Reading Response 3

After reading and discussing Vonnegut’s Sluaghterhouse 5, and also doing my own investigation into the Dresden fire bombings, I’ve come to understand the scope, and in what context the bombings had occurred.  These were senseless attacks targeting civilians at the end of a long and taxing war.  It was a horrific event that ultimatley served no purpose other than to rack up a higher death tole.  Coincidentaly, the novel or subject of the Dresden firebombings didn’t need any sort of recorded history by way of Vonnegut until more than 20 years later, at the height of a war with Vietnam.  What was said about the senselesness of the Dresden firebombings can also be said about the entire Vietnam war.  We entered Vietnam on the premise of communism containment, and proceeded to lose thousands of needless lives before deciding that we need not concern ourselves with policing the world.  It is because of this connection of the senseless nature of both events that Vonnegut chooses Dresden as his vehicle for addressing Vietnam.

This novel is difficult to pinpoint the author’s exact motivation for writing.  I didn’t get the cautionary vibe, and it was written in a omniscent perspective, where the storyteller Billy Pilgrim new all of what was happening around him.  I feel I need to draw a distinction between what I feel Vonnegut’s stance toward war is, and what part of war he has a problem with.  As I stated in my blog previously, I think Vonegut’s true feelings are reflected thru the Tralfamadore’s, who believe that their will always be war, and it’s better to focus on the good times and just know their will be bad as well.

I find it strange that, given the specific events in SH5 and the subject matter the novel was addressing concerning Vietnam, that the novel completely errors on the soft side as far a recounting events go.  We were asked to pick an affect, so I would like to address the pervading mood throughout the novel.  Billy Pilgrim is able to keep his spirits high even in the midst of his hardship’s.  Billy has a daughter who is overbearing, has seen much death, been in a plane crash, witnessed the Dresden bombing while being a prisoner of war, was subjected to horribly inhumane treatment on his quest, and on top of all that was abducted by aliens.  Yet through all of these events, Billy has a steady calm about his demeanor.

Let’s talk about the Tralfamadorian’s, who’s race allows them to see in 4 dimensions.  In SH5, being able to see in 4 dimensions and swing sporadically through time were never veiwed as inconvenient, however seeing in only human 3 dimensions was seen as restricted.  I will attempt to draw the connection between Vonnegut’s experience in Dresden, and the added perspective (4th dimension) needed to understand the difference between necessary and unnecessary war.  Maybe this concept goes hand in hand with Billy Pilgrims profession of Optmetry.  Vonnegut/Pilgrim take it upon themselves to help people understand the overall meaning of war.

Slaughter House 5

I would like to discuss how Slaughter House 5 was written in such a subtle way, given that the Dresden bombing was one of the most horrific massacre’s in European history.  The book is written about a gruesome event, but is managed in such a way as not to evoke any emotion from the reader.  This is not written as a eulogy or even a documentation of events, put rather relies on the characters to develop the reality of WWII and the Dresden bombings.  Vonnegut didn’t even take the liberty of having Billy Pilgrim, while with the Tralfamadorian’s and Montana Wildhack, describe Dresden as he himself witnessed the experience.  Instead Billy Pilgrim makes a metaphor with the moon, and how Dresden appeared to have moon craters.  And after his long tail of war and hardship and death, the only thing to say is poo-tee-weet??

I actually had an idea about what the Tralfamadorian’s were supposed to be, and how they fit into the greater story.   Vonnegut had to have a reason why he wrote Slaughter House 5, and as you read it, its kind of hard to pick out.   I think the Tralfamadorian’s represent Vonnegut’s own theories about life, war, and how he deals with each.