After having listened to Black Sheep on youtube for an astronomical amount of times, the lyrics start to remind me more and more of Billy Pilgrim. Plus, the guitar solo is pretty amazing too.
Black sheep, come on
Black sheep, come on
Black sheep, come on
Hello again, friend of a friend, I knew you when
Our common goal was waiting for the world to end
Now that the truth is just a rule that you can bend
You crack the whip, shape-shift and trick the past again
I'll send you my love on a wire
Lift you up, everytime, everyone, ooo, pulls away, ooo
From you
Got balls of steel, got an automobile, for a minimum wage
Got real estate, I'm buying it all up in outerspace
Now that the truth is just a rule that you can bend
You crack the whip, shape-shift and trick, the past again
I'll send you my love on a wire
Lift you up, everytime, everyone, ooo, pulls a way, oo
Mechanical bull, the number one
You'll take a ride from anyone, everyone wants a ride, pulls away, oooh from you
A black sheep is commonly known as being a member of a group who is odd or disgraceful to the whole group. Billy himself is the black sheep as he is the only person that different from everyone else. He's the only one who lacks emotion and also he is able to travel through time. He can't feel normally like the other characters, such as his complete disregard for the death of his wife as well as the death of his father-in-law. Billy can also be seen as the disgrace of the group as depicted during his wartimes. Wearing his colorful clothes to the town of Dresden, he is made fun of by the doctor and many others. In a sense, all of the soldiers are the black sheep because as the soup lady says : "All the real soldiers are already dead." The ones who are left are the disgraces to the Americans because supposedly the only way to survive the war was by being cowardly.
The line : "Mechanical bull, the number one, You'll take a ride from anyone, everyone wants a ride" makes me think of how Billy is taken advantage of by everyone, having never made a friend, but rather being used to make others feel better. He is used by Valencia to make herself feel normal, since she is so obese that she couldn't possibly have a decent human relationship. With Billy around, it's basically a way for her to say to the world: "look, I can be one of you." But Valencia is not the only person who happens to be using Billy. Weary also uses Billy as a method of making himself feel superior to others. By comparison, Weary appears as a much more proficient and prepared soldier as opposed to Billy's weak and unarmed self. All the soldiers see Billy as the standard of the American troops and so use him to fuel their hate for America. Even their allies, the British troops frown upon seeing the American troops due to their weakness.
Monday, 18 April 2011
Sunday, 17 April 2011
Things I'd change in Slaughterhouse five - John
To me, Slaughterhouse Five lacks the plot that would have made the book entertaining or simply bearable. Reading a book should be about experiencing a story that enthralls the reader while also relating a message. Though the messages are present within the text, the excitement needed to keep the readers engaged is severely lacking. To allow for a clear though to pass from the author to the reader, a strong plot is needed so that readers are interested in the text, and by extension the messages of the author. By adding suspense or even a climax, we could breath life back into this bland novel. An important part that i would add to the novel has to be an ending. Not a weak, unsatisfying and short ending, but a long and meaningful conclusion that makes you feel glad you've read the entire novel. It should have included something more substantial than just the end of the war, possibly something like what comes afterwards, like a short summary of what Billy plans to do, or even Vonnegut's final thoughts.
Another thing that I'd feel very inclined to change would be the order in which Billy's life events happen. Not anything substantial like rearranging everything into the right order, but just moving a few paragraphs so that Billy's stay in a single memory lasted longer and the readers could make sense of what was actually happening before being transported again to a different time. I know this might interfere with the theme of craziness, but it would be helpful for many readers to grasp the situation before Billy once again leaves for a different time.
Anyways, the novel is fine as it is now, all the changes that I would make would be small so that people will still perceive the novel in the same way.
Another thing that I'd feel very inclined to change would be the order in which Billy's life events happen. Not anything substantial like rearranging everything into the right order, but just moving a few paragraphs so that Billy's stay in a single memory lasted longer and the readers could make sense of what was actually happening before being transported again to a different time. I know this might interfere with the theme of craziness, but it would be helpful for many readers to grasp the situation before Billy once again leaves for a different time.
Anyways, the novel is fine as it is now, all the changes that I would make would be small so that people will still perceive the novel in the same way.
Response to Zach - John
Wow, zach's blog has come a long way from when I first saw it a few weeks after we had initially started this project. I remember back when we had begun our third or fourth topic, i believe, when Zach had so little work done. But just 2 months and a lot of dedication later, Zach's blog has far surpassed any expectations that I've once held for it. Brimming with creativity and ideas, I feel glad to have read all of the posts that Zach has made. There's so much I'd like to discuss about your ideas, but i'll refrain from commenting on all of them, so i'll stick with the bare minimum of 3.
