Let's get down to business.
Dresden Comparisons
Okay, there were actually quite a few comparisons to the video. This was expected, of course. One that really stood out was the horrifying descriptions of the corpse mines. I know they didn't specifically talk about this in the video, but they did talk about all the bodies all around (sometimes stacked up like walls) and I think that relates. At first it seemed kind of strange that they were digging into the rubble--of course, one would expect something like this if they were looking for survivors--but then they kept doing it. After they knew they had found bodies, the Americans and others kept having to dig up or burn these bodies. People died in this process of body searching. How strange.
Another comparison would be to all the rubble and to the extreme heat. They talked about how the ground was hot to touch and how shoes melted to the ground in the video and in the novel they complained about touching hot rocks on their corpse searches.
In addition to all that, I believe they also mention coming out of this shelter after days inside, after ALL the bombings had stop. This means that there were the four bombings, as mentioned in the video. Nobody in the American troops seemed terribly concerned about it all though. However, this whole ordeal stuck with Billy.
It's very interesting that something like this would stick with Billy after all the things that did not affect him or that he was apathetic to. Why did Dresden haunt Billy and why did he feel the need to bring it up later to the rich man with the broken leg who shared his room?
But perhaps that's why the name of the novel is Slaughterhouse-Five. If anything should stick with us through the novel, if we should remember anything about it, it is that Dresden was horrific and no one believed them.
Characters
I'd like to comment on three characters in this section.
1. Edgar Derby
We were able to see much more of Derby's character in these few scenes. First of all, we saw how it seemed at first as if he wanted to switch sides with the American-turned-German, Howard W. Campbell Jr. Of course, we were all wrong. Derby was just being his static self and standing up for his ideals of Americanism and Patriotism.
Classic Derby.
From there, we don't see a ton of Derby, but we do get to see his death. We see most people's death in this story.
While they're going through the corpse mines, the Americans are also looking for souvenirs. Derby happens to take a teapot. He is shot for it. Of all the things they've been through, that's what finally gets Derby.
2. Howard W. Campbell Jr.
This guy is...interesting. He's like the Devil trying to get people to switch to the dark side. He's an American turned Nazi. He has a very neat outfit that he put together all himself that is the assimilation of Americanism and Nazism. It's like a blue jumpsuit with a bunch of red, white, and blue swastikas and a white, ten-gallon hat. He's like the cowboy of Germany. Except he's an American.
He's also very rich and tries to bribe others with food to switch sides. He says that they'll end up on this side anyway, so why shouldn't they come now? He's wrong, but that's besides the point.
I don't really know what to think of Mr. Campbell, or if he even deserves that title, but he was a comic addition to the story.
3. Kilgore Trout
Kilgore is a science fiction writer. He's also...interesting. No, actually, you know what, I hate this guy! He puts all these stupid ideas into Billy's head and that's probably what caused all of his troubles in the first place! Like, all of the things that Billy has hallucinations (I have a theory, based on pg. 190, that Billy's hallucinations are caused by his coma) about are either in his books or are suggested by him.
For example, in Kilgore's book The Big Board, it says that "it was about an Earthling man and woman who were kidnapped by extra-terrestrials. They were put on display in a zoo on a planet called Zircon-212." (pg. 201) Clearly, this is an example of Montana and Billy on Tralfamadore.
(Also, Montana Wildhack being a freaking porn star?? Reallllllly???? Not like I didn't expect this, but come on.)
Also Trout is just gross and only cares about himself and that whole disgusting disgusting disgusting paragraph about how Maggie Mae was the kind of woman a guy looks at and wants to "fill up with babies." That's sooooo gross it's the grossest most disgusting thing I've ever read. It makes me want to throw up with it's disgustingness. Trout is a vile and slimy character.
???? EXTra bONuS !!!!!!!! ---->> KURT VONNEGUT INTERRUPTION
Vonnegut interrupts a few times. One that is particularly significant is the ending chapter where it just sort of switches back to his point of view.
But another is on page 189 when he alludes to fear of old age with the man who has bad gas and is talking about how he knew it'd be bad, but never realized it would be this bad.
Oh and I liked when Vonnegut recognized, on page 164, that he had basically no characters who do anything significant at all and they're all "listless playthings of enormous forces." It confirmed the things we've been saying.
Wrap-up
I feel like it didn't wrap up that well in that you could tell that it was wrapping up. It was like the ending of a long speech where they have to let you know it's about to end so you can get ready to clap.
Banned Books
I don't know whether or not this novel should be banned. I don't think any books should be banned, so I'm just gonna say that first. I can see why it would be on a list of books that parents are uncomfortable with, though.
One, it talks about death frequently, which is a scary topic for most.
Two, it talks about war frequently, which is another scary topic.
Three, it talks about sexual things frankly and sometimes really graphically.
Four, there is just a lot of uncomfortable, weird stuff in this novel??
So, I could see why someone would want to ban it. But banning books is wrong.
Pretty or Interesting or Lines I liked
- "The guards drew together instinctively, rolled their eyes. They experimented with one expression and then another, said nothing, though their mouths were often open. They looked like a silent film of a barbershop quartet. 'So long forever,' they might have been singing, 'old fellows and pals; So long forever, old sweethearts and pals--God bless 'em--'" (pg. 178, about Dresden)
- I liked that this was brought up when the rich guy keeps ignoring Billy when he tries to talk about Dresden. He says, "I just want you to know: I was there." (pg. 193) This is a common theme among soldiers, and I think that it was very important that this was recognized.
- "The window reflected the news. It was about power and sports and anger and death. So it goes." (pg. 200)
- "Billy thought maybe he had known this cracked messiah in Dresden somewhere." (pg. 167)
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