Billy Pilgram as a Anti "War Hero" and Slaughterhouse Five as an Anti "War Book"

Even before the first chapter of the novel, Vonnegut makes sure to clearly differentiate his novel from most war novels, by - after assuring the readers of his credentials to tell an accurate account - introducing it as a "novel somewhat in the telegraphic schizophrenic manner of tales of the planet Tralfalmadore, where the flying saucers come from". This sets a theme that continues throughout the book, as real, terrible historical events occur to the paralleling story of sci-fi aliens. Vonnegut's intention is confusing at first - he confirms it's an anti-war book in the first chapter, but has another person question whether it's even possible to write an anti-war book. Additionally, despite these views and him telling his children not to take part in massacres, he creates the character of Billy Pilgram, who seems quite proud of his Green Beret son, to narrate this attempted anti-war mixed with sci-fi novel. However, it becomes clear through the character of Mary O'Hare, to whom the book is dedicated, what the purpose of it is, as Vonnegut realizes that "she thought wars were partly encouraged by books and movies", and he promised her that "There won't be a part for Frank Sinatra or John Wayne", big war action heroes, and names it the Children's Crusade. Slaughterhouse Five is an anti "war novel" novel, against the glorified violence and overly masculine soldiers and overused tropes that make war seem so appealing and action-filled even if it's not their intention, and thus Billy Pilgram is the perfect anti "war hero".

With Billy and the other soldiers, Vonnegut throughout the book makes sure to contradict all the stereotypes of the masculine war action hero that Mary O'Hare so detests. He constantly emphasizes how young and ignorant they are, with the Englishmen especially remarking about how its children fighting the war and not adult men such as themselves. Vonnegut's also constantly ridiculing and undermining any respect Billy might seem to deserve as a soldier. His body is described as weak and pathetic repeatedly. He's constantly dressed weirdly and so sick that he appears in a way that makes him look ridiculous (once even described as a flamingo). Billy's incredibly passive within his story and lacks any heroism, with letting the soldiers take a second shot at him, and constantly telling Weary to leave him behind. Other characters constantly remark how Billy shouldn't be a soldier in the war. However, out of all the characters, he's one of the only one who survives the war. By presenting his protagonist in this way, Vonnegut takes away all glory from war and reveals it to be miserable and absolutely arbitrary when it comes to which lives to spare and which to take.

Additionally, the Tralfalmadorian style - resulting in nonlinear storytelling - removes all sort of suspense that can normally draws people into the action of the novel. In fact, Vonnegut barely describes any actual action at all, instead putting it into a past tense of having it happened, or stating blandly that a character will die in such a manner, so it goes. Most of the novel isn't even confrontations and battles, but dreary life as a war prisoner. The added aspect of aliens additionally makes it impossible for Slaughterhouse Five to be a realistic, gritty thriller, as there's this almost ridiculous element of time travel and flying saucers. By making sure his readers are unable to become invested in the action, Vonnegut successfully avoids for anybody reading the book to be able to glorify war. Vonnegut is very purposeful in both his decisions of writing style and characters to avoid any "war novel" or "war hero" aspect, so that, just as he promised Mary O'Hare, he will avoid contributing to the encouragement of wars.

Women in Mumbo Jumbo

Even prior to our discussion in class about whether Mumbo Jumbo was a womanist text, I was reflecting upon both the few women in Mumbo Jumbo as well as how Reed describes them and their purpose in the text. The conversation from class expanded and complicated my perspective. There's a complex layer to Mumbo Jumbo's depiction of its female characters and their sexuality, and while they contradict the Atonist ideals of chastity and virginity, they also play into harmful, racist, and sexist stereotypes still perpetuating today about black women.

There are three main female characters in Mumbo Jumbo: Charlotte, Earline, and Isis, the goddess from Egyptian mythology. Charlotte is the "sell-out" - she leaves her career with Papa LaBas and works in a theater for a white audience performing in a style reminiscent of minstrel shows. Her role in this show is an overly sexualized woman, played for the laughter of the white audience. Reed is obviously critical of this, his tone laced with cutting sarcasm as he describes the scene. This would imply that he seeks to critique the historic depiction by white people of black people (especially black women) as this type of character. However, his later depictions fail to reach beyond this. Isis' only real appearance in the long retelling of the mythology is when she's having sex, and is barely described or even mentioned besides this. Earline is the most prominent of the female characters in this book, and she gets possessed with the loa Erzulie, and then seduces the bus driver as well as attempts to seduce other male characters in the book. It's implied that the only way to remove the loa from her was then through sexual actions with Black Herman. This brings up the dicy issue of consent - could Earline in any possible way have consented to this when she was literally possessed at the time?

Perhaps if the characters had more depth these sexual depictions would be less of a problem - however, all the female characters play a very small role in the story. None of the woman are involved directly in the main plot of stopping Hinckle Von Vampton, or in spreading Jes Grew - in fact, they are the doubters. Their only moments of significance is always related to sex - Charlotte does get to attempt to try to trick and stop Biff Musclewhite, but does this by using her 'feminine' charms and seduces him - she's unsuccessful, as well, and gets violently murdered at his hands for her effort. Even Earline's genuine, emotional speech at the end of the book about believing in Jes Grew now was still a direct product of her possession by Erzulie.

The author of the article arguing that Mumbo Jumbo was womanist gave a good case - it is definitely very grounded within Atonism to be repressive of sexuality and therefore of women, and Reed's female characters are much more sexual than Atonist literature would allow female characters to be. However, it is not empowering in the context of the Atonist stereotype historically used to demean black women specifically, especially with the lack of any character building or moments unrelated to sex.