Transcript Slaughterhouse V

Slaughterhouse V -1
Why Write?
Outline
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General Introduction
Starting Questions on Chapter 1
Chapter I:
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Frames
Why Write – the author in the text
Views of Life – So it goes
Kurt Vonnegut (1922 - )
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The “author” in SH-V.
Joined WWII, became a prisoner of war during the
Battle of the Bulge (the last offensive on
Germany’s part) on December 14, 1944, and sent
to Dresden.
Studied anthropology in the University of Chicago,
but his thesis was rejected.
Became a writer since, published
Slaughterhouse-Five in 1968 (the peak of anti-war
movement), which made him successful and a
guru figure in post-60’s literary field.
Slaughterhouse-Five--Background
Dresden Bombing:
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Dresden -- "Florence on the Elbe"
February 13 & 14, 1945;
estimated deaths: 130,000 to 250,000, almost all of them
civilians.
Part of a massive attack coded as “Thunderclap,” which
targeted the German cities of Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig,
and Chemnitz.
Irony: Dresden is not a strategic point (no
factories, no railways, bridges, etc, but a lot
POW’s)  meaninglessness
Slaughterhouse-Five--Plot
Time Traveling -Four segments of Billy Pilgrim’s
 1922 - his childhood,
 1944 - his World War II years,
 1968 - his postwar life as a family man and
optometrist in New York,
 his capture by aliens who come from the
planet Tralfamadore
Starting Questions
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Why does the author discuss ‘how’ he gets
to write this novel?
What views of the war, history and life does
he introduces here?
Chapter I – the “Frame” of the Story
the author in the novel
 Makes claim to “reality” – p. 1
 Discusses
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his inability to write;
How the novel is prepared for;
Dresden in context
Why write
For writing:
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Dresden, worse than Hiroshima, but not much
publicity p. 10;
Obsessed (as “telephoners”, but his memory
useless – p. 13-14  repetitions as nonsense or
false starts (or rhymes p. 7; of names p. 4; “so it
goes”)
Against writing:
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anti-war being anti-glacier, or anti-death 3-4
O’Hare’s wife: books encouraging wars 15
Lot’s wife looking back
Preparation: Exposing the Frames
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1. the title decided, Children’s Crusade 15
and research
arranging climax and plots p. 5;
to the publisher 19 —nothing intelligent to
say about a massacre
Historical Perspectives:
Children’s Crusade --sold as slaves; p.16
 The seige of Dresden in 1760
 History is not progressive;
 Is it linear?
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Life as a Dark comedy
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Self-Belittling: the author’s life after the war
//Yon Yonson 2-3, 7, 11 (//Billy Pilgrim)
Life’s transience -- “So it Goes”
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as a reporter 9 -“So it goes.”  News media’s
indifference
(later) airplane crash, and the wife’s car accident
25)lice, champaign 84; 73
“if the accident will.” p. 2
Life as Presented by Commercial
Culture
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P. 18 World’s Fair in NY; Three Musketeers
candy bar
More next time
Characters (mentioned so far)
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Views of people – no difference? P. 8
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Bernard V. O'Hare
Edgar Derby
Roland Weary
Paul Lazarro