On the other hand Peter Reed talks of the novel's depiction of many "grim" and "downright painful" scenes sliced together to sustain the impression of concurrent actions that "intensifies" the interrelationship of events transcending time. The novel conveys an image of life that is not always beautiful, sometimes surprising, and "in total effect quite "deep" (52).
These two different views attest to the complexity of the subject and the different perspectives that surface dependent upon the experience of the reader or viewer. Perhaps it is the Tralfamadorian belief that one should concentrate on life's happier moments that is the salient message of both the novel and the film.
2.5 Interview
As part of this assignment a veteran of the Second World War who served in the Pacific theater of operations in the Air Force and is familiar with Vonnegut's written work was interviewed. Staff Sergeant Ruben Lee spoke of his memories of the time and the pervasive feeling that the war in which he fought was just given the provocation. Lee, 91, agreed with the idea that war is an "abomination" and should be avoided if possible.
Lee, a navigator on a B-25 bomber, said he participated in a number of missions during his service. Lee said that he had read Slaughterhouse-Five, and remembered the novel though it had "been some time ago." He reflected the war desensitized him to the sight of dead and felt that Vonnegut's repeated refrain in the novel, "so it goes," was indicative of his feelings about death at the time. This was a way to cope with the sometimes daily horrors encountered. Ironically, this may be interpreted as a confirmation of the Tralfamadorian belief about what one should think about.
For Lee, who was born a year before Vonnegut, the novel's main theme was anti-war. He remembered supporting the war in Vietnam at the time, but was later disillusioned by the outcome. This experience combined with his experience in World War II, and the passage of time lead him to conclude that while he felt his war was justified he was "disappointed" in the recent conflict in the Middle East, saying that the war in Iraq was a "mistake."
I found it interesting that Lee felt some wars are justifiable while others are not. When questioned he responded that the Second World War was fought in defense of a direct threat to the country. He also...
The author even inserts himself as a character throughout key events, such as the latrine at the POW camp and digging in the corpse mines in Dresden. The insertions serve to remind the reader that though fiction, the events described in the novel actually happened, to people like Billy Pilgrim/Kurt Vonnegut. However, Vonnegut also uses several techniques not found in the works of noted memoir writers such as Tobias Wolff
The best evidence for this suffusion in the author's own life is in the final chapter, when the main character/author returns in full force. Traveling peacefully and happily in a plane above Berlin, during a moment he considers "one of the nicest ones in recent times" (Vonnegut, p. 211), removed in time and space from Dresden, Vonnegut "imagined dropping bombs on those lights, those villages and cities and towns," (Vonnegut,
I enjoyed Vonnegut's commentary on the strangeness of humankind's foibles and I was not shocked by some of his matter-of-fact depictions. Indeed, when Vonnegut draws on his own real-life experiences, the novel takes on an air of authenticity. This authenticity coupled with Vonnegut's wry, black humor makes the novel seem caustic and ironic, but at heart it is neither -- it is simply a record of things both real and
Through his experiences and adventures, Billy becomes a symbol more than a mere character. He obviously has more insight into how things truly are, than the rest of the characters in the book. Not accidentally, Billy becomes unstuck in time precisely during the Second World War, hinting thus at the need to escape the imminence of death as a constantly pending menace: "The Tralfamadorians didn't have anything to do
The failed quest of Vonnegut the character underlines another important theme of the novel -- although life may seem 'fated' as Pilgrim perceives it to be, our own perceptions affect how we see our past and reconstruct the past. Our minds are erasers, always writing and rewriting events. Our perception of time is highly personalized. For example, Vonnegut the character is surprised that his old friend Bernard has changed
Interviewer Good morning Mr. Vonnegut! First of all, I would like to thank you for giving me this wonderful opportunity of having to interview you! Vonnegut Good morning to you too! It's actually my honor and pleasure to be interviewed by a popular columnist like you. I hope this will not be the last. Interviewer Oh certainly Kurt. I am a very good fan of yours. In fact, I have read a lot of your
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