The first topic that piqued my interest is the one about censorship. Now on my blog, i had previously thought that censorship was a viable solution to certain problems, but now your post has made me think a little bit more about this certain topic. I now believe that censorship shouldn't be allowed in this day and age but back then, novels like Slaughterhouse probably were that bad. As you have said, we have become far more slack in our use of sexuality and language, which is why Slaughterhouse is not so controversial today, but who knows how they lived in the old days, maybe even mentioning the war led to suspicion. Maybe it's because of when Vonnegut wrote his book that it came under fire instead of what his book is about. And also, history books are much more factual than what Vonnegut wrote, which was opinion-based, so the depiction of soldiers and such vary and also lead to these types of book to be banned rather than history books.
The second topic that i liked was the first one about fate vs. free will. I've always been a believer of how nothing is ever predetermined. I agree with you completely on your life choices affect your future, and not fate. When you try harder, then you will succeed far more often. Effort should correlate with success in life while fate shouldn't. The belief in fate, in my opinion anyways, is very ridiculous. If you believed that moments in life are structured to happen a certain way, what motivation would you have to attempt anything? You wouldn't try to be successful because if you were destined to be successful, then it should happen, weather you try or not, which in my opinion, is the worst idea possible. Barrack Obama didn't become president by staying home and watching movies, he pushed himself to become a powerful and influential man.
Your post about Vonnegut's history is very interesting since I also think that Vonnegut defending the Germans very well through the novel. I couldn't agree more about how prevents this by giving the enemies a face, such as with the average citizens of Dresden or even the people who had arrested Billy and Weary. When I read the book, they did seem like average citizens and it made me question weather or not it was right to take their lives, even to end the war. Personally though, I think that the Germans were justified in trying to regain power during WWII (excluding the whole Holocaust thing), since they were just trying to rebuild their country. After the end of WWI, Germany was devastated, poor, and the ridicule of the world. A huge amount of debt was forced onto their shoulders and it was not fair. I also agree that assimilation and cultural conformity should be based on the will of the individual, but sometimes it's just not possible. Just imagine, how would a woodcutter be able to function properly in New York City? People have been forced to assimilate to be able to function in society. I'd love to see a world where everyone can live the way that they want to live, but assimilation does happen forcefully all the time, such as with the native people and even the crusades.
All in all, your blog was very enjoyable to read. Your writing style is very straightforward and i really like the ideas that you wrote about. I think that you put a lot of effort into this blog and it's a really good blog overall. Having now read your blog, I've become quite fearful for mine as it pales in comparison. Anyways, now I need to polish off my own blog.
The first topic that piqued my interest is the one about censorship. Now on my blog, i had previously thought that censorship was a viable solution to certain problems, but now your post has made me think a little bit more about this certain topic. I now believe that censorship shouldn't be allowed in this day and age but back then, novels like Slaughterhouse probably were that bad. As you have said, we have become far more slack in our use of sexuality and language, which is why Slaughterhouse is not so controversial today, but who knows how they lived in the old days, maybe even mentioning the war led to suspicion. Maybe it's because of when Vonnegut wrote his book that it came under fire instead of what his book is about. And also, history books are much more factual than what Vonnegut wrote, which was opinion-based, so the depiction of soldiers and such vary and also lead to these types of book to be banned rather than history books.
The second topic that i liked was the first one about fate vs. free will. I've always been a believer of how nothing is ever predetermined. I agree with you completely on your life choices affect your future, and not fate. When you try harder, then you will succeed far more often. Effort should correlate with success in life while fate shouldn't. The belief in fate, in my opinion anyways, is very ridiculous. If you believed that moments in life are structured to happen a certain way, what motivation would you have to attempt anything? You wouldn't try to be successful because if you were destined to be successful, then it should happen, weather you try or not, which in my opinion, is the worst idea possible. Barrack Obama didn't become president by staying home and watching movies, he pushed himself to become a powerful and influential man.
Your post about Vonnegut's history is very interesting since I also think that Vonnegut defending the Germans very well through the novel. I couldn't agree more about how prevents this by giving the enemies a face, such as with the average citizens of Dresden or even the people who had arrested Billy and Weary. When I read the book, they did seem like average citizens and it made me question weather or not it was right to take their lives, even to end the war. Personally though, I think that the Germans were justified in trying to regain power during WWII (excluding the whole Holocaust thing), since they were just trying to rebuild their country. After the end of WWI, Germany was devastated, poor, and the ridicule of the world. A huge amount of debt was forced onto their shoulders and it was not fair. I also agree that assimilation and cultural conformity should be based on the will of the individual, but sometimes it's just not possible. Just imagine, how would a woodcutter be able to function properly in New York City? People have been forced to assimilate to be able to function in society. I'd love to see a world where everyone can live the way that they want to live, but assimilation does happen forcefully all the time, such as with the native people and even the crusades.
