Slaughterhouse Five

I read Slaughterhouse Five in high school and found absolutely no enjoyment out of it. Four years later I read it and I still find absolutely no enjoyment out of it. I understand that Vonnegut is creating this situation in which society/people can draw these huge questions out of this story and so that change can occur but why does it just have to be so weird? I have to give Vonnegut credit though; it is probably the most creative novel that I have ever read.

I guess that another reason why I really do not enjoy this novel is the way it is set up; going back and forth, from the present to the past and then jumping to the future and then back. I guess I am a pretty chronological person and I just do not like it nor do I understand it. Like the section we read for Tuesday about the British men coming out and singing. It was just so...weird, just out there in all ways possible.

In all of the stories that we have read, even if I do not really like the story, I can still say that the language and wording the author uses is brilliant or lovely. I really cannot say that about Vonnegut. His words are just so dry, plain, and straightforward. At least that's the way it seems.

I feel badly for Vonnegut that he had to live through the bombing of Dresden-which would mess anyone up- but why in the world did he have to start writing about it and convince readers that he was this brilliant man. Sadly, yet honestly, I think he was a nutcase - just my opinion.

Waiting for Godot

Okay... In a weird way, I liked the second act of this play a lot more than I liked the first act. Overall though, it is just a weird play and I really have no idea what it means. I understand the nothingness of it all and the waiting waiting waiting for in all honesty NOTHING. It seems like Estragon and Vladimir have no idea what is going on around them, very much like the reader because I have no idea what is going on in this play! I think I need a visual of this. I think that my favorite character in this play is the Boy. We don't even know who the Boy is, just that he is the Boy and he is the one who comes to tell Estragon and Vladimir that Godot is not coming. I really like the part:

"Boy: What am I to tell Mr. Godot, Sir?
Vladimir: Tell him...(he hesitates)...tell him you saw me and that...(he hesitates)...that you saw me. (Pause. Vladimir advances, the Boy recoils. Vladimir halts, the Boy halts. With sudden violence.) You're sure you saw me, you won't come and tell me tomorrow that you never saw me! (Silence. Vladimir makes a sudden spring forward, the Boy avoids him and exit running. Silence. The sun sets, the moon rises. As in Act 1 Vladimir stands motionless and bowed. Estragon wakes, takes off his boots, gets up with one in each hand and goes and puts them down center front, then goes towards Vladimir.)"

It just almost seems like a puppet show! Actually, this whole play sort of reminded me of a type of clown show in some crazy mixed-up circus. They all just do not seem real.

Something that I really did not understand in the second act was that no one remembered anybody else. And yet, they still had this distant understanding of what had happened the day before. It is almost dream-like the way the talk to each other in the second act; like nothing had ever really happened the day before.