Analysis Of Vonnegut's Slaughter House Five

Submitted By Kreye579
Words: 1163
Pages: 5
Open Document
To what extent? There are many reasons for war, most of those reasons are either indefinite or irrational. Despite lack of true reasoning for war, many believe that war is absolutely necessary. War consists of fighting one nation against another; sometimes war even occurs within a nation against its own population. Now, the question that surfaces is: why would a society initiate fight against its own people? After all, everyone is essentially connected together. While reading Slaughter House Five through a moral lens, it can be seen that human's lack of moral cause wars to occur, which in result is what dehumanizes society. It is Evident that that humans lack of morals is what brings about war; loose ethics can bring about egocentric views towards important matters that waiver reasons to fight. These self-centered views towards opposing nations and true rationality is what essentially cause war. Vonnegut demonstrates this through the beliefs the characters and how they are not caring enough to look at reasons for war in other lights. One of character with these kind of egocentric views is Howard W.Campell. He is fictional Nazi who moves to Germany from the US, for he thinks that Americans hate the poor. Campbell has very strong beliefs,and he is very oppinionative; he told American POW's this so that he could convince them to fight a common enemy.: "[y]ou're going to have to fight the Communists sooner or later...Why not get it over with now?" (Vonnegut 177). Because of Cambell's very strong opinions, he essentially preaches expediency. He wants the situation of war to be convenient for him, while not caring about others, and fundamentally being immoral. cambelled egocentic way of thinking for his own personal gain can bring about was and much dissugreement, ansthim and his beliefs. Others, such as Lazzarro a primaary soldier in Vonneguts novel exsecutes egocentirc ways of thinking through revenge. There are many pleasurable thing in life but "[revenge] is the sweetest thing there is, " said Lazzaro. " he said. "and ... are they ever f[***] sorry. I laugh like hell. I don't care if it's a gu or dame. If the President of the United States f[***] around with me, I'd fix him good" (Vonnegut 156). Lazzaro views the word moral id adifferent way; his moral code essentially contadicts the word moral. His beliefs in morals are messed up in his mind : If someone were to do him wrong, He will find a way to get revenge. The problem with his kind of thinking is that he always thinks that people are doing him wrong, weather they mean it or not. One self assured mindset can cause dissagreament with others, and eventually leading to war by not beng compationates to others. In which case, to prevent war one must have strong, centered morals. Due to a wronged moral code cusing war, dehuminization finds itself through the effects of war. Vonnegut emphasizes his anti- war message throughout the book by depicting many human suffereng scenes. These scenes target innocent people who seem the leat equipped throughout the novel. Many Soldiers endured suffering in Dresden; one of them Billy, the novel's main protagonist " looked inside the latrine. The wailing was coming from in there. The place was crammed with Americans who had taken thier pants down. An American near Billy wailed that he had excreted his brains. Moments rater he said, 'there they go' " referring to his brains (Vonnegut 157). This crude suffering that Vonnegut depicts really focuses un how sick human bodies got from deprivation and physical destruction. The POW getting tortured allows the readers mind to move away from any kind of battlefield heroism, but a life lost in war. This kind of suffering is what dehuminizes a society. Whil both soldiers - Billy and Weary- are on the battlefield, Billy is in a serious condition when approached by Weary. Ironically, "Weary drew back his right boot, aimed a kick at [Billy's] spine, at the tube which had so many of Billy's
Show More

Related Documents: Analysis Of Vonnegut's Slaughter House Five

The Civil Right Movement: The Beginning Of The Civil Rights Movement

evening to say to those who have mistreated us so long that were are tired of being segregated and humiliated, tired of being kicked about by brutal feet of oppression.” Spoke by Martin Luther King Jr. (Berkin, 2015) The beginning of the civil right movement spark during national headline reporting on Brown v. Board of Education, The death of Emmett Till, and the Montgomery bus boycott education the public what going on in the lives of African American and other minorities. Integrating school…

Words 383 - Pages 2

The Civil Rights Movement

signaled a transformative era in American history, marked by a surge of social justice movements that confronted systemic injustices and aimed to reshape society. From the classical phase of the Civil Rights Movement, distinguished by its nonviolent protests and legal triumphs, to the rise of the Black Power Movement and the active involvement of students in the Free Speech Movement and Anti-War Movement, these movements aimed not only to enact significant political change but also to challenge prevailing…

Words 1598 - Pages 7

Civil Rights Movement

How the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s legislation has been used by more than just Black Americans After the Emanipation Proclamation African Americans in Southern states inhabited a unequal world of disfranchisement, segregation, and various forms of oppression, including race-inspired violence. The Jim Crow laws at the local and state levels banned them from classrooms and bathrooms, from theaters and train cars, from juries and legislatures. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court struck…

Words 356 - Pages 2

Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement in the United States started in the year of 1954, which was the year that the Brown vs. Board of Education in Topeka, Kansas case had ended. The Brown vs. Board of Education was a trial between Oliver Brown, who tried to enroll his black daughter into a white-only school in September 1950, and the Board of Education. From the first court trial on June 25-26, 1951 to the Supreme Court’s decision on May 17, 1954 there were other black parents who testified and similar cases…

Words 413 - Pages 2

Civil Disobedience In The Civil Rights Movement

disenfranchised minority groups have had doors opened because of their civil disobedience. From the earlier Civil Rights and Women’s Suffrage movements to more recent events like Standing Rock, civil disobedience has proved to play a crucial role in the advancement of minority groups. If not for civil disobedience, people of color and women would not have the rights that are obliged to them today. The Civil Rights movement allowed for people of color to protest their unjust treatment in society…

Words 765 - Pages 4

Civil Disobedience And The Civil Rights Movement

desire for deviation. Consequently, with deviation of societal norms, progression will advance; through analysis of historical and contemporary societal movements of civil disobedience Foremost, initially the first wave of historical disobedience was through the civil rights formation. Deviance rooted from…

Words 834 - Pages 4

Civil Rights Movement Achievements

The Civil Rights Movement The achievements of The Civil Rights Movement improved the economic conditions of African Americans. The Civil Rights Movement was a mass movement to secure the rights for African American to have the access and opportunity to do and have that many others have. The The Civil Right Movement started around the 19th century it lead through the 1950s and 1960s.Many events happened during and after the the Civil Rights Movement. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a major part. There…

Words 805 - Pages 4

Sit-In Civil Rights Movement

The sit-in movement was a groundbreaking series of protests that became a hallmark of the Civil Rights Movement. During the sit-in movement African American individuals protested against racial segregation by peaceful protest. It was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement where African Americans protested against segregated lunch counters by sitting in the “whites only” areas, refusing to leave until they were served or the business closed. The first successful sit-in happened in Greensboro…

Words 383 - Pages 2

Civil Right Movement Analysis

The way I can better understand the Civil right movement is four different sources I use.The sources are 1963 civil rights campaign Barbara Sylvia Shores, Watson’s go to Birmingham, the photos, and the letter from Birmingham jail.1963 talks about a woman that lived in the civil rights movement time getting her house bombed by white people that didn’t like his dad because he was a part of the civil rights movement.Watsons go to Birmingham is a fictional movie that has real life events that happened…

Words 1183 - Pages 5

Essay On Civil Right Movement

“Civil Right Movement” The civil right movement in the 20th century was the movement in which beginning in the United States primarily led by African-Americans for the racial discrimination against them. For decades after the Emancipation Proclamation the nonviolent protest and civil disobedient were used by the civil right activist to bring change. Many leaders that derive from the black community and beyond distinguished during the Civil Rights era, including Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks. The…

Words 560 - Pages 3