the listless playthings of enormous forces. One of the main effects of war, after all, is that people are discouraged from being characters," (Vonnegut, 183).
Since the beginning of the book, I had wondered whether or not the speaker was entirely mentally sound. The jumbled organization of the book and its constant jumping around from one event to another led me to believe that the speaker had some sort of mental issue. Realizing that this was a war-based novel, I just assumed that the disorder suffered by the speaker was that of post-traumatic stress disorder. He was unable to emotionally relate to others, suffered from drinking problems, and had the need to come to terms with what had happened to him. It was not until the last section of the book that my suspicions were finally confirmed.
Slaughterhouse Five is written with a humorous tone despite the dark subject matter of the book. Vonnegut inadvertently explains this writing style by saying that "I think you guys are going to have to come up with a lot of wonderful new lies, or people just aren't going to want to go on living," (Vonnegut, 167). These "wonderful new lies" take form in Vonnegut's writing style as humor that downplays the significance of the horror of the Dresden firebombing. In the lives of the characters, however, the lie is the self-imposed forced forgetting of war-time terrors. By failing to remember the war, the veterans are lying to themselves in order "to want to go on living."
Slaughterhouse: So It Goes...
Slaughterhouse Five
Kurt Vonnegut
Finally...
Some sort of explanation as to the organization of the novel as well as the infamous phrase "So it goes." Vonnegut, like Billy Pilgrim, looks at time with the Tralfamadorian view; it is all one entity that can be viewed as a whole at any given time. Therefore, “There is no beginning, no middle, no end, no suspense, no moral, no causes, no effects. What we love in our books are the depths of many marvelous moments seen all at one time," (Vonnegut, 186). This quote explains the organization of Slaughterhouse Five better than anything that we have thus far discussed in class. Basically, it is saying that there is no organization to the story; it just is. Thus, the Tralfamadorian view of time is modeled throughout the structure and plot of the book. It explains why Billy is able to transport himself throughout time literally and also why Vonnegut is able to insert brief descriptions of events without introduction or conclusion, almost haphazardly. Also, the revelation of future events takes away from the "suspense" and the "cause" and "effect" of the plot of the story. In essence, the plot of the book just is. It tells a story, but it tells a story in its totality, with all viewed at once, because it is the way it was meant to be viewed.
Kurt Vonnegut
Finally...
Some sort of explanation as to the organization of the novel as well as the infamous phrase "So it goes." Vonnegut, like Billy Pilgrim, looks at time with the Tralfamadorian view; it is all one entity that can be viewed as a whole at any given time. Therefore, “There is no beginning, no middle, no end, no suspense, no moral, no causes, no effects. What we love in our books are the depths of many marvelous moments seen all at one time," (Vonnegut, 186). This quote explains the organization of Slaughterhouse Five better than anything that we have thus far discussed in class. Basically, it is saying that there is no organization to the story; it just is. Thus, the Tralfamadorian view of time is modeled throughout the structure and plot of the book. It explains why Billy is able to transport himself throughout time literally and also why Vonnegut is able to insert brief descriptions of events without introduction or conclusion, almost haphazardly. Also, the revelation of future events takes away from the "suspense" and the "cause" and "effect" of the plot of the story. In essence, the plot of the book just is. It tells a story, but it tells a story in its totality, with all viewed at once, because it is the way it was meant to be viewed.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Slaughterhouse: Flashforwards
Slaughterhouse Five
Kurt Vonnegut
Lucas Jacob used a term in one of his blogs that I thought perfectly described the type of foreshadowing used by Vonnegut in this book: flashforward. The term makes sense because all these visions show something that is yet to happen. It is more than foreshadowing because these events are certain to happen; they are not merely hints of what might occur. These flashforwards are part of the crazy organization of Slaughterhouse Five, which is full of random jumps through time. Throughout most of the time describing Billy's involvement in the war, he flashes forward to his optometry career following his return home from the war. Also, Billy uses these flashforwards to describe events that will occur to other characters in the story. This reflects his ability to see time, and the lives of others, as one span as well. "Derby wouldn't [survive the war]. That good body of his would be filled with holes by a firing squad in Dresden in sixty-eight days," (Vonnegut, 83).