All in all, your blog was very enjoyable to read. Your writing style is very straightforward and i really like the ideas that you wrote about. I think that you put a lot of effort into this blog and it's a really good blog overall. Having now read your blog, I've become quite fearful for mine as it pales in comparison. Anyways, now I need to polish off my own blog.
Response Post
For my response post, I've decided to take a look at Aaron's Blog. While reading through his posts, I find that I get to see a completely different perspective at the novel. But, it's a humorous perspective that retains that severity of the concepts involved. Indeed, it embodies the positive nature that I think Vonnegut would wish everyone had. That, primarily, is what drew me in and kept me reading throughout.
Just a note to make, for whatever reason I read the blog from most recent to latest, so all of my thoughts actually start opposite from when Aaron wrote the posts.
Anyways, that's not to say that I didn't have some conflicting ideas with Aaron. For example, when he wrote:
But immediately after, the subject of Vonnegut's dark humour was touched upon. Right away, I remembered in the first chapter of SH5 when I read "there must have been tons of human bone meal in the ground". I chuckled a bit since it seems such a grotesque picture to paint out of nowhere, and the true significance of the statement takes a while to get to you. As with Aaron, Vonnegut's creativity never ceases to make me chuckle.
Speaking of creativity, I enjoyed reading the blog post on parodies of famous novels. Larry Potter and Hermyknee Ranger are just two of a number of tidbits in the post that made me chuckle or smile. I think that fans of the subject matter would actually appreciate the humour as it is refreshing to see something you like presented in a different way, especially when it's amusing.
And now that we're on the topic of amusement, Aaron's warped narrative reminds me of all of the Failblog videos I've seen. Even though I know that sometimes the people in the videos must be getting hurt (to varying degrees), I can't stop laughing at the scenario that they've put themselves in. In that respect, I find that I'm not only similar to Vonnegut's style of humour but also Aaron's. I know that I've had my own veritable share of "fail" experiences. His last sentence in the warped narrative was a good way to end it off and really relate it back to Vonnegut's humour: If Aaron were in Charlie’s place, he would have died…
Aaron's post on censorship really had me agreeing with him. These days, people are surrounded by so many conflicting opinions that they really get lost in blaming someone for their misfortunes. Oftentimes, literature gets blamed for its negative effects. Ulga Hoffstadder, with her few sentences on Dr. Seuss' book, is a paragon for ignorance for everyone. Without commenting on her intelligence, I'll say that her failure to see the words beyond the words leaves me without words of my own. . .
Regardless, I very much enjoyed reading Aaron's blog. Aside from his humorous posts, you can still pick up a different perspective of things. Reading his blog, I really get a sense of connection and similarity between his words and my own. Maybe it was fate that made me post about Aaron's blog. No, wait. It WAS fate that made me post about Aaron's blog, but it was my choice in my life to do so. Now try and see what I mean by that.
Just a note to make, for whatever reason I read the blog from most recent to latest, so all of my thoughts actually start opposite from when Aaron wrote the posts.
Anyways, that's not to say that I didn't have some conflicting ideas with Aaron. For example, when he wrote:
There is some speculation on our favourite theme of Fate duking it out with Free Will. In SH5 we see the Tralfamadorians and their idea of Fate reigning supreme. But in 2BR02B, people are able to call the number 2BR02B and book an appointment to die in a gas chamber (they do this when they want to volunteer to die in order to serve the future generations). Yayyy. Sounds a lot like Free Will to me if people have the choice to pick their deathday, not birthday.I felt that the definition of fate and free will are a bit blurred. Fate is something that is set in stone and cannot be changed; it is something that no one knows. Meanwhile, life is when free will and choice occurs, which is what Aaron is referring to. I think this might've been what he was getting at, but it wasn't stated explicitly. I think often people mix up the terms fate and life in the sense that they define fate as your set of choices in life, while fate is actually the set of choices you are bound to make in life (thus setting it apart from life itself). People can pick how they want to live their lives, and in this case picking when to die, but their fate is forever unchangeable.
But immediately after, the subject of Vonnegut's dark humour was touched upon. Right away, I remembered in the first chapter of SH5 when I read "there must have been tons of human bone meal in the ground". I chuckled a bit since it seems such a grotesque picture to paint out of nowhere, and the true significance of the statement takes a while to get to you. As with Aaron, Vonnegut's creativity never ceases to make me chuckle.
Speaking of creativity, I enjoyed reading the blog post on parodies of famous novels. Larry Potter and Hermyknee Ranger are just two of a number of tidbits in the post that made me chuckle or smile. I think that fans of the subject matter would actually appreciate the humour as it is refreshing to see something you like presented in a different way, especially when it's amusing.
