Slaughterhouse Five
Kurt Vonnegut
It's very clear that the Narrator wanted to write a book about Dresden; however, he couldn't remember enough to make it a full novel. Even with the aid of O'Hare and a visit to Dresden, the Narrator just couldn't think of enough ideas to write a full length novel. However, his memory of the general war did seem to hold true. He remembered a man named Billy Pilgrim, and decided to make a book about him. Being around a character like Billy Pilgrim must have been quite strange for a soldier, since Billy was frail, awkward, reserved, and timid. These characterizations coupled with Billy's odd choice of clothing throughout the war made it easy for soldiers, primarily our Narrator, to assume Billy was a loony tune. Billy became the Narrator's key to writing about Dresden, yet having a plot line interesting enough to attract readers. Factually, Billy "and the rest were being marched into the ruins by the guards. [The Narrator] was there. O'Hare was there" (Vonnegut 212). Billy not only was part of the Dresden events, but he was weird enough to become an attractive main character for any author. Billy may or may not have actually time-traveled, but it nevertheless kept the reader interested long enough to learn about Dresden. In conlcusion, I'm out this game.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Slaughterhouse Five: Symbolism
Slaughterhouse Five
Kurt Vonnegut
At the beginning of the book, the Narrator claims that he wanted to write a book about the disaster at Dresden that told the truth. The Narrator's frustration is symbolized by the character of Rumfoord. He is portrayed as a stereotypical aristocrat, a wealthy aged man who spends his money to make himself appear more intelligent. He has seen only a few things on Dresden, but has firm opinions about the subject despite not knowing what really happened there. Billy's predicament in the hospital bed personifies the Narrator's attitude of helplessness. The narrator wanted to write a fantastic novel that would answer any questions about Dresden, but his memory just couldn't make his dream a reality. Even when Billy wants to correct Rumfoord, all he can manage to say was that he was at Dresden. Rumfoord is so shocked that he believe Billy's " 'simply echoing things we say...he's got echolalia now' " (Vonnegut 192). I think the Narrator had tried to make a shorter book about Dresden, and tried to sell the book to publishers. However, the pompous, disbelieving publishers assumed that the narrator wasn't credible, and ignored his account about Dresden. Because of this, the narrator had to change the plot of his book into a sex-filled, alien-involved, time-travel adventure to get it on the shelves.
Kurt Vonnegut
At the beginning of the book, the Narrator claims that he wanted to write a book about the disaster at Dresden that told the truth. The Narrator's frustration is symbolized by the character of Rumfoord. He is portrayed as a stereotypical aristocrat, a wealthy aged man who spends his money to make himself appear more intelligent. He has seen only a few things on Dresden, but has firm opinions about the subject despite not knowing what really happened there. Billy's predicament in the hospital bed personifies the Narrator's attitude of helplessness. The narrator wanted to write a fantastic novel that would answer any questions about Dresden, but his memory just couldn't make his dream a reality. Even when Billy wants to correct Rumfoord, all he can manage to say was that he was at Dresden. Rumfoord is so shocked that he believe Billy's " 'simply echoing things we say...he's got echolalia now' " (Vonnegut 192). I think the Narrator had tried to make a shorter book about Dresden, and tried to sell the book to publishers. However, the pompous, disbelieving publishers assumed that the narrator wasn't credible, and ignored his account about Dresden. Because of this, the narrator had to change the plot of his book into a sex-filled, alien-involved, time-travel adventure to get it on the shelves.
Slaughterhouse Five: Where in the world is Billy San Diego?
Slaughterhouse Five
Kurt Vonnegut
Billy is constantly time-traveling, but he has to be time traveling from some location. Upon first thought, i would say Billy is located in the war. He is usually referring back to the war after and before other time-traveling experiences. However, the war was early in his life, so how would he even have the concept of time travel if he hadn't come across the Tralfamadorians?!This is why Billy has to be on Tralfamadore during all his time-travels. This is proven when "He traveled in time back to Tralfamadore. 'Time-traveling again?' said Montana" (Vonnegut 207). If Billy had time traveled enough for (I suppose his temporary wife) Montana to notice, then that would suggest he had been traveling frequently through time while on the planet. If Billy is actually on Tralfamadore, this can explain why he acts so Tralfamadorian. Being in contact with his captors while reliving his whole life through time-travel would have an effect on a person. Billy acts much less sad, and treats everything as if there is a higher purpose. For the recent time being, Tralfamadorian ideals are all Billy knows, so he believes his views are always right and is reserved and content when silly people think he is crazy.
