"They were noticing what the Americans had not noticed-that the horses' mouths were bleeding... The Americans had treated their form of transportation as though it were no more sensitive than a six-cylinder Chevrolet." PAGE 196
This quote provides a truth about Americans in general. It can still be applied to Americans today. It shows that Americans are rather self centered and self absorbed. They do not care for what is around them. They did not even notice that the horses were hurt. They did not care. Even in war, Americans did not show the care and concern they should have. The others were able to notice what the Americans did not. This provides evidence of the truth in some typical stereotypes about Americans. The Americans fulfilled expectations that they would not care about the condition of the horses. Europeans are sometimes viewed as more concerned with the environment and other people. This is supported by the occurrence of them noticing the injuries of the horse.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Slaughterhouse Five- The Moon but not really
"Nobody talked much as the expedition crossed the moon." PAGE 180
After Dresden was bombed, the area apparently looked like the moon. Because of this, the narrator begins referring to Dresden after the bombing as the moon. He then likens the movements and the appearance to the moon. They were no longer walking over materials; they were making expeditions over the jagged edges of moon rocks. This made it seem almost like children making their own adventures out of something that was not really there. It was as if they were imagining an adventure for themselves to have fun, except it wasn't fun. Comparing the surroundings to the moon relays what it looked like to those who were there after the bombings. Not many people were left so the first hand accounts are vital in knowing the truth. The moon symbolizes that the area was barren. There were not many people or buildings around. The whole city must have been almost completely destroyed. This shows the impact of the bombings and how terrible it was for the city but how successful it was in the context of war.
After Dresden was bombed, the area apparently looked like the moon. Because of this, the narrator begins referring to Dresden after the bombing as the moon. He then likens the movements and the appearance to the moon. They were no longer walking over materials; they were making expeditions over the jagged edges of moon rocks. This made it seem almost like children making their own adventures out of something that was not really there. It was as if they were imagining an adventure for themselves to have fun, except it wasn't fun. Comparing the surroundings to the moon relays what it looked like to those who were there after the bombings. Not many people were left so the first hand accounts are vital in knowing the truth. The moon symbolizes that the area was barren. There were not many people or buildings around. The whole city must have been almost completely destroyed. This shows the impact of the bombings and how terrible it was for the city but how successful it was in the context of war.
Slaughterhouse Five- parallelism
"He got a few paragraphs into it, and then he realized that he had read it before- years ago, in the veterans' hospital. It was about an Earthling man and woman who were kidnapped by extra-terrestrials." PAGE 201
This quote provides parallelism between the plot of the book and one of the destinations of Billy's time traveling experience. Billy travels to a planet after being kidnapped by the extra-terrestrials. He claims all of this happened, but he has no proof. There is a parallel scenario between the one in the book and the adventure of Billy. In the book, and in Billy's adventure, the Earthling is taken to another planet and placed in a zoo for observation. In both scenarios, the Earthlings are watched carefully by the native inhabitants. This parallelism allowed me to realize that Billy might not have gone to Tralfamadore. He might have just thought he did because of what he read. He might have envisioned or imagined the experience rather than living it. He did not think he read the book before, but then remembers he did. I think that he created the time travel illusion and Tralfamadore from this book.
This quote provides parallelism between the plot of the book and one of the destinations of Billy's time traveling experience. Billy travels to a planet after being kidnapped by the extra-terrestrials. He claims all of this happened, but he has no proof. There is a parallel scenario between the one in the book and the adventure of Billy. In the book, and in Billy's adventure, the Earthling is taken to another planet and placed in a zoo for observation. In both scenarios, the Earthlings are watched carefully by the native inhabitants. This parallelism allowed me to realize that Billy might not have gone to Tralfamadore. He might have just thought he did because of what he read. He might have envisioned or imagined the experience rather than living it. He did not think he read the book before, but then remembers he did. I think that he created the time travel illusion and Tralfamadore from this book.
Slaughterhouse Five- motif
"If you're ever in Cody, Wyoming... just ask for Wild Bob." PAGE 206, 212, and others
When this quote was repeated the first few times, I did not realize the significance. I overlooked its repetitiveness at first because it was not that often. In the second half I realized it happening more and more. I am not exactly sure why it is repeated so often. My best guess would be that the line is one that sticks out to the narrator. He seems to use this phrase when he thinks about the war. When he thinks about war, that instance must be one that sticks out to him. Because of this, he repeats it to bring back other memories of the war. Maybe he chooses this incident because it is a more lighthearted memory than others he has. This quote could also be an example of the hope that the people in the war had. They all had hope that they would make it home alive. They had the hope that they would stay safe and things would go back to normal. Maybe this quote is a symbol of hope for things to go back to normal. These are educated assumptions because I do not know why this is repeated.
When this quote was repeated the first few times, I did not realize the significance. I overlooked its repetitiveness at first because it was not that often. In the second half I realized it happening more and more. I am not exactly sure why it is repeated so often. My best guess would be that the line is one that sticks out to the narrator. He seems to use this phrase when he thinks about the war. When he thinks about war, that instance must be one that sticks out to him. Because of this, he repeats it to bring back other memories of the war. Maybe he chooses this incident because it is a more lighthearted memory than others he has. This quote could also be an example of the hope that the people in the war had. They all had hope that they would make it home alive. They had the hope that they would stay safe and things would go back to normal. Maybe this quote is a symbol of hope for things to go back to normal. These are educated assumptions because I do not know why this is repeated.
