"' I suppose they will all want dignity."' pg 212
Yes, yes we do. That's incredibly accurate as well. We are currently (as of 10:50 pm) at 6,840,507,003 and it's safe to asume that we all want dignity. Is that too much to ask for? Vonnegut makes it sound like an absurd request. From this we can assume that it is. Of the almost 7 billion of us, we have to conclude that some will be killed inhumanely, murdered, or abandoned and left for dead. However, that's not a nice thought to think about. Vonnegut has used this whole book to ake the reader think he would go into detail about a very unpleasant mark in history: the attack at Dresden, but it never really came. It's not a nice thought to think about, but it still happened. I feel like this quote should be continued to say "They will learn soon enough." If this book has taught me anything, it's that it's time for me to pop my bubble filled with happy thoughts and peace and innocence. I mean I want dignity, but it's not really innate. the other 6,840,507,002 people out there have to decide that they want to give dignity to me. In this world, I don't know if I can see this happening. Thank you Kurt Vonnegut, for making me cynical. I'm going to go to bed, talk to some alien friends, and pretend like this never happened.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Slaughterhouse five 9
"Still- if I am going to spend eternity visiting this moment and that, I'm grateful that so many of those moments were nice." pg 211
Did I miss something? What was the nice part of the book? I find it to be spectacular that Vonnegut can still see good in the world after all he witnessed in Europe. I really don't think I could ever understand that the good overwhelmingly outweighs the bad if I ever witnessed a war. I guess forever encompasses much more than just the war. Maybe the emotional trauma of the war fades over time. However, I think this part could never be understood by someone who hasn't served in the armed forces. Unless that is, they have visited Tralfamadore where the inhabitants do not spend their time dwelling on death and negative events. I ask again, is their any correlation between Billy's life and Vonnegut's? Maybe the man just has an alias.
Did I miss something? What was the nice part of the book? I find it to be spectacular that Vonnegut can still see good in the world after all he witnessed in Europe. I really don't think I could ever understand that the good overwhelmingly outweighs the bad if I ever witnessed a war. I guess forever encompasses much more than just the war. Maybe the emotional trauma of the war fades over time. However, I think this part could never be understood by someone who hasn't served in the armed forces. Unless that is, they have visited Tralfamadore where the inhabitants do not spend their time dwelling on death and negative events. I ask again, is their any correlation between Billy's life and Vonnegut's? Maybe the man just has an alias.
Slaughter house five 8
"'I could carve a better man out of a banana.'" Theodore Roosevelt pg 184
Billy Pilgrim is what we would label an antihero, in that nothing about his appearance or actions resembles any hero that I have ever read about. However, in order to have a hero there must be action and this book has none. Both the writer, Vonnegut, and his main character, Billy, skillfully avoid all major climactic events. But remember, both men served in war. That alone is far more heroic than anything I have ever done or probably will ever do. Soldiers seem to get overlooked if they don't make some heroic kill or sacrifice themselves to save others. Even Rumfoord, a fellow veteran, looks down on Billy simply because he is delusional. Billy's delusions do not lessen his time overseas to me. Billy's a man because he went to war, even if he did it in a toga.
Billy Pilgrim is what we would label an antihero, in that nothing about his appearance or actions resembles any hero that I have ever read about. However, in order to have a hero there must be action and this book has none. Both the writer, Vonnegut, and his main character, Billy, skillfully avoid all major climactic events. But remember, both men served in war. That alone is far more heroic than anything I have ever done or probably will ever do. Soldiers seem to get overlooked if they don't make some heroic kill or sacrifice themselves to save others. Even Rumfoord, a fellow veteran, looks down on Billy simply because he is delusional. Billy's delusions do not lessen his time overseas to me. Billy's a man because he went to war, even if he did it in a toga.
Slaughterhouse five 7
"There were to be no moon men at all." pg 180
How terribly ironic that Vonnegut writes this, and now in 2012 NASA has cancelled all moon exploration. There are literally no moon men. However, that's not what the quote's about (unless it is. In which case, Vonnegut is a genius or a psychic). The Dresden attack came with the intent to kill all. Moreover, war was created to eventually kill all. This is an anti-war novel after all. Once again, Vonngeut reminds us how war effects more than just the soldiers who die in battle. Not to get all political, but Vonnegut suggests that we have always been told about war is a lie. We think wars our country fights start with an intent to protect civilians at home, which they have considering only the Civil War has been fought on American soil since the founding of this country. But is that just a coincidence? Is it only a matter of time before wars come over here and civilians like us die? Vonnegut would say yes. The novel goes on to say American fighter planes shot at Billy, an American soldier.