Kurt Vonnegut
Billy is constantly time-traveling, but he has to be time traveling from some location. Upon first thought, i would say Billy is located in the war. He is usually referring back to the war after and before other time-traveling experiences. However, the war was early in his life, so how would he even have the concept of time travel if he hadn't come across the Tralfamadorians?!This is why Billy has to be on Tralfamadore during all his time-travels. This is proven when "He traveled in time back to Tralfamadore. 'Time-traveling again?' said Montana" (Vonnegut 207). If Billy had time traveled enough for (I suppose his temporary wife) Montana to notice, then that would suggest he had been traveling frequently through time while on the planet. If Billy is actually on Tralfamadore, this can explain why he acts so Tralfamadorian. Being in contact with his captors while reliving his whole life through time-travel would have an effect on a person. Billy acts much less sad, and treats everything as if there is a higher purpose. For the recent time being, Tralfamadorian ideals are all Billy knows, so he believes his views are always right and is reserved and content when silly people think he is crazy.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Slaughterhouse Five: Who is Mr Narrator?
Slaughterhouse Five
Kurt Vonnegut
In chapter one, the Narrator speaks directly to the reader in first person, but maintains (mostly) third person narration while telling the tale of Billy Pilgrim. In the last chapter of the book, the Narrator returns to first person, telling the reader about his adventures he went on with his buddy O'Hare. Why tell a story through Billy Pilgrim, if the Narrator's intention was to speak truthfully about Dresden? In fact, the narrator doesn't reveal any facts he himself learned from Dresden, he only explains the scene through Billy's eyes. Even when the Narrator flies to Dresden, he almost immediately says "Billy Pilgrim was meanwhile traveling back to Dresden, too, but...in 1945" (Vonnegut 212). My theory on the structure of this book lies within the memory of the Narrator. he himself says he has a very hazy memory, so he couldn't remember most of Dresden. His war buddy O'Hare also had a shaky grasp on the past. Because of a lack of solid proof, the Narrator created a fictional Billy Pilgrim to relive the events for the Narrator. Dresden was such a gruesome experience, that the Narrator wanted to convey an accurate message without having a sound memory to back him up. The time traveling allows Billy to relive the war over, and over again. The war has desensitized him, and he hates it. Being able to see his whole life, while having the war as a strong memory, makes Billy's life empty, and he feels nothing when his loved ones die around him.
Kurt Vonnegut
In chapter one, the Narrator speaks directly to the reader in first person, but maintains (mostly) third person narration while telling the tale of Billy Pilgrim. In the last chapter of the book, the Narrator returns to first person, telling the reader about his adventures he went on with his buddy O'Hare. Why tell a story through Billy Pilgrim, if the Narrator's intention was to speak truthfully about Dresden? In fact, the narrator doesn't reveal any facts he himself learned from Dresden, he only explains the scene through Billy's eyes. Even when the Narrator flies to Dresden, he almost immediately says "Billy Pilgrim was meanwhile traveling back to Dresden, too, but...in 1945" (Vonnegut 212). My theory on the structure of this book lies within the memory of the Narrator. he himself says he has a very hazy memory, so he couldn't remember most of Dresden. His war buddy O'Hare also had a shaky grasp on the past. Because of a lack of solid proof, the Narrator created a fictional Billy Pilgrim to relive the events for the Narrator. Dresden was such a gruesome experience, that the Narrator wanted to convey an accurate message without having a sound memory to back him up. The time traveling allows Billy to relive the war over, and over again. The war has desensitized him, and he hates it. Being able to see his whole life, while having the war as a strong memory, makes Billy's life empty, and he feels nothing when his loved ones die around him.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Slaughterhouse Five: Who is Rosewater?
