Everyday Canvas

Slaughterhouse-Five

Prompt:
Did you know Kurt Vonnegut (11/11/1922) and Leo DiCaprio {11/11/1974) shared the same birthdate?
Discuss either one of Vonnegut's books or DiCaprio's movies that you either enjoyed or disliked?

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Slaughterhouse-Five

"If you were to bother to read my books, to behave as educated persons would, you would learn that they are not sexy, and do not argue in favor of wildness of any kind. They beg that people be kinder and more responsible than they often are,"
is the quote from Kurt Vonnegut, in the beginning of his page: https://www.vonnegutlibrary.org/biography/

For this blog entry, I picked this novel, which was later made into a radio drama then a movie, because with the world events threatening the world peace at this time in our lives, the story and the ideas in it cannot be more relevant.

The book also has its origin in Vonnegut's personal experiences. During the World War II, while in Dresden, Vonnegut’s job for weeks after the bombing was to gather up and burn the remains of the dead. His experience at Dresden marked him for life and eventually resulted in this literary masterpiece, Slaughterhouse-Five.

Since the book first came out in 1969, at the time, I was busy with my first baby less than a year-old and didn't read it then. A few years later, my husband and I saw the movie but due to the way the story is told in a non-linear form and in flashbacks, I didn't quite get the plot. The ideas in it, however, especially the bitter humor, got to me and knowing how the film industry decapitates good books, I decided to read the book afterwards.

In the book's first chapter, the unreliable narrator (I guess Vonnegut himself), describes his own experiences and education and his employment in various places. Then, he starts to tell the story of Billy Pilgrim, from Ilium (fictional city). Billy is made to serve during the World War II's Battle of the Bulge. But he escapes death, but later is captured by the Germans in 1944. The Germans hold Billy and his fellow prisoners in an empty slaughterhouse called Schlachthof-fünf "slaughterhouse five". During the extensive bombing of Dresden by the Allies, German guards hide with the prisoners in the slaughterhouse, which is partially underground and well-protected from the damage on the surface. Billy somehow survives the fire bombing and becomes an optometrist after the war, with a life and somewhat damaged, later.

There's a lot more to this story that what I can write here as there are many other characters with great variety, most of them shown with great depth of characterization. The novel is told through simple yet ironical, humorous, and sentimental words and sentences, which makes it all the more powerful.

The novel's basic theme is war and death and, in my opinion, the insanity and ridiculousness of life, itself. It may also be that the author was directing his attention to war veterans who may suffer from PTSD and are not fully cognizant of the present realities of living.

Unfortunately this book was banned from some schools in the US, due to its being "depraved, immoral, psychotic, vulgar and anti-Christian." Later on, however, it was reinstated.

Here are some quotes from the book:

“The nicest veterans...the kindest and funniest ones, the ones who hated war the most, were the ones who'd really fought.”

“I have told my sons that they are not under any circumstances to take part in massacres, and that the news of massacres of enemies is not to fill them with satisfaction or glee. I have also told them not to work for companies which make massacre machinery, and to express contempt for people who think we need machinery like that.”

“How nice -- to feel nothing, and still get full credit for being alive.”

“- Why me?
- That is a very Earthling question to ask, Mr. Pilgrim. Why you? Why us for that matter? Why anything? Because this moment simply is. Have you ever seen bugs trapped in amber?"

“It was very exciting for her, taking his dignity away in the name of love.”

Then, as I wrote this entry, I decided to read the book, yet another time.

Here is the free YouTube's audiobook version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz6uGkdenEk

Also, several PDF versions exist on the web or one can buy the book from a bookseller.


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