And now that we're on the topic of amusement, Aaron's warped narrative reminds me of all of the Failblog videos I've seen. Even though I know that sometimes the people in the videos must be getting hurt (to varying degrees), I can't stop laughing at the scenario that they've put themselves in. In that respect, I find that I'm not only similar to Vonnegut's style of humour but also Aaron's. I know that I've had my own veritable share of "fail" experiences. His last sentence in the warped narrative was a good way to end it off and really relate it back to Vonnegut's humour: If Aaron were in Charlie’s place, he would have died…
Aaron's post on censorship really had me agreeing with him. These days, people are surrounded by so many conflicting opinions that they really get lost in blaming someone for their misfortunes. Oftentimes, literature gets blamed for its negative effects. Ulga Hoffstadder, with her few sentences on Dr. Seuss' book, is a paragon for ignorance for everyone. Without commenting on her intelligence, I'll say that her failure to see the words beyond the words leaves me without words of my own. . .
Regardless, I very much enjoyed reading Aaron's blog. Aside from his humorous posts, you can still pick up a different perspective of things. Reading his blog, I really get a sense of connection and similarity between his words and my own. Maybe it was fate that made me post about Aaron's blog. No, wait. It WAS fate that made me post about Aaron's blog, but it was my choice in my life to do so. Now try and see what I mean by that.
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Being Able to See the Future - Milan, OWA4
Would being able to see the future actually be beneficial? Would it give someone the chance to right a wrong that they commit before one even does it? Or are there "rules" to doing as such?
I don't believe that one would be able to see the future and change something to affect it. What would be the point of seeing the future if you could change it? Obviously, any change you intend to do after seeing the future would have already been taken into account when you saw it. Even if this were not true, changing events to try and alter events in the future could have a cascade effect of unprecedented proportions, thus irrevocably changing that future that you saw, thus rendering your whole purpose pointless (it could be that this entire process is some kind of paradox). This is, I believe, where the idea of fate comes from in SH5.
Billy in SH5 has the ability to see the future, but either chooses to be lax about it or he physically cannot change what he sees. Perhaps this is indeed a result of him knowing that upon seeing the future, he knows what his fate is. And since one cannot change fate, his future is set in stone. However, without knowing one's fate, one has no idea what can happen in life. Therefore, regardless of the fact that fate is existent, the choices one makes can still impact one's future. Of course, having said this, I do not speak for my own beliefs, but rather for what the novel attempts to bring across. Indeed, there are other messages tied in with this prevalent theme of fate and existentialism which develop the idea more. For now, however, the topic is on fate itself.
Life is different from fate. In life, one can choose everything and there is always an option to do something. Fate is set in stone. The two cannot, and must not, be confused for the debate on fate to continue. Thus, I believe that everyone has a set of events that is meant to happen to them. But, as I said earlier, these remain unknown until they occur, so it is still possible to live life choosing what you want to happen to you. But, as per the definition of fate, these were meant to happen. People are not meant to know their fate, but rather live their lives in the best way they can.
If I had the option to see my fate/future (however you want to call it), I would opt out of it. What is the point of living one's life if there is no sense of mystery? Life is all about making choices and living to experience the consequences. If these consequences are already known, then it's just a matter of living life until you die. That, in itself, is a truly depressing thought to even think about.
So, is knowing the future a choice that one could make? Perhaps, if you want to be martyr for other humans. But as an option for a person to do it for oneself, the consequences of doing such are unknown and potentially eternally depressing. Billy can perhaps be feeling the effects of constantly knowing his fate. With that in mind, perhaps Vonnegut simply wanted all of us to stop worrying so much about our futures and just live life as it is meant to be lived: without regret.
I don't believe that one would be able to see the future and change something to affect it. What would be the point of seeing the future if you could change it? Obviously, any change you intend to do after seeing the future would have already been taken into account when you saw it. Even if this were not true, changing events to try and alter events in the future could have a cascade effect of unprecedented proportions, thus irrevocably changing that future that you saw, thus rendering your whole purpose pointless (it could be that this entire process is some kind of paradox). This is, I believe, where the idea of fate comes from in SH5.
Billy in SH5 has the ability to see the future, but either chooses to be lax about it or he physically cannot change what he sees. Perhaps this is indeed a result of him knowing that upon seeing the future, he knows what his fate is. And since one cannot change fate, his future is set in stone. However, without knowing one's fate, one has no idea what can happen in life. Therefore, regardless of the fact that fate is existent, the choices one makes can still impact one's future. Of course, having said this, I do not speak for my own beliefs, but rather for what the novel attempts to bring across. Indeed, there are other messages tied in with this prevalent theme of fate and existentialism which develop the idea more. For now, however, the topic is on fate itself.
Life is different from fate. In life, one can choose everything and there is always an option to do something. Fate is set in stone. The two cannot, and must not, be confused for the debate on fate to continue. Thus, I believe that everyone has a set of events that is meant to happen to them. But, as I said earlier, these remain unknown until they occur, so it is still possible to live life choosing what you want to happen to you. But, as per the definition of fate, these were meant to happen. People are not meant to know their fate, but rather live their lives in the best way they can.
