"Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt"

To end my blog, I'd like to share this quote with you all.

This is one of my favourite quotes in the entire book. It is arguably the most significant one as well. From how I see it, Vonnegut is wishfully portraying a perfect world, where pain and ugliness cease to exist. However, he may be implying that in our world, laden with war, pain, famine, and disease, there is a sliver of hope that happiness and order will ensue. I, too, like Vonnegut, like to imagine how beautiful life could be, without all the hardships that the world presently faces.

In reality, a perfect society will never exist. It is inevitable, just like how war and violence was described in SH5. According to Vonnegut's friend at the beginning of the novel, to have a world living in peace and harmony " is as likely as moving a glacier."

Writing Assignment #10 - Reflection

I present to you Marié's blog!

Here is the link:

http://amberblob.blogspot.com/

To start off, I gotta say, the visuals and media clips are incredible! I first came across this blog two days ago during our last blogging session in the library. The first thing that I saw was the Tralfamadorian animation which left me completely amazed. (Marié, you've got to show me how to make these one day!) I found your welcoming post, "Here you are, trapped in another blob of amber. It was your fate to read this," really clever; it is a great portrayal of the Tralfamadorians' perspective. I also like the play on word "blobbing" for "blogging". Now without further ado, let's get started with the analysis.

Fate vs. Free Will by Marié

I've always been a partisan of "free will" until I read this post. I believed that the every thought and action of an individual results in the present state of his or her life. However, after reading Marié's explanation of "[w]hen a person is born, the place into which they entered will somewhat define how they will live their life, and thus the person they become," it made me rethink my position. I, too, find validity in Rachel and Anna's argument that if "a person may be born into a not-so-opportunistic life that they can still do as well, if not better, than a person that is born into a wealthy family with lots of opportunity." An individual's upbringing may play a minimal role in the process, but their future is ultimately dependent on personal choices. For example, my dad came from a very poor family. His parents urged him to find a job after graduating high school but he stubbornly refused. Instead, he chose to attend university and study English, which he loved. Without his firm decision, my family would not be here in Canada right now.

Wisdom from Kurt Vonnegut by Marié

I really like the hot fudge sundae analogy! I totally agree that SH5 is a "mushy mess of strong emotions". In addition to that, I think Vonnegut had a hard time organizing his life story in a coherent way. He even said so himself, it took him over 20 years to write this war novel!

However, I think it's fair game that critics are attacking his story. It's likely due to the fact the book condemns Americans, whereas we are peace-loving Canadians. Since we are from a different nation, we may not feel the same shock as patriotic Americans would feel after reading the book. What it really boils down to is the difference in cultural views.

I do think there are few elements that Billy and Vonnegut have in common, but not to the extent that "Billy Pilgrim might even be Vonnegut." I'd argue that Vonnegut has a lot more depth to his personality than Billy. Vonnegut took great risks in writing this novel. He possibly wanted to prevent or minimize war efforts by highlighting the abominable nature of it. Bill, however, was a mere "dummy" who allowed to be pushed around by others and accepted life as it came.

Lastly, here are some more similarities that I came up with:

• Many of Billy and Vonnegut's family members died untimely deaths
• They were both highly educated people (attended university after the war and received degrees)

Slaughterhouse-Five Censorship by Marié

Religion

SH5 did not condemn religion at any point, nor did it try to impose any religious views on readers. I think the critics are wrong to say that religion was negatively portrayed in SH5. Instead, the theme of fate in the novel even works in religion's favour. Many times, the characters insisted that life was predetermined and nothing could be done to change it. This is extremely similar to having a higher power dictate the lives of mankind, which is the premise of numerous religions.

Sexually Explicit

This is the part that I'm against. I think that the sexual content was gratuitous. Instances like when Billy and Montana Wildlhack "mated" in the Tralfamadorian zoo, and the detailed description of Billy and Valencia's honeymoon activities served no purpose in the book; they did not contribute any vital components to the plot or the characters. To me, these parts could have been kept out.

Obscene Language

Like Marié, I also think that the explicit language should be kept as it is, but for different reasons. It captures the dirty, cruel habits of the men in the war. For example, Weary is seen an uncultured, violent man because he constantly swore and hit Billy. Also, Lazzaro's use of expletives in his sadistic descriptions of murder and his violent death threats served to obtain a fearful and shocking reaction from the readers. Obscene language is essential to portray these ugly, but realistic events in life.

Sexism

I completely agree with Marié that the book takes place in a period when women were housewives, and men were considered the breadwinners of their families. It was simply the way of life back then; it is the truth and the truth should not be censored. This issue more so contributes to a positive development of society, rather than a hindrance to it. Though this phrase is a bit cliche, it remains true that "knowledge is power". By informing the masses about past issues, the new generation can learn from them and prevent them from occurring again.

