I believe we have all been faced with experiences where we have to write something, yet we are at complete loss as to what to say and the words simply don’t come out. This is what the main character of the book Slaughterhouse-Five experiences throughout the course of many years, wanting desperately to write about the horrible experience he lived during the Dresden Massacre of 1945. He informs the reader that he has written thousands of pages and several outlines, but he hasn’t been satisfied with the results (except for an outline he made in the back of a roll of wallpaper, but not even that was good enough). He explains how hard it was for him to write about something so horrible and vile and expresses that the book is “short and jumbled and jangled…because there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre.” (pg. 19). Vonnegut explains how hard it is to remember horrific experiences, even when you want to.
In the end he managed to come up with a book, something he considers a great accomplishment given the circumstances. Even though he has been told that wanting to stop war is like wanting to stop glaciers from melting, he finally pulled through and is now able to share his traumatic experiences with the world. Just as the birds sing after a war, Vonnegut’s voice can be heard going “Poo-tee-weet?” as he opens his mind and leads us into this horrible world of destruction and chaos.
I liked the way you summed up all the chapter. It's a very interesting book indeed, and I think this first chapter is a crucial warm up for all the upcoming upheavals.
ReplyDeleteWhen Billy Pilgrim struggles to write his book, the question that comes to mind is why he doesn't remember such a traumatic experience? Although, I understand why people block such events from their memory, how could he consider his book a success if he didn't base his writings on powerful recollections? Do you think by reading his book you notice Billy was in the war?
ReplyDeleteI really liked your entry, however I believe you shouldn't summarize the chapter so much, but rather explain more about how you felt about it! I partly said something similar to what you wrote about when he couldn't write about the dresden experience. Why do you think is that? Don't you think it could be because in the bottom he really doesn't want to revive that memory?
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