If I had the option to see my fate/future (however you want to call it), I would opt out of it. What is the point of living one's life if there is no sense of mystery? Life is all about making choices and living to experience the consequences. If these consequences are already known, then it's just a matter of living life until you die. That, in itself, is a truly depressing thought to even think about.
So, is knowing the future a choice that one could make? Perhaps, if you want to be martyr for other humans. But as an option for a person to do it for oneself, the consequences of doing such are unknown and potentially eternally depressing. Billy can perhaps be feeling the effects of constantly knowing his fate. With that in mind, perhaps Vonnegut simply wanted all of us to stop worrying so much about our futures and just live life as it is meant to be lived: without regret.
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Kevin Carter and the Sudanese girl - John
This picture has nothing to do with Slaughterhouse but it does have to do with the blog post about our own ideas on novels.
Also, I would like to note that this is an enormous reason as to why I do not and will not ever believe in fate. It should not ever be the fate of some poor child to starve to death. No person should have the right to look at this image and say: "That was her fate." This is clearly not true as people such as Kevin Carter had the choice to stop what was happening. He had the ability to help but rather chose not to. World hunger is not a problem that's beyond the powers of human society. It is not fate that has led to millions of humans to die of starvation but rather apathy for those in need that have caused us to choose this world filled with pain and sorrow. Fate is no excuse for why things happen the way they do. Choices are what determine the outcome of a situation.
Monday, 11 April 2011
Why SH5 Should Never be Adapted into Film - Milan, OWA3
It has been tried before. The word on the street is that the movie doesn't perform as well as it could have what the novel intended. Is this coincidence? Or is it actually a result of the fact that the book was never written to be adapted into the forms that modern film take today?
The truth is, when Vonnegut finished writing SH5, his intention was not to create an entertaining novel, per se, but rather to make a point. His elimination of suspense throughout the story (by revealing events prematurely) and lack of character development in Billy (creating a character that cannot be sympathised with) results in a novel that lacks the fundamentals for a movie with which people can enjoy. Granted, it can be said that these forms of writing were employed in order to create more focus on the messages in the novel. However, the results of which create a novel that is not appealing to the general public.
Getting the themes and points of SH5 across in a movie as effectively as the novel (arguably) does, would involve changing the storyline in order to make Billy a relatable character. I believe that doing so takes away from what makes Vonnegut's book unique; it would take away the essence of the story in order to make it a Hollywood hit. If you turn an orange blue, it's no longer an orange.
But, if we were to assume that a film would not attempt to make the movie in the form of how many movies are made today (to make money), then it would be possible for the novel to be re-written for a screenplay. Indeed, doing so would be risking thousands of dollars on the notion that the movie would sell as well as the novel. Not doing so, I believe, would discredit the principles that the novel was written upon.
In addition, the movie can be loosely based upon SH5 in such a way that the fundamental themes are still represented. They can be shown in such a way that they are intriguing and encourage any watchers of the film to create their own opinions of the subject matter within the film. If they are interested enough, they may even delve into the novel itself when previously they may never have given the notion a passing thought. In this way, the novel can be used to slightly simplify the messages from SH5 to make them more appealing and thus draw more people in to the enlightenment that Vonnegut was hoping to achieve.
In short, SH5 cannot be taken lightly. Reformatting it into a movie that can make money on its own should not be the attempt of any film director: the novel, as it stands, is not made for such transformations. A direct screenplay of the novel would be possible, but would risk in the loss of thousands of dollars and man-hours from its creation. As I said above, a movie that is perhaps somewhat based on the themes from the novel may prove to be more plausible. Quite simply, Vonnegut's eye-opening piece literature should be given the same credit in its film adaptation. Anything less would result in the dishonour, not only to Vonnegut, but to all the readers of the novel who have taken from it as much as they could.
How Vonnegut's writing style annoys me - John
Anyone else feel that Vonnegut's gone of on way too many tangents in Slaughterhouse five? There seems to be an abundance of unneeded fluff in his writing. Things like Maggie, the stereotypical dumb blonde who seems to serve no purpose whatsoever in the novel or Vonnegut's descriptions of Kilgore Trout's novels and what happens in them. Is knowing if Jesus really died or his height before his death in Kilgore Trout's novel really going to change my understanding of the book? I have come to see Vonnegut's writing as what i'd like to call verbal diarrhea on a silver platter. The novel might have taken many years to write, but the fashion in which it is written appears to me as a non-stop stream of thoughts that have been slightly cleaned up in the end.Vonnegut's gone off on so many tangents that it has become difficult to tell which facts are actually important and which ones are just simply pointless (A.K.A. the reason why i will fail the content quiz).