Slaughterhouse Five
Kurt Vonnegut
Within one of Billy's "instances," he is located in a veteran's hospital, and the reader meets Eliot Rosewater. Both men suffer some mental ailments, but they are normal enough to carry on thoughtful conversation. The interesting thing about Rosewater is that he is interested in Science Fiction, more specifically things dealing with aliens and the unexplainable. The meeting of Rosewater happens to Billy chronologically before meeting the Tralfamadorians, but since Billy has already lived many moments of his life, Billy knows all about the aliens. What is a coincidence is that Rosewater explains that life is mostly in the fourth dimension, much like how the Tralfamadorians lived their lives. Rosewater said "that there really were werewolves and goblins and angels and so on, but that they were in the fourth dimension" (Vonnegut 104). Now maybe it is the author who has met the Tralfamadorians and is relaying his knowledge through these books, but, despite Rosewater's attempts, the author doesn't seem to exist. Rosewater believes he is the only person to hear about his favorite author, yet has no idea how to reach him in order to thank him. Either the author has a similar life to Billy, or Billy never really met the Tralfamadorians Instead, Billy got all of his notions of 4th dimensional life from the books and Rosewater, and explains it all by saying aliens abducted him.
Kurt Vonnegut
Within one of Billy's "instances," he is located in a veteran's hospital, and the reader meets Eliot Rosewater. Both men suffer some mental ailments, but they are normal enough to carry on thoughtful conversation. The interesting thing about Rosewater is that he is interested in Science Fiction, more specifically things dealing with aliens and the unexplainable. The meeting of Rosewater happens to Billy chronologically before meeting the Tralfamadorians, but since Billy has already lived many moments of his life, Billy knows all about the aliens. What is a coincidence is that Rosewater explains that life is mostly in the fourth dimension, much like how the Tralfamadorians lived their lives. Rosewater said "that there really were werewolves and goblins and angels and so on, but that they were in the fourth dimension" (Vonnegut 104). Now maybe it is the author who has met the Tralfamadorians and is relaying his knowledge through these books, but, despite Rosewater's attempts, the author doesn't seem to exist. Rosewater believes he is the only person to hear about his favorite author, yet has no idea how to reach him in order to thank him. Either the author has a similar life to Billy, or Billy never really met the Tralfamadorians Instead, Billy got all of his notions of 4th dimensional life from the books and Rosewater, and explains it all by saying aliens abducted him.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Slaughterhouse Five: Hypothesis two, hazy memory
Slaughterhouse Five
Kurt Vonnegut
Now I know my analysis tends to be wrong on many of these literary works, so I developed a plan B! Basically, this scenario is the most likely reasoning behind Billy's time travel if the Tralfamadorians don't exist. Throughout the novel, the narrator refers to many different objects by describing them with metaphors and similes used to describe the differing objects independently from one another. When Billy's father threw him in the deep end at the pool, he eventually saved Billy and had a watch on his wrist. Billy noticed this because "the watch had a radium dial" (Vonnegut 90). After that flash back, Billy is returned to WWII and he notices the other prisoners of War. He saw that "there were more starving Russians with faces like radium dials" (Vonnegut 91). This sort of coincidence occurs with several other metaphors throughout the book, and they happen so closely together that they must be linked. If he is describing completely separate memories by using the same characteristics, then Billy must have a skewed memory. This line of thinking would suggest that Billy has really lived his entire life, and the telling of this story is simply him trying to recount the events as interestingly as he could. In his old age, he is most likely forgetful, and therefore reuses similar metaphors and similes to describe totally different events, perhaps for emphasis to his story. The idea of aliens abducting him just helps the reader grasp the idea of time travel, when, in actuality, Billy simply reveals different parts of his memory at different times in order to create a suspenseful story!