Anti-American Sentiment

So first off, let me ask: why isn't propaganda banned? SH5 serves the same purpose, except in the opposite direction; it criticizes violence and war instead of promotes it. This should not be a matter of "anti-American sentiment" but a matter of saving lives of Americans. Now which one is more important? As I've mentioned before, SH5 effectively condemns war. Americans can still be patriotic, without having to go into combat. I am a firm believer that international issues can be dealt with in a diplomatic, non-violent way. Looking at the big picture, Vonnegut did a noble deed by getting this message out, not only for his country, but also for the rest of us.

Writing Assignment #9 - Time

After seeing Allison's post in the news feed, it reminded me of a major theme and motif in SH5: time.

Time is something that we as humans never seem to have enough of. I, without exception, am one who's in desperate need for more time. I'd give anything to make the days on earth last 48 hours instead of the meager 24. As a result of my time-deficiency, I sometimes suffer from of inadequate sleep and show zombie-like symptoms during the day.

Now back to SH5. Every jump that Billy made, led to an anachronistic period in his life. In Chapter 2, Billy went from the basement of his apartment in 1967, to the war in 1944, to the little league banquet in 1958, and so on. Also, Parvathy counted over 65 times that Billy "time-travelled" throughout the entire book, proving that time and time travel are recurring elements in the story.

Time is too a central theme in the novel. Billy and the Tralfamadorians explained how it was a constant, unalterable thing, and any point of it can be revisited over and over again. I especially liked the Tralfamadorians' description of a person's life "as a great millipede - with babies' legs at one end and old people's at the other" (87). They believed that people were born with their entire lives set in stone: every thought, every feeling, every choice already determined. Furthermore, Billy said that he had seen his birth and death dozens of times and could relive any part of his life due to the fact that time was unchangeable.

Perhaps Vonnegut is suggesting that destiny is the dictator our lives. Or on the flip side, he may have come up with this ridiculous storyline to insinuate that it is the individual who has complete power over their lives. But who knows? If he were alive, this would be one question I'd like to ask.

Coincidentally, I watched Tuck Everlasting last weekend so kudos to Allison for bringing this up! :)

Writing Assignment #4 - Warped Narrative (Just Thinking)

I was a fifth grader sitting nervously in a church pew. The silence rang loudly in my ears. Inside, my heart was pounding. I turned around and anxiously looked at my mom. She smiled at me and then gave me a reassuring look. I went back to picking at my nails. It seemed like the sound of every movement in the church was amplified a hundred times. Around me were other fidgety contestants who were slightly older than me. At last, the adjudicator stood up and walked to the front. She began by giving us a welcoming speech that I've heard many times before. Hurry up and get to the end of it, I thought impatiently. Then, she got to the individual critiques. One by one, she explained what she liked about our performances and where we could improve. I sat there stiffly in my itchy dress shirt and my tightly-pinching shoes, waiting for the moment to come. Finally, she finished her closing remarks and began the awards. "In third place, we have..." Aww, I really wished she had called my name. I quietly sighed in despair. "In second place..." Yeah, I guess that girl deserved it. She was better than me. I lost hope. I was going to go home empty-handed. I wish I could just go home now. I've got to practice for my next competition tonight, anyways. "And first place goes to Tina Lei." This can't be happening! Did she really just call my name? "Tina?" Then everything seemed to pass by in a blur. All of a sudden, I was up on my uncomfortable shoes, shaking the adjudicator's hand and hearing her say, "Congratulations!". I accepted the certificate and spun around to face the audience and take my bow.

But I couldn't see anyone at all. In the place of 500 people was a flood of bright, white light. I closed my eyes and quickly tried to remember why I was up here. For the past few months, my elementary school had been rigorously practicing for this night. As grade eights, we planned to end our last year together with a memorable event - something that would impress our school. So our class decided to put on Tom Sawyer, as a play. I got the role of Doc, one of the robbers in the story. As I reopened my eyes, I took a deep breath and started to recite my lines. Without thinking, words continuously flowed out of my mouth and the rest of it went by in a blur. My henchmen and I danced and sang our final number, "Money, Money, Money" and then our act was over. The lights dimmed and darkness slowly blanketed the gym.

It seemed to extend indefinitely. The pitch-blackness was all I could see for miles and miles on end. We were travelling about 200 km/h. Occasionally, I'd see a swish of light, but I couldn't make heads or tales of it. Everything outside seemed to pass by in a blur. Earlier in the evening, our club had attended the awarding ceremonies for DECA. The two-day competition was a fruitful one; 3 of our competitors made it to Nationals in Florida and a handful of others received medals of distinction. It was a long day for all of us and now everyone in my compartment was asleep. Except for me. I can't sleep on any type of moving vehicle. Or airplanes or boats for that matter. So I simply sat there, staring out into the darkness. Thinking. Thinking about what my future would look like. Thinking of what the future has in store for me.