Novels should provide a clear and understandable vision of what the author wants to show, but Slaughterhouse only comes off as a jumble of madness. This writing style is suppose to represent the distorted mayhem of war the message is so incomprehensible that few will ever relate it to war. It wasn't even until this matter came up in class that I even considered that there was a reason behind the madness. The messages that other people seem to get from the novel just doesn't come to me. I didn't see the relation between war and the distortion, and this may be due to my lack of knowledge on war, but the relation between these 2 weren't so clear. If an important message is to be given through a novel, it should be crystal clear to see within the book or many readers will not catch what could be the most significant part of the book.
Novels should provide a clear and understandable vision of what the author wants to show, but Slaughterhouse only comes off as a jumble of madness. This writing style is suppose to represent the distorted mayhem of war the message is so incomprehensible that few will ever relate it to war. It wasn't even until this matter came up in class that I even considered that there was a reason behind the madness. The messages that other people seem to get from the novel just doesn't come to me. I didn't see the relation between war and the distortion, and this may be due to my lack of knowledge on war, but the relation between these 2 weren't so clear. If an important message is to be given through a novel, it should be crystal clear to see within the book or many readers will not catch what could be the most significant part of the book.
Saturday, 9 April 2011
"The Prestige" and How its Plot Matches Up with Slaughterhouse-Five - Milan, OWA2
Slaughterhouse-Five is unique in its various facets and the messages that it attempts to shed light on in order to enlighten readers is truly a unique experience. However, that is not to say that it cannot be relatable to any other piece of art in the sense of its chaotic and non-linear storyline progression. The movie "The Prestige", with its alluring plot of magicians and their rivalries is more than meets the eye, literally. It's an excellent film that compares with Slaughterhouse-Five in some fashion, but goes completely the other way in others.
The movie begins with no sense of direction as Christopher Nolan spins a concoction of events in an attempt to primarily draw in the audience. At the same time, he creates an atmosphere of mystery. Soon, the film begins jumping through scenes in various timelines as it warps between different events. Much like Billy Pilgrim's time traveling, the movie does indeed do the same thing. The two main characters (for each are each others antagonist), Angier and Borden, host their own magic shows in an attempt to outdo the other and make their claim to fame, so to speak. Over the course of the movie, one slowly begins to piece everything together until the film's culmination; its final enlightenment.
This movie instantly reminded me of SH5 with this kind of plot. However, there are some stark contrasts between the two, primarily being that The Prestige ends with a clear-cut cliffhanger (leaving one to think a little), while Slaugterhouse-Five's ending leaves a reader with a completely open-ended finale and no way to discern with complete confidence what the author intended. In a way, this matches up with the novel's existentialist themes (among other messages).
But, the similarities for the most part end there. Whether or not there is some kind of internal message within The Prestige is up for debate as it's a movie made for entertainment. SH5 definately has messages hidden whose discovery falls on the individual reader. And while Billy is not a character one can relate to, Angier is definately the character that is portrayed to be more likable in the movie. Character development is also present in The Prestige, while in SH5 it's completely absent in Billy. Speaking of characters, SH5 is completely absent of any love interest while The Prestige has a number of them. In addition to these lovers, the people in The Prestige have well-defined goals while Billy has none. All of these factors make watchers feel sympathetic to The Prestige, while Billy is simply used as an eyehole to look at society. In this respect, the two pieces of art are completely different.
It is true that in each case the character contributes in either bringing across the message or being the main proponent in progressing the storyline. I feel that in both cases the character choices were justified as they achieve (what I believe to be) their intended goals, whether it be their own or the author's. Both The Prestige and SH5 are similar, yet they are different. Indeed, quite like apples and oranges, they are both fruit; yet they both have different tastes, colours, and textures that set them apart. That is, in the end, what makes any one thing different from anything else and enjoyable in its own way.
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Banning Books, Right or Wrong? - John
Books that give rise to controversy are often banned, sometimes to silence the message of the author but also sometimes to maintain the order of society. SH5 belongs in the latter group, as it caused people within the American society to rise and revolt. The novel portrays the Americans as a weak and pitiful while in reality, not all of their soldiers acted as such. This caused the american people to detest the book because it didn't reflect their point of view on the war. It certainly isn't right to ban a book because it contains the opinions of the author, especially one as influential as this one, but the people who have read it might not feel the same way that Vonnegut felt about the war. American soldiers might not feel happy about how Vonnegut had portrayed them, weak and intolerable, like Billy and Weary, while the English and German were depicted as being far better. This might be a cause as to why the banning took place, because soldiers and supporters of them alike had strong feelings for why they fought and the novel did not reflect this.
Picture this, a mother of 3 boys watches her sons grow up and become wonderful men. They all decide to help their nation and take part in the war. She watches them leave proudly as they march towards the battlefield. 3 months pass and a soldier arrives at the door. The soldier brings with him the sad news of how her sons have perished, fighting bravely for the country they hold so dear. Now if this mother had read this book about the American troops, would she not also feel offended by Vonnegut's words?