These flashforwards are to the reader what spoilers are to the movie-goer. We are told what is supposed to happen, yet we cannot stop ourselves from continuing to see if it actually happens. Because we are only briefly into the book, we cannot tell whether or not the flashforwards are actually real, but the previous knowledge of the Tralfamadorians leads us to believe that they hold some basis. Oh well, I guess we'll find out!
Kurt Vonnegut
Lucas Jacob used a term in one of his blogs that I thought perfectly described the type of foreshadowing used by Vonnegut in this book: flashforward. The term makes sense because all these visions show something that is yet to happen. It is more than foreshadowing because these events are certain to happen; they are not merely hints of what might occur. These flashforwards are part of the crazy organization of Slaughterhouse Five, which is full of random jumps through time. Throughout most of the time describing Billy's involvement in the war, he flashes forward to his optometry career following his return home from the war. Also, Billy uses these flashforwards to describe events that will occur to other characters in the story. This reflects his ability to see time, and the lives of others, as one span as well. "Derby wouldn't [survive the war]. That good body of his would be filled with holes by a firing squad in Dresden in sixty-eight days," (Vonnegut, 83).
These flashforwards are to the reader what spoilers are to the movie-goer. We are told what is supposed to happen, yet we cannot stop ourselves from continuing to see if it actually happens. Because we are only briefly into the book, we cannot tell whether or not the flashforwards are actually real, but the previous knowledge of the Tralfamadorians leads us to believe that they hold some basis. Oh well, I guess we'll find out!
Slaughterhouse: Juxtaposition
Slaughterhouse Five
Kurt Vonnegut
Throughout the story, there are several instances which are juxtaposed with another occurrence or mirrored by some aspect of another scene. For example, the colors blue and ivory are repeated when describing both Billy's feet in his house and the hook used to prop himself up in the train.
However, one of the major juxtapositions is between Billy Pilgrim's career and his Tralfamadorian view of life. Billy is an optometrist, or a doctor who specializes in the care of sight and eyes. It is slightly ironic, though, that Billy works with sight because his own view of his life is changed as well. Just as he helps his patients to literally see more clearly, the Tralfamadorians helped him to see the truths of life more clearly. At the end of Chapter Five, the two are finally combined to show their relation. "While he examined the boy's eyes, Billy told him matter-of-factly about his adventures on Tralfamadore, assured the fatherless boy that his father was very much alive still in moments the boy would see again and again," (Vonnegut, 135). With this statement, the two types of sights are united: his sight is literally being corrected, but Billy is also correcting his sight of time. The two are one in the same for Billy, and he is unable to separate them.
Kurt Vonnegut
Throughout the story, there are several instances which are juxtaposed with another occurrence or mirrored by some aspect of another scene. For example, the colors blue and ivory are repeated when describing both Billy's feet in his house and the hook used to prop himself up in the train.
However, one of the major juxtapositions is between Billy Pilgrim's career and his Tralfamadorian view of life. Billy is an optometrist, or a doctor who specializes in the care of sight and eyes. It is slightly ironic, though, that Billy works with sight because his own view of his life is changed as well. Just as he helps his patients to literally see more clearly, the Tralfamadorians helped him to see the truths of life more clearly. At the end of Chapter Five, the two are finally combined to show their relation. "While he examined the boy's eyes, Billy told him matter-of-factly about his adventures on Tralfamadore, assured the fatherless boy that his father was very much alive still in moments the boy would see again and again," (Vonnegut, 135). With this statement, the two types of sights are united: his sight is literally being corrected, but Billy is also correcting his sight of time. The two are one in the same for Billy, and he is unable to separate them.
Slaughterhouse: The Understanding of Time and the Concept of Free Will
Slaughterhouse Five
Kurt Vonnegut
"'Take it moment by moment, and you will find that we are all, as I've said before, bugs in amber," (Vonnegut, 86).
When Billy Pilgrim is abducted by the Tralfamadorians, he is introduced to a radically new concept of time. Yet, this new concept cannot be fully explained to him because the Tralfamadorians are not beings who are capable of sufficient explanations. However, this new view of time becomes part of Billy's mentality and affects the organization and the plot of the story in general. For example, the novel jumps from point to point in Billy's life, with the events sometimes being more than a decade apart. There seems to be no transition between these moments which exemplifies the Tralfamadorian idea that time is seen like "a stretch of the Rocky Mountains," without gaps and without a change in view (Vonnegut, 85).
