Entry #10: The Brothers Karamazo

CHAPTER 5:

     "Rosewater said an interesting thing to Billy one time about a book that wasn't science fiction.  He said that everything there was to know about life could be found in The Brothers Karamazo, by Fedor Dostoevsky.  'But that isn't enough any more,' said Rosewater." (page 101)
     

     
     When I read this short passage I almost thought nothing of it.  However, I remembered that Vonnegut has a purpose for every reference he makes in his book.  Even though he didn't explain what he meant by this passage, I knew it had to hold a deeper meaning.  When I researched this book the online summary from "The Literature Network" said, "This novel explores the big questions of life through the story of a highly dysfunctional "family": three sons basically neglected and abandoned by their father Fyodor."  Wikipedia stated that the book, "The Brothers Karamazov is a passionate philosophical novel that enters deeply into the ethical debates of God, free will and morality. It is a spiritual drama of moral struggles concerning faith, doubt, and reason, set against a modernizing Russia."  
     From my research of the novel, I understood what Vonnegut meant by the passage above.  The Brothers Karamazo gives the answers to some of the most difficult questions to answer in life.  It is a book meant to inspire people to live better lives, for it gives you the answers on how to do it.  However, those answers aren't enough anymore.  The answers won't change anything.  They can't change how people act, nor can they change the world because, the world has moved beyond reason: wars are being fought by children, humans are mutilating one another, horrors upon horrors are occurring.  Answers are worthless when people stop asking the questions, words are powerless unless action aids them, and nothing will ever change unless people are moved to action.        

Entry #9: A Theme

CHAPTER 5:

     As I was been reading Slaughterhouse-Five this morning, I noticed that I don't remember the original time period the book began in.  Vonnegut has had the character Billy Pilgrim travel back and forward in times so much throughout the novel, that's I've lost track of the timeline of Billy's life.  In most novels, events happen in sequential order with the occasional flashbacks.  Vonnegut breaks this norm and has the book switching time periods unpredictably.  Sequential order seems to become chaotic order.  Vonnegut does this intentionally to help convey an important theme to his readers.

     Throughout the novel Vonnegut uses the Tralfamadorians to express that the past, present, and future occur simultaneously.  They tell Billy that, "What we love in our books are the depths of many marvelous moments seen all at one time." (page 88) Another time, while Billy is on display in their zoo, they tell him, "...Ignore the awful times, and concentrate on the good ones." (page117) The Tralfamadorians have continuously made remarks like this in the previous chapters.  Vonnegut is using them to express the theme: The good times of life are worth remembering, for the bad can do nothing but tear you down.   

Entry #8: The Women of WW2

CHAPTER 4:

     "When bombers got back to their base, the steel cylinders were taken from the racks and shipped back to the United States of America, where factories were operating night and day, dismantling the cylinders, separating the dangerous contents into minerals.  Touchingly, it was mainly women who did this work." (page 74-75)

     In the U.S. the role of women became more independent after World War I.  They worked as secretaries or nurses or shop assistants, etc.  However, even though women showed that they were capable of more than housework, society's view of them did not change after the war and many went back to housework when the men reclaimed their old jobs.  The same is true for what happened during WWII, however, this time it helped ignite the women's rights movement of the 1950's and 60's.

     With men unable to man the factories women stepped up to help.  They worked on assembly lines helping to create a variety of war supplies such as weapons, uniforms, ammunition, etc.  They also joined the army, becoming nurses, pilots, spies, etc.  Women had a vital role in WWII that is usually overlooked.  Although the government encouraged women to take over the jobs of the men that left, their opinion of them did not change after the war ended.  Women were expected to, as many did after WWI, to return to the housework.  Society still refused to recognize their value outside of the home.  However, many women were not of the same opinion.  During the Civil Rights Movement of the 50's and 60's women would gain the right to vote, hold public office, and all of the rights that had been denied to them previously.   

     

Entry #7: A Mood

CHAPTER 4:

POWs would arrive at prisons in boxcars such as these.

