War and Heroism in Kurt Vonneguts Slaughterhouse Five Essay

What is war? Is war a place to kill? Or is it a place where something more than just killing happens? War, as defined by the Merriam Webster is â€Å"a state or period of usually open and declared fighting between states or nations.† War, can also be viewed with romantic ideals where heroes and legends are born. Even the most intelligent of us hold some rather naà ¯ve notions of war. Upon reading Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, intelligent readers have been divested of any romantic notions regarding war they may have harboured. In Slaughterhouse Five the reader is encouraged to show contempt for war and to abandon all hopes of thinking war as a place where deeds of heroism are and bravery are performed. A character in the novel, Roland†¦show more content†¦This one particular situation, coupled with the words â€Å"so it goes† and the death of a very likable character contribute to the reader’s growing loathing of the acts of violence carri ed throughout the war. Even the structure of the book shows Vonnegut’s disgust of war. The bombing of Dresden is also a climatic point in the novel. At this point, over 135,000 civilians are killed on an undefended city as a reminder to the Germans to surrender to the Allied forces. The random killing of over 135,000 civilians just to make sure the enemy surrenders is nearly the same as taking beating an opposing team in a sport 10-0 and scoring one more just to make sure they lose. The bombing is senseless and Dresden had no reason to be bombed, other than the fact that it was a German city. The bombing provokes the reader to be outraged at the tactics that man uses just to make sure his opponent will lose. Even the structure of the book is written in a way that provokes the reader. The book is written rather haphazardly for a reason. Vonnegut offers the following explanation, â€Å"It is so short and jumbled and jangled, Sam, because there is nothing intelligent to say ab out a massacre.† By the end of the book, the irregularity of the book makes the reader hate the style of writing as much as Vonnegut hated war. As one finishes Slaughterhouse Five, they realize that Vonnegut is trying to make a valiant stand against popular culture and the glamorization of war. War, asShow MoreRelatedKurt Vonnegut s Slaughterhouse Five 1490 Words   |  6 PagesVonnegut Reveals Suffering Through Billy Pilgrim Kurt Vonnegut was an American author who published a variety of works including novels, short stories, plays, and a few works of non-fiction. Kurt Vonnegut explains how war and the experiences that come with it can cause suffering to the minds of people that it affects. In his novel Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut uses his novel to focus on his anti-war stance by showcasing humanity s suffering due to war. 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