Along with this radical view of time is the radical concept that free will is strictly a human concept. The Tralfamadorians suggest that the idea of free will is something created by the humans to offer an explanation to the inexplicable. The Tralfamadorians believe that everything that is planned to happen, including war, is unavoidable. This helps to justify the phrase "so it goes" which so consistently follows any mention of death, whether literal or figurative. By using such a phrase, the path of time is allowed to continue without question; there was nothing that could have altered the outcome of an event, and, therefore, there is no sense in questioning the cause of the event. This directly affects the character of Billy Pilgrim and gives him his lessez-faire attitude about death and the war.
Kurt Vonnegut
"'Take it moment by moment, and you will find that we are all, as I've said before, bugs in amber," (Vonnegut, 86).
When Billy Pilgrim is abducted by the Tralfamadorians, he is introduced to a radically new concept of time. Yet, this new concept cannot be fully explained to him because the Tralfamadorians are not beings who are capable of sufficient explanations. However, this new view of time becomes part of Billy's mentality and affects the organization and the plot of the story in general. For example, the novel jumps from point to point in Billy's life, with the events sometimes being more than a decade apart. There seems to be no transition between these moments which exemplifies the Tralfamadorian idea that time is seen like "a stretch of the Rocky Mountains," without gaps and without a change in view (Vonnegut, 85).
Along with this radical view of time is the radical concept that free will is strictly a human concept. The Tralfamadorians suggest that the idea of free will is something created by the humans to offer an explanation to the inexplicable. The Tralfamadorians believe that everything that is planned to happen, including war, is unavoidable. This helps to justify the phrase "so it goes" which so consistently follows any mention of death, whether literal or figurative. By using such a phrase, the path of time is allowed to continue without question; there was nothing that could have altered the outcome of an event, and, therefore, there is no sense in questioning the cause of the event. This directly affects the character of Billy Pilgrim and gives him his lessez-faire attitude about death and the war.
Slaughterhouse: Organization
Slaughterhouse Five
Kurt Vonnegut
"Now Billy was starting to get worried about it, about his mind in general. He tried to remember how old he was, couldn't. He tried to remember what year it was. He couldn't remember that either," (Vonnegut, 58).
Continuing with the organization of the first section, the second section is likewise jumbled, choppy, and repetitive. The speaker seems to be recalling memories without regard for how to properly organize these thoughts into a manner appropriate for a book. However, it is important to remember that Billy Pilgrim is not the narrator of his own story. There is an omniscient narrator who is simply telling the life of the man from an outside perspective.
However, it adds to the overall meaning of the work because it allows the reader to experience the journey through the creative process of the author. By writing the novel as it comes to mind, the author is creating a work that is an honest and bare-bones piece of literature. Along with the rawness off the book, too, is the ability for the reader to relate to the struggle of the author to recall the details included in the book. By struggling to even follow along at some points, the reader is able to understand the mentality of the author. With this mentality, the reader gains an insight into a mind that has been ravaged by the terrors of war. The seeming lack of organization purposely causes the reader to associate the mindset of the author with one of a soldier returned from war. It makes the story much more believable and relatable, and it helps to convey the overall tone of the novel.
Kurt Vonnegut
"Now Billy was starting to get worried about it, about his mind in general. He tried to remember how old he was, couldn't. He tried to remember what year it was. He couldn't remember that either," (Vonnegut, 58).
Continuing with the organization of the first section, the second section is likewise jumbled, choppy, and repetitive. The speaker seems to be recalling memories without regard for how to properly organize these thoughts into a manner appropriate for a book. However, it is important to remember that Billy Pilgrim is not the narrator of his own story. There is an omniscient narrator who is simply telling the life of the man from an outside perspective.
However, it adds to the overall meaning of the work because it allows the reader to experience the journey through the creative process of the author. By writing the novel as it comes to mind, the author is creating a work that is an honest and bare-bones piece of literature. Along with the rawness off the book, too, is the ability for the reader to relate to the struggle of the author to recall the details included in the book. By struggling to even follow along at some points, the reader is able to understand the mentality of the author. With this mentality, the reader gains an insight into a mind that has been ravaged by the terrors of war. The seeming lack of organization purposely causes the reader to associate the mindset of the author with one of a soldier returned from war. It makes the story much more believable and relatable, and it helps to convey the overall tone of the novel.
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