These days, I think a lot. Hours seem to pass by in a blur when I'm thinking. Just thinking.

Writing Assignment #8 - SH5 Movie

I really enjoyed making the storyboard trailers in class. SH5 would attract a whole lot more people if it were made into a movie. The visual and auditory effects of this type of media can help articulate Vonnegut's message to various groups of people, in a fresh and effective manner.

A specific part of the novel that would work really well as a movie scene would be when the Three Musketeers and Billy trudge across the cold and uninhabitable land during the war. Just picture this:

The scene starts off with an establishing shot of the silent, white landscape, dotted with snow-covered pine trees. In the distance, the silhouettes of four people can be distinguished. Zooming in, two gruff soldiers are seen leading the way. Slightly lagging behind them is Billy Pilgrim, wobbling up and down as he walks. Closely following behind is Roland Weary, often pushing, shoving, and cursing at Billy. The camera zooms out into a long shot again and eventually fades to black. In the distance, a dog barks...

The purpose of this scene is to emphasize the loneliness of war. Even though the soldiers are physically close to one another, they each feel a sense of isolation and homesickness. This is the exact feeling I want to portray to the viewers. Also, the close-up shot with Weary abusing Billy is to show the brutality among American soldiers.

Another scene that would work very well in a movie is when Billy gets shot. Like my group described in class:

The camera closely zooms in on Billy’s face, moments before he is assassinated. A red laser beam points directly in the middle of his forehead before the screen begins to fade to black. Then, a crackling gun shot is heard.

This scene will create an extremely dramatic effect and will leave audience holding their breath - perfect for a thriller or action movie.

In the technological era today, visual and auditory effects can help SH5 gain appreciation from a wider audience. This way, Vonnegut could receive even more recognition for his attempts to deglorify war.

Future farm: a sunless, rainless room indoors

I was just checking my email when this news story caught my eye. Apparently, there's a new technology that allows for plants to grow without sunlight in some totally enclosed farm. Sounds pretty much like Billy and Montana Wildhack being placed in their artificial environment to me!

Orange peppers

Strawberry plants

Now that I look at these pictures again, the setting is freakishly similar to how I envisioned the Bottling Room in Brave New World. So artificial and high-tech! It also has the dim lighting and fully-controlled environment. I can almost hear a faint humming noise now

What do you guys think??

Wrinting Assignment #7 - Comparison Piece: Billy Pilgrim (and Tralfamadorians) vs. Angie Sayers

Here is an inspirational piece that caught my eye. It just made me appreciate everything in my life so much more. I'd also like to compare this piece with SH5.

http://downloads.chickensoup.com/file/CSS_Angie_Sayers.pdf

Briefly, Angie Sayers is a terminal cancer patient who blogs about her daily events. Her optimistic view on life is incredibly admirable. Despite her disease, she is a supporter of the notion of moving forward. In fact, she even created a list of 10 ways to do so. These steps not only pertain to cancer patients, but also to the general public. I know that it has definitely has made a profound effect on me. In the midst of the grade 11 stress and craziness, I think we can all take something away from her guide. For me, I will strive to follow rule # 9: Focus on the Good Things. A lot of tough challenges were thrown at me this year and there were times when I felt like giving up. Thank you, Angie, for helping me put things back into perspective. Stay strong! Anyways... I DIGRESS... majorly.

So back to my comparison:

1. The biggest difference between Vonnegut and Angie is that Angie has an optimistic tone in her writing. For example, she describes that her new medication "Thalidomide doesn't seem to have too many side effects on [her], except for some general weariness along with a couple of dizzy spells... [I]n comparison to the chemotherapy treatments that [she] began with (high dose Cisplatin to name one), these side effects are definitely minor and manageable." The girl is undergoing chemotherapy, yet she still has such a positive outlook on life! In contrast, Vonnegut writes with a resigned, defeatist attitude. Phrases like "so it goes" are indications of this tone.
2. Both Angie and Billy accept their lives as they are. While Angie is trying to make the best of hers, Billy does nothing. A prime example is his waiting for death, as I've mentioned in the previous post.
3. Billy and the Tralfamadorians believe that time is stationary. Unalterable. They think that every detail in one's life, from birth to death, is predetermined. Billy tries to convince others of his belief by speaking on a radio show and writing news articles. In contrast, Angie knows from her disease that time is precious. Like Billy, she shows others how to make the best out of it by sharing her guide to live happily.
4. Lastly, time travel exists in Billy and the Tralfamadorians' world but obviously does not in Angie's.