CHAPTER 7:
"They wore black wind masks with two holes for their eyes and a red topknot. They looked like golliwogs, like white people pretending to be black for the laughs they could get." (page 156)
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| Golliwog dolls. This doll actually lead to the development of the Raggedy-Anne and Raggedy-Andy dolls. |
When I read this passive I was utterly confused as to what Vonnegut was talking about. I have never seen or heard of the word, "golliwogs" before. I knew that this was an imagery word, however since I didn't know what it meant, the passage held no meaning for me. When I looked up the word I found that is was a reference to a raggedy-ann like doll, except that instead of white skin and red hair it was a black skin and black afro type of doll. With a little more research I learned that the word "golliwog" or the shorter term, "wog,"came to be used as a racial derogative for African Americans.
The doll first came into public appearance when Florence Kate Upton published her book, The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls in 1895. Upton personally illustrated her own children's book and her ugly creation was embraced by the English public. The golliwogg (as it was originally called) was a lovable, but ugly creature. Upton never got a copyright for her creation so it was recreated and the name changed to golliwog. The golliwog became a cherished doll for children's throughout the first half of the 20th century. However when racial tensions rose in the 1960s the use of the golliwog changed.
In books golliwogs were often portrayed as vicious and evil villains. They also were even banned from being sold in some areas. The advocates of the civil rights movement argued that golliwogs damaged the psyche of black and other minority children because they were so ugly and disfigured. Images of the golliwog became more animal-like than human shaped and the term "wog" was used as an insult.
Going back and re-reading Vonnegut's passage, I have a clear mental image of what Billy Pilgrim thought he was seeing.
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