The Difference

I think that there is are many differences between Slaughterhouse Five, and the other two books we studied this year. One of the more distinguishable difference is the time period they write in.

George Orwell's 1984  and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World were sending out a warning. Based on the change of human behavior in their own time, the two authors predicted two completely different futures; both equally unpleasant. Similarly, both authors predicted what would become of us in the future.

Kurt Vonnegut on the other hand, wrote about the past. He described the gruesome of war. Unlike Orwell and Huxley, he looked back and told of what had already become of humans.

I think that this is the major difference that set Slaughterhouse Five apart. Which again brings back my point. To me, this shows that Vonnegut does not want to worry about what is going to happen, but learn from the past, and live his life to the fullest in the present.

Poo-tee-wee
                                                                                  - Yuemin

konnichiwa!!!!!!

If I were to write a novel, which I don't suppose I would ever, it would be on geishas. When I first heard about geishas, I went along with the general assumption that they are high-class prostitutes who dressed in expensive kimonos and entertained their guests. My assumption didn't change until about two years ago, when I read a book called "Memoir of a Geisha". The novel was written by Arthur Golden about a fictional geisha called Nitta Sayuri. The novel starts with Sayuri explaining the tremendous amount of effort it takes to be immaculate in her industry: "A story like mine should never be told. For my world is as forbidden as is fragile. Without this mystery, it cannot survive." Every single sentence followed that sounded equally intriguing and fascinating. She then went on telling about different events that occurred in her life which have mold her into the most celebrated geisha.  She was born in a remote fish village to a fisherman and a housewife. Her mother died when she was young. Because her family wasn't wealthy, her father sold her to a tea house so he can afford a coffin for his wife. Sayuri started as a servant, then became an apprentice geisha because of her exceptional beauty. She attended parties and her social, dancing, tea serving skills gained her reputation. Suddenly she was the most famous geisha in Gion. Then WWII came abruptly; She sold her kimonos and worked in a fabric factory as a labourer. Needless to say, her life fluctuated as much as Vonnegut's due to the war; Yet, when she is crippled and old, she came all the way to America to have Arthur Golden write a book about her. Her tenacious courage enchanted me and I feel that it is important to write about people who have been through all the ups and downs in life just like Vonnegut; This way, the book can medicate people's mind and help readers build strength and character while reading. So, if the accident will, if I ever write a book, it would be a fictional novel on another laudable geisha.

Poo-Tee-Wee
Nancy

Lazzarooooooooo!!!

With Billy Pilgrim still lingering in my mind, I thought about a post that I made a while ago on that dreary POW. In that entry, I made a connection between Billy and Cinderella; Then, I suddenly realized that the fairy blue godmother broke Lazzaro's arm! How ironic! Only Vonnegut can make a fairy blue godmother have red hair and a break someone's arm because he was caught stealing a pack of cigarette from an English man. Let's shift our attention to Lazzaro for this post. Personally, I don't think Lazzaro didn't get his fair share of lines in Slaughterhouse-Five especially when his characteristics are so prominent and intriguing. At first I assume that he was just another weak, little soldier who boast all day long about things that would never happen. Then, Billy was killed years after the war in New York and kept to his words: "Anybody touches me, he better kill me, or I'm gonna have him killed." The chance of seeing Lazzaro as kind is scarce, but Lazzaro did have one friend though- Roland Weary. Kindly, Lazzaro held Weary as Weary died and granted Weary's last wish; That is to have Billy Pilgrim Killed. Lazzaro kept to his promise ... but why would he travel all the to US just to grant some dead person's wish?  ...that's just Lazzaro being Lazzaro, I suppose.