     Billy Pilgrim finds himself back as a prisoner of the Germans in World War II.  He and the other prisoners from his boxcar, finally arrived at the prison in which they would be held.  Pilgrim described the atmosphere of the room by saying, "somewhere a dog barked.  With the help of fear and echoes and winter silences, that dog had a voice like a big bronze gong."  His words indicate that the room was in complete silence.  No one spoke because they were to afraid of either the consequences of speaking or because they were contemplating their fate.  Vonnegut's choice of words create a mood of despair and apprehension.

American soldiers being forced to stand under a shower, that they had no control of,  by Germans.

     Vonnegut expands on the mood of Pilgrim's and the other prisoners' of war (POWs) experience by describing, "the naked Americans took their places under many showerheads along a white-tiled wall.  There was no faucets they could control.  They could only wait for whatever was coming." (page 84)  These words show that the POWs had lost control of their fate and were at the complete mercy of the Germans.  The hopelessness and humiliation these once proud soldiers must have felt is even painful for the reader to imagine.  Vonnegut expanded the mood to include not only despair and apprehension, but also embarrassment.  Vonnegut successfully uses these powerful moods in his story to make a lasting impact on the reader and to accurately describe his own experiences.

Entry #6: Inspiration

  CHAPTER 3:

    "Billy had a framed prayer on his office wall which expressed his method for keeping going, even though he was unenthusiastic about living.  A lot of patients who saw the prayer on Billy's wall told him that it helped them to keep going, too.  It went like this:    

GOD GRANT ME

THE SERENITY TO ACCEPT

THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE,

COURAGE

TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN,

AND WISDOM ALWAYS

TO TELL THE

DIFFERENCE

Among the things Billy Pilgrim could not change were the past, present, and the future." (page 60)  

     In our lives today, many people use inspirational quotes to motivate themselves in every aspect of their lives, whether its to do well on a test or making it through a bad day.  Our society craves those little sayings of inspiration, because they reinforce our confidence in ourselves.  The inspirational words tell us that we are not alone and that there are others like us who need the same encouragement in life as we do.

     Music, is one way our society inspires people.  The lyrics of a song are not just empty words, they have depth and meaning behind them.  They song, Fireworks, by Katy Perry inspires people to be themselves because, even though they might not believe it, they are capable of so much more than they think.  The song begins by identifying with the people Perry intends to inspire:

"Do you ever feel like a plastic bag

Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin

Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?"

     By creating a bond with the listener, the song has a much deeper impact on them because, the lyrics apply to their life and gives them the confidence boost they need to continue with their lives.  Perry goes on to sing words of encouragement:

"You don't have to feel like a waste of space

You're original, cannot be replaced

If you only knew what the future holds

After a hurricane comes a rainbow"

     Every word of Perry's song is intended to inspire her listeners to not doubt themselves and to recognize their worth.  She also wants them to know that they are not alone, even though they may feel like they are.  

     Vonnegut uses the character of Billy Pilgrim to connect with the reader.  Pilgrim experiences many of the same feelings that millions of people around the world also experience.  By creating this bond with the reader, Vonnegut makes his message have an even greater impact on us. 

To view the full song, click on the following link below:

Fireworks by Katy Perry

Entry #5: A Metaphor

CHAPTER 3:       

     Vonnegut uses the metaphor, "through the valley flowed a Mississippi of humiliated Americans," (page 64) to help the reader visualize the scene of American prisoners being transported by the Germans to box cars.  Vonnegut chooses to use the word, "Mississippi" as a way to depict how the Americans are moving.  The Mississippi River is known for being the largest river system in North America.  By comparing a group of soldiers to this river, Vonnegut is saying that through the valley, walked a huge mass of humiliated Americans.  By using a metaphor in his writing, Vonnegut draws the reader into the story and creates a vivid dramatization of the scene Billy Pilgrim is witnessing.

An American prisoner of war from World War II.

        Vonnegut continues with using the river as a metaphor when he writes, "Billy and his group joined the river of humiliation..." (page 64).  The river represents the thousands of American prisoners, who were captured by the Germans.  These prisoners were forced to walk with their hands above their heads and a few had shackles on their feet.  The Americans were embarrassed for not only being captured, but also because they were spit upon and jeered at by the Germans they passed.  Billy Pilgrim and Roland Weary joined this group, and eventually they, and the other prisoners, were divided into box cars that would transport them into the heart of Germany.