How terribly ironic that Vonnegut writes this, and now in 2012 NASA has cancelled all moon exploration. There are literally no moon men. However, that's not what the quote's about (unless it is. In which case, Vonnegut is a genius or a psychic). The Dresden attack came with the intent to kill all. Moreover, war was created to eventually kill all. This is an anti-war novel after all. Once again, Vonngeut reminds us how war effects more than just the soldiers who die in battle. Not to get all political, but Vonnegut suggests that we have always been told about war is a lie. We think wars our country fights start with an intent to protect civilians at home, which they have considering only the Civil War has been fought on American soil since the founding of this country. But is that just a coincidence? Is it only a matter of time before wars come over here and civilians like us die? Vonnegut would say yes. The novel goes on to say American fighter planes shot at Billy, an American soldier.
Slaughterhouse five 6
"Whenever the doorbell rings, have somebody else answer the door." pg 141
What an awful way to live. Knowing that one day you will be killed, but being paranoid until it actually happens. On second thought, that's how a lot of people live, even if they haven't been directly threatened, especially war veterans. The men who have served for our country will always remember what seeing death was like, and a small part of them will always worry that death is knocking at their door. Vonnegut uses Lazzaro's direct approach to remind the reader that for the soldiers in the slaughterhouse, the war won't be over when they leave Dresden. As we read through Billy's life, much of the tumult occurs after they have come home. Sure, most don't have to worry about murderers stalking their every move, but they don't know that. To some veterans it's as if the war never ended even though they're back home living a seemingly normal life. Such men, like Billy Pilgrim in a way, never left the war at all. That's a terrible way to live.
What an awful way to live. Knowing that one day you will be killed, but being paranoid until it actually happens. On second thought, that's how a lot of people live, even if they haven't been directly threatened, especially war veterans. The men who have served for our country will always remember what seeing death was like, and a small part of them will always worry that death is knocking at their door. Vonnegut uses Lazzaro's direct approach to remind the reader that for the soldiers in the slaughterhouse, the war won't be over when they leave Dresden. As we read through Billy's life, much of the tumult occurs after they have come home. Sure, most don't have to worry about murderers stalking their every move, but they don't know that. To some veterans it's as if the war never ended even though they're back home living a seemingly normal life. Such men, like Billy Pilgrim in a way, never left the war at all. That's a terrible way to live.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Slaughterhouse- five 5
"He had already seen a lot of their marriage, thanks to time-travel, knew that it was going to be atleast bearable all the way." pg 120
I feel so bad for this guy! Nothing can be new and exciting because he sees it all before it happens! Where's the joy in that? No wonder he has no emotion! Better question, what would drive a girl to marry such a crazy man? And if he time-travels so much, why doesn't he just change the way things play out? He has the ability to rewrite his whole life as he sees fit! One would think he'd open up to his wife because he's been to the future and knows that what she wants. But no, that would be the right thing to do. The main character never does the right thing this early in the book. Billy still has half of a book to screw up, hide emotions, and vaguely talk about a war. Maybe by the end he might write a whole paragraph about Dresden. I can dream.
Last question to ponder: Do you think Billy knows the difference between traveling in time and actually living in that time?
I feel so bad for this guy! Nothing can be new and exciting because he sees it all before it happens! Where's the joy in that? No wonder he has no emotion! Better question, what would drive a girl to marry such a crazy man? And if he time-travels so much, why doesn't he just change the way things play out? He has the ability to rewrite his whole life as he sees fit! One would think he'd open up to his wife because he's been to the future and knows that what she wants. But no, that would be the right thing to do. The main character never does the right thing this early in the book. Billy still has half of a book to screw up, hide emotions, and vaguely talk about a war. Maybe by the end he might write a whole paragraph about Dresden. I can dream.
Last question to ponder: Do you think Billy knows the difference between traveling in time and actually living in that time?
Slaughterhou-five 4
"'She upset Billy simply by being his mother. She made him feel embarrassed and ungrateful and weak because she had gone to so much trouble to give him life, and to keep that life going, and Billy didn't really like life at all."' pg 102
Just when I thought I had figured Billy out, he shows deeper reasoning than sane people. I've never been anywhere near a war and I still don't give my mom any credit for simply being my mother. Anways, I am adding depression to Billy's list of psychological disorders. Most war men come back feeling manly and tough and rugged, but not Billy. He just hates life. He always seems to hate love. Everyone knows mothers don't think like that. Just as Billy refuses to feel the extreme emotions attached to death, he rejects the thought of love. He doesn't even acknowledge his mother's love. This worries me. I hope this isn't some suicide novel.
Just when I thought I had figured Billy out, he shows deeper reasoning than sane people. I've never been anywhere near a war and I still don't give my mom any credit for simply being my mother. Anways, I am adding depression to Billy's list of psychological disorders. Most war men come back feeling manly and tough and rugged, but not Billy. He just hates life. He always seems to hate love. Everyone knows mothers don't think like that. Just as Billy refuses to feel the extreme emotions attached to death, he rejects the thought of love. He doesn't even acknowledge his mother's love. This worries me. I hope this isn't some suicide novel.
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