Poo-Tee-Wee
Nancy

Yuemin Writing a Novel

I wasn't planning on posting today, but after reading Yuemin's post below, I had to make one. Speaking of "fml"s, I think there are basically two types of teenagers who say it the most, just like diabetes. Type 1 diabetes refers to those who actually inherited the disease, and type 2 mainly refers to those who simply consume too much sugar. So referencing to Yuemin's post, the procrastinators, the mark fanatics, the whiny ones are generally type 2; Vonnegut and all the Japanese who lost their home belong to type 1. I, myself belongs to type 2. With report cards, assignments, and tests piling up, I don't think I have been thankful in a while. Recently, watching news reports on Japan and reading Slaughterhouse-Five has triggered me into thinking how I should  appreciate life because I know that I am exposed to more opportunities than most in the world.
Vonnegut himself has been through a lot. From fighting on the American side in WWII to graduating from MIT, then to being a reporter, and a writer. The transactions and hardship couldn't be easy; Yet, on his tomb stone, it was written that "Everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt." Perhaps it's time for type 2 to take lessons from Vonnegut, to learn to see beyond obstacles and appreciate their possessions.






Poo-tee-wee
Nancy

Mother Night: The prequel to Slaughterhouse Five?

As I read Slaughterhouse Five, I've always been curious of the motive behind Howard W. Campbell Jr . I really wanted to understand what made Campbell betray his own people, and work for the Germans.

Then, I found:

Summary: 
It is the fictional story of Howard W. Campbell Jr., an American, who moved to Germany directly after World War I and then later became alternately a well-known playwright and a Nazi propagandist. The action of the novel is narrated (through the use of metafiction) by Campbell himself. The premise is that he is writing his memoirs while awaiting trial for war crimes in an Israeli prison
Work Cited: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Night#Plot_summary
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Sounds pretty much like a prequel right?

Vonnegut claims that this is the ONLY book he wrote in which he knew the moral of the story. From very brief surface research, I also found many similarities between Mother Night and Slaughterhouse Five: 

1. Along with Slaughterhouse Five, this is one of the three book that Vonnegut was really satisfied with, giving it an "A+" himself
   
2.  Although it looks like this story doesn't have time travel, the protagonist started and ended in the same place. 
3. With a dark past, the protagonist found that he had no reason to continue living (after going through his adventures in the book), and surrendered himself.
4. The famous "so it goes..." 

From Slaughterhouse Five, I did not really like  Howard W. Campbell Jr. However, as I read further into the summary of Mother Night, I begin to think that everyone has their own story, and that you should not be judging a person based on the majorities opinion. I believe this is also another lesson that Vonnegut is teaching us through his books.

So now that I've said all that, anyone curious enough to pick up the book with their own free will?

poo-tee-wee
                                                                                   - Yuemin

Vonnegut's Ratings

Here is a video of Kurt Vonnegut grading his books.
From here, you can see from his point of view which of his books did he consider an "A+".
Of course, having spend 20 years to write, Slaughterhouse Five, was one of the three A+, along with Cat's Cradle, and Mother Night.

This short video further reinforces my ideas about Kurt Vonnegut from Slaughterhouse Five. Although with every reason to be pessimistic, he accepted what he received, both the good and the bad.Unlike some authors, Kurt Vonnegut accepts what the critics say because "they knew more about it than [himself]".

As well, he does not ask for more than bargained, with just being happy that all his books were in print, and spoke for himself. I also discovered that even when talking, Kurt Vonnegut spoke with a sense of humor that was both funny, and can make one uncomfortable.

In my opinion, there would be a lot less conflict in this world if only just a few people learned Kurt Vonnegut.

poo-tee-wee
                                                  - Yuemin 

If I were to write a novel...

When I walk through the hallway to get to my next class, I would at least hear one person say "fml".
This term could usually be used when one wants to describe how chaotic and unsatisfied they are with their life.

Therefore, if I were to write a book, I would want to write one targeting this type of teenager. I want to write a non-fictional book including varies stories on the REAL hardships some teenagers have to face (not just breakups or marks at school). Some examples would be a death of someone close, abuse in the household, or a disorder they have to face.

Like Vonnegut, I think that in order to make one appreciate their own life, one has to have another to contrast to. In this case, I hope that teenagers who does not appreciate their own life would start to, by reading about how much worse their situation could be.

Poo-tee-wee

                                                      - Yuemin