Vonnegut's writing certainly isn't for all readers, and this is why it leads to events such as book banning. Although book banning should not be happening, it is the only method for the American population to express how they felt about the book. They country that they had established was being insulted and so they bared their fangs with prejudice against the novel. A novel shouldn't ever be stopped from being read, but when its message is used to harm others, then events such as book banning becomes commonplace.
Picture this, a mother of 3 boys watches her sons grow up and become wonderful men. They all decide to help their nation and take part in the war. She watches them leave proudly as they march towards the battlefield. 3 months pass and a soldier arrives at the door. The soldier brings with him the sad news of how her sons have perished, fighting bravely for the country they hold so dear. Now if this mother had read this book about the American troops, would she not also feel offended by Vonnegut's words?
Vonnegut's writing certainly isn't for all readers, and this is why it leads to events such as book banning. Although book banning should not be happening, it is the only method for the American population to express how they felt about the book. They country that they had established was being insulted and so they bared their fangs with prejudice against the novel. A novel shouldn't ever be stopped from being read, but when its message is used to harm others, then events such as book banning becomes commonplace.
Sunday, 3 April 2011
My Masterpiece - John
If i had the patience to actually sit down and write something outside of the realm of schoolwork, it would definitely have to be something along the lines of a dark and twisted tale about the dirty underside of society. A good example of such would be like the novel Next by Michael Crichton. Next is about the dark underbelly of the glamorous high-tech Biotech industry, about how people go to extreme measures to make money, how dysfunctional and broken the legal system is, and about the evils of the world in general. This novel is the basis for why I'd even consider writing a book because there's no much else that's influenced me like this novel. Unlike Vonnegut, I couldn't possibly write a novel based on my personal experiences simply because my life is boring. If this novel ever came to fruition, it would an action-packed thrill ride unlike anything you've ever read.
So to start off, there would be no main characters since i feel that it's too hard to explore a huge topic with just a single character. There wouldn't be some heroic, righteous protagonist that expunges the evil from the world. This is simply because it doesn't happen. There would be a few good guys that struggle with making the right decision, a few ne'er do wells that try to make their mark on the world, and many unoriginal and uncreative stock characters. This is just my personal preference since having many characters means i could focus on many different struggles and problems with each character instead of having one main character undergo all of it. One person could be involved in an underground gambling scheme, while someone else is involved in the high-tech manufacturing industry. Having all of these qualities and diversity is too much for a single character so it is better to have a variety of different kinds of people with different personalities and traits.
The novel would take place a few years in the future, where a gene, AKR83, has been discovered to be a viable cure for cancer, due to it's ability to manipulate stem cells into a much more aggressive form of an omnipotent white blood cell that would specifically targets abnormal cells that haven't undergone apoptosis. This gene, however has been licensed by three major institutes in the United States and no further research can be done until the licensing disagreement has been sorted out. The world would be on edge due to the United States withholding what could be the most important discovery to this day over such a trivial issue as to who holds the rights to the gene when millions are dying. The great debate for the patent has led to espionage and skirmishes, until the United States can take no more and establishes an ally system with all those who want a part of the cure against those who refuse or even cannot pay the massive royalty fees that come with the cure. The world will wage war on itself and what would once have been a cure to mankind's greatest problem will lead to its ultimate downfall.
The ideas that i'd like to share revolve around society's greed. In a sense, the way that the companies wouldn't share the information is like how the world's not willing to share it wealth evenly. Our society consists of only a few rich countries, while large parts of the world struggle with getting the bare necessities. There shouldn't be anything like a third-world country at the same time as there are obesity epidemics. Events like Kevin Carter's famous Sudanese girl and vulture should not ever happen. This also applies to more than just food. School is also a luxury that not everyone in the world has, yet there are people who don't even care about a proper education. The world needs to change so that there is equality for all and those less fortune should be helped, even if they live outside of your country. Another message that needs to be shared is about patents. A patent should not passed on anything that exists naturally and yet genes, which have been around since the beginning of life, are patented and this allows the companies who own the patents to make millions of dollar for anything that requires the gene, like research. Allowing a patent for genes is like allowing a patent for gravity, which is simply ridiculous. We should not be able to own anything that is inside other people's body. Also, I absolutely detest the idea that readers need to dig to unsolve the message in books, which is why I would specifically have a section in the end where I reveal the messages because it's just simpler this way. With novels like Slaughterhouse five, sometimes the message is hidden so deep that some readers might not notice it.
So to start off, there would be no main characters since i feel that it's too hard to explore a huge topic with just a single character. There wouldn't be some heroic, righteous protagonist that expunges the evil from the world. This is simply because it doesn't happen. There would be a few good guys that struggle with making the right decision, a few ne'er do wells that try to make their mark on the world, and many unoriginal and uncreative stock characters. This is just my personal preference since having many characters means i could focus on many different struggles and problems with each character instead of having one main character undergo all of it. One person could be involved in an underground gambling scheme, while someone else is involved in the high-tech manufacturing industry. Having all of these qualities and diversity is too much for a single character so it is better to have a variety of different kinds of people with different personalities and traits.