Entry #4: Language

CHAPTER 2:

"Roland Weary and the scout were safe in a ditch and Weary growled at Billy, 'Get out of the road, you dumb motherfucker.'  The last word was still a novelty in the speech of white people in 1944."  (page 34)

     The term, "motherfucker," is not uncommon to hear among the younger generation in our present society.  Although it's still considered a curse word, more people are using it as apart of their everyday language.  However, it wasn't always this way.  The passage from page 34 is evidence that vernacular language is constantly developing and changing over time.
     The English language is a prime example of this.  All over the world different dialects of English are being spoken.  The reason for this, is that the English language developed differently in each location it was spoken at.  The origin of languages is unknown, however it is clear that language reflects the culture of a people.  Language is how a society expresses its ideas, thoughts, passions, etc.  Different words convey different meanings.  Each society has a unique way of expressing itself, which is why language varies from region to region and from generation to generation.

Entry #3: A Refrain

CHAPTER 2:

          In chapter 2 Vonnegut introduces a character by the name of Billy Pilgrim.  Billy claims to have been abducted by aliens called, Tralfamadorians.  These aliens can see in four dimensions and teach Billy that a person never really dies for the past, present, and future all co-exist simultaneously.  It is this teaching that leads Billy to view tragedies with such a blasé attitude.  As Billy tells his daughter, "When I myself hear that somebody is dead, I simply shrug and say what the Tralfamadorians say about dead people, which is 'So it goes.'"

A Tralfamadorian

    Vonnegut uses the refrain, "So it goes" throughout the entirety of the novel.  These three words appear after Vonnegut describes something of a tragic nature.  The refrain symbolizes that humans can do nothing to control the events around them and that they should not spend time mourning these events.  Billy begins writing to the News Leader, which published his letters.  Billy believes that he is revealing a truth to society that will save them from the pain of suffering.

Entry #2: War

CHAPTER 1:

“Well, I know.  You’ll pretend you were men instead of babies, and you’ll be played in the movies by Frank Sinatra and John Wayne or some of those other glamorous, war-loving, dirty old men.  And war will look just wonderful, so we’ll have a lot more of them.  And they’ll be fought by babies like the babies upstairs,” said Mary O’Hare. (page14)

            When I read this quote I was struck by the truth behind it.  Our society glorifies war through media, whether its movies or songs or books.  The characters are deemed to be “war heroes” and in return we idolize them.  Movies, in particular, focus on showing scenes of bravery and triumph.  The audience hardly ever sees scenes depicting cowardice and defeat.  The reason for this is simple; people do not want to have such a horrible and scary truth on their conscious.  The common saying, “ignorance is bliss,” describes this perfectly.

            The majority of people do not know, nor will they ever know, how truly horrible war is.  The government and the media tend to hide the true horrors from us.  So many soldiers come home from the war suffering from PTSD, which is a testament to how little we understand of what truly goes on in the battlefield.  Vonnegut, a veteran, wrote his book to enlighten society on a side of war that the majority of people never see.

Entry #1: An Allusion

CHAPTER 1:

“People aren’t supposed to look back.  I’m certainly not going to do it anymore.  I’ve finished my war book now.  The next one I write is going to be fun.  This one is a failure, and had to be, since it was written by a pillar of salt.” (page 22)  Kurt Vonnegut uses the allusion of a “pillar of salt” to set the tone for the rest of the novel. 

“A pillar of salt” alludes to the Old Testament story of Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt after she disobeyed God and looked back upon His destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Lot’s wife symbolizes that humans should not look back on his or her sins, for one cannot move forward on the path of righteousness if one is focusing the past.

Depiction of Lot and his wife fleeing Sodom and Gomorrah.

 Vonnegut compares himself to Lot’s wife, looking back upon the destruction of Dresden.  Instead of forgetting his horrible experiences and moving on with his life, he is focusing on the past.  The past, which damaged and scarred a society that has just begun to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and is still mourning the loss of their loved ones.  Vonnegut recognizes that his story is to be a failure, because he is not bringing hope to a nation that is wanting to move onto a better future, like that of Lot and his family.  Instead, Vonnegut is like Lot’s wife, the only one who looks back at the horror and remembers it.  He sets a tone of despair for the rest of the novel to follow.