Kurt Vonnegut
Now I know my analysis tends to be wrong on many of these literary works, so I developed a plan B! Basically, this scenario is the most likely reasoning behind Billy's time travel if the Tralfamadorians don't exist. Throughout the novel, the narrator refers to many different objects by describing them with metaphors and similes used to describe the differing objects independently from one another. When Billy's father threw him in the deep end at the pool, he eventually saved Billy and had a watch on his wrist. Billy noticed this because "the watch had a radium dial" (Vonnegut 90). After that flash back, Billy is returned to WWII and he notices the other prisoners of War. He saw that "there were more starving Russians with faces like radium dials" (Vonnegut 91). This sort of coincidence occurs with several other metaphors throughout the book, and they happen so closely together that they must be linked. If he is describing completely separate memories by using the same characteristics, then Billy must have a skewed memory. This line of thinking would suggest that Billy has really lived his entire life, and the telling of this story is simply him trying to recount the events as interestingly as he could. In his old age, he is most likely forgetful, and therefore reuses similar metaphors and similes to describe totally different events, perhaps for emphasis to his story. The idea of aliens abducting him just helps the reader grasp the idea of time travel, when, in actuality, Billy simply reveals different parts of his memory at different times in order to create a suspenseful story!
Slaughterhouse Five: My Hypothesis
Slaughterhouse Five
Kurt Vonnegut
Billy repeatedly has flashbacks and flashforwards throughout the novel, and claims they have occurred ever since he encountered the Tralfamadorians. The instances (I'm going to call the time-traveling "instances" so i can type less) also happen in the middle of a different time period, and often return to the original time period once the instance has run it's course. My only questions was how would an alien abduction cause such instances to happen with a human? The answer lies within the Tralfamadorians, for they "spend eternity looking at pleasant moments...[and] ignore the awful times, and concentrate on the good ones" (Vonnegut 117). This lifestyle is one that Billy has tried to make his own; however, he can not get a firm grasp on it, for he is imperfect like a human. The Tralfamadorians were praised by Billy (and myself for that matter) as highly intelligent and nearly flawless, and Billy wanted to replicate them in order to make his life more fulfilling. With this thinking, Billy's instances become defined as him attempting to look at his life in moments, specifically the happy moments. Since he is imperfect and flawed, he lives in his bad moments (like the war and his time in the mental hospital) temporarily before he escapes into times that bring him joy and comfort. He can only stay looking at these happy moments for a limited time, before reality pulls him back into the bleakness that his life is in that particular instance. The idea that Billy is mimicking the Tralfamadorians is again supported by his depression the reader sees him in during many of his instances. During his depressing instances, Billy realizes that he isn't perfect enough to only focus on the good moments in life, so he becomes indifferent to his surroundings and does not care how the dismal instance plays out. These are my observations, let's see how close I get to the truth...
Kurt Vonnegut
Billy repeatedly has flashbacks and flashforwards throughout the novel, and claims they have occurred ever since he encountered the Tralfamadorians. The instances (I'm going to call the time-traveling "instances" so i can type less) also happen in the middle of a different time period, and often return to the original time period once the instance has run it's course. My only questions was how would an alien abduction cause such instances to happen with a human? The answer lies within the Tralfamadorians, for they "spend eternity looking at pleasant moments...[and] ignore the awful times, and concentrate on the good ones" (Vonnegut 117). This lifestyle is one that Billy has tried to make his own; however, he can not get a firm grasp on it, for he is imperfect like a human. The Tralfamadorians were praised by Billy (and myself for that matter) as highly intelligent and nearly flawless, and Billy wanted to replicate them in order to make his life more fulfilling. With this thinking, Billy's instances become defined as him attempting to look at his life in moments, specifically the happy moments. Since he is imperfect and flawed, he lives in his bad moments (like the war and his time in the mental hospital) temporarily before he escapes into times that bring him joy and comfort. He can only stay looking at these happy moments for a limited time, before reality pulls him back into the bleakness that his life is in that particular instance. The idea that Billy is mimicking the Tralfamadorians is again supported by his depression the reader sees him in during many of his instances. During his depressing instances, Billy realizes that he isn't perfect enough to only focus on the good moments in life, so he becomes indifferent to his surroundings and does not care how the dismal instance plays out. These are my observations, let's see how close I get to the truth...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)