Slaughterhouse Five- epithet and foreshadow
"Billy and Lazzaro and poor old Edgar Derby crossed the prison yard to the theater now." PAGE 143
This quote provides an example of an epithet connected with Edgar Derby. Rather than just being called by his name, the narrator connects these adjectives to the character. The poor refers to how he will die. The narrator knows while the characters themselves do not. The old refers to his relative age. He is not actually that old, but in comparison to the other soldiers he is. The narrator continues to refer to Derby as poor and old no matter what is going on. The epithet also provides an example of foreshadowing. He is called poor because he will die by a firing squad in Dresden. The reader knows that early on, from the first time he is introduced. Derby however does not know how he will die so he goes on as if he will live. The epithet continually reminds the reader of what is to come. The reader knows that he is going to die and how he is going to die, but it does not happen until long after the reader knows. Finally, in the last few pages of the novel, Derby dies just as was described in the beginning. His death was foreshadowed repeated until it happened.
This quote provides an example of an epithet connected with Edgar Derby. Rather than just being called by his name, the narrator connects these adjectives to the character. The poor refers to how he will die. The narrator knows while the characters themselves do not. The old refers to his relative age. He is not actually that old, but in comparison to the other soldiers he is. The narrator continues to refer to Derby as poor and old no matter what is going on. The epithet also provides an example of foreshadowing. He is called poor because he will die by a firing squad in Dresden. The reader knows that early on, from the first time he is introduced. Derby however does not know how he will die so he goes on as if he will live. The epithet continually reminds the reader of what is to come. The reader knows that he is going to die and how he is going to die, but it does not happen until long after the reader knows. Finally, in the last few pages of the novel, Derby dies just as was described in the beginning. His death was foreshadowed repeated until it happened.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Slaughterhouse Five-time travel?
"Under morphine, Billy had a dream of giraffes in a garden. The giraffes were following gravel paths, were pausing to munch sugar pears from treetops. Billy was a giraffe too." PAGE 99
This brief part of the novel was a little odd for me. I thought that the time travel stuff was weird. Billy kept ending up at different parts in his life without warning. Not only that, but he also thought that he went to another planet. This was very strange to me that someone could firmly believe all this was happening. The ironic thing about this quote is that he was under morphine when it happened. One would have thought that he would have thought about something super crazy while he was on the morphine, but I was a little disappointed in the creativity he was able to conjure. What he believed to be real life was crazier than what he thought on morphine. The idea of being a giraffe was rather normal compared to what he thought was actually real. I was hoping for a little more extreme adventures while he was on the morphine. I think this shows how confused and messed up he has become as a result of the war.
This brief part of the novel was a little odd for me. I thought that the time travel stuff was weird. Billy kept ending up at different parts in his life without warning. Not only that, but he also thought that he went to another planet. This was very strange to me that someone could firmly believe all this was happening. The ironic thing about this quote is that he was under morphine when it happened. One would have thought that he would have thought about something super crazy while he was on the morphine, but I was a little disappointed in the creativity he was able to conjure. What he believed to be real life was crazier than what he thought on morphine. The idea of being a giraffe was rather normal compared to what he thought was actually real. I was hoping for a little more extreme adventures while he was on the morphine. I think this shows how confused and messed up he has become as a result of the war.
Slaughterhouse Five-war
"Would you talk about the war now, if I wanted you to?" PAGE 121
This quote is effective in portraying a common attitude about war. The commonality is that people who experience war firsthand are often reluctant to talk about it. It is hard to know what war is really like because people do not want to talk about what they did, what they saw, what they heard. The truth of war often alludes the people at home. Those who were there do not want to relive their experience and bring back the horrific memories of war. This is completely understandable. The novel as a whole gives a new glance into what happens at war. The narrator is able to refrain from inserting his emotion. It was probably hard for him to recall all of this, but I appreciate what he has done. It is the first work where I have really been able to see and attempt to understand what happens to soldiers after war. It shows the reality of the difficult task of returning to home life after the war. We often hear that it is hard to reacquaint oneself with civilian life again. The views of war that he portray seem awful and terrible, but his lack of emotion makes it hard to fully understand. He has been hardened by war so that death is no longer as emotional as it is for most civilians.
This quote is effective in portraying a common attitude about war. The commonality is that people who experience war firsthand are often reluctant to talk about it. It is hard to know what war is really like because people do not want to talk about what they did, what they saw, what they heard. The truth of war often alludes the people at home. Those who were there do not want to relive their experience and bring back the horrific memories of war. This is completely understandable. The novel as a whole gives a new glance into what happens at war. The narrator is able to refrain from inserting his emotion. It was probably hard for him to recall all of this, but I appreciate what he has done. It is the first work where I have really been able to see and attempt to understand what happens to soldiers after war. It shows the reality of the difficult task of returning to home life after the war. We often hear that it is hard to reacquaint oneself with civilian life again. The views of war that he portray seem awful and terrible, but his lack of emotion makes it hard to fully understand. He has been hardened by war so that death is no longer as emotional as it is for most civilians.
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