The novel would take place a few years in the future, where a gene, AKR83, has been discovered to be a viable cure for cancer, due to it's ability to manipulate stem cells into a much more aggressive form of an omnipotent white blood cell that would specifically targets abnormal cells that haven't undergone apoptosis. This gene, however has been licensed by three major institutes in the United States and no further research can be done until the licensing disagreement has been sorted out. The world would be on edge due to the United States withholding what could be the most important discovery to this day over such a trivial issue as to who holds the rights to the gene when millions are dying. The great debate for the patent has led to espionage and skirmishes, until the United States can take no more and establishes an ally system with all those who want a part of the cure against those who refuse or even cannot pay the massive royalty fees that come with the cure. The world will wage war on itself and what would once have been a cure to mankind's greatest problem will lead to its ultimate downfall.
The ideas that i'd like to share revolve around society's greed. In a sense, the way that the companies wouldn't share the information is like how the world's not willing to share it wealth evenly. Our society consists of only a few rich countries, while large parts of the world struggle with getting the bare necessities. There shouldn't be anything like a third-world country at the same time as there are obesity epidemics. Events like Kevin Carter's famous Sudanese girl and vulture should not ever happen. This also applies to more than just food. School is also a luxury that not everyone in the world has, yet there are people who don't even care about a proper education. The world needs to change so that there is equality for all and those less fortune should be helped, even if they live outside of your country. Another message that needs to be shared is about patents. A patent should not passed on anything that exists naturally and yet genes, which have been around since the beginning of life, are patented and this allows the companies who own the patents to make millions of dollar for anything that requires the gene, like research. Allowing a patent for genes is like allowing a patent for gravity, which is simply ridiculous. We should not be able to own anything that is inside other people's body. Also, I absolutely detest the idea that readers need to dig to unsolve the message in books, which is why I would specifically have a section in the end where I reveal the messages because it's just simpler this way. With novels like Slaughterhouse five, sometimes the message is hidden so deep that some readers might not notice it.
Not ENTIRELY True. . . - Milan, WA5
Should the opportunity occur, I would write a novel with historical references. A good example of something already done would be the Da Vinci Code, where historical links are interpreted in a fictional fashion and a plot line forms based off of characters that are involved with it. Whether the novel would be placed in a fictional point in the past, present, or future would depend on the context upon which I'm writing. In fact, I might decide to incorporate all three opportunities to form a novel that spans over many generations. Thus having said that, I would indeed want to write a series.
However, there is no good novel without a primary message that is both relatable to the real world and something that can be observed with a critical eye. That being said, a possible topic would be revolving around secret societies such as the Masons or the Templar. However, these are traditionally cliche themes for a historical fiction novel to be based off of.
Perhaps something of more novelty would lie along the lines of an international organization that has existed for the entirety of man's presence of Earth. Similar to the movie The Adjustment Bureau, my made-up organization was made to keep the life of man in check. Instead of having an all-knowing chairman such as in the Adjustment Bureau, the members of the organization would, do, and will forever strive to keep from a single group of people from conquering the world.
Through ever-present monitoring and infiltration, the organization, aptly named Novi (from the Latin "know"), seeks to topple nations that they have deemed to be too powerful. The history goes back to the Egyptian Empire, to the Roman Empire, to the Mongolian Empire, and even to America's independence, were all a result of the plans of the Novi members. For example, Rome's collapse may partially be attributed to its greedy conquest of land. However, members of Novi know that the collapse was entirely attributable to a series of contributions of members that ranged from influencing military generals to changing public opinions.
Indeed, one doesn't not voluntarily choose to be a part of the completely secret organization. In my novel, members of the organization are first born as humans with exceptional abilities. One such ability is to sense the presence of other humans with the same abilities. As Novi relies on these extremely rare traits, they can track down potential new members fairly quickly to keep an eye on them. Some humans choose to ignore their abilities as simply heightened senses. However, those that begin experimenting are quickly isolated. At some point in their early lives, a 'tragic' accident occurs in which the child is spirited away. Perhaps they are lost in a crowd and kidnapped, or become stranded in a forest, they are never seen again.
The novels would take place over hundreds of years. As not every single period in human history can possibly be covered, I would pick certain time-frames to be the subject for the storyline. But for further clarification, the organization does not seek to single-handedly topple whole countries. Rather, they seek to influence the collapse of these countries/empires. As such, the collapse of the Roman Empire or the gradual decline of the British Empire would be possible to explain (military influences for the Romans and public opinion changes for the British). For example, the leader of a social movement for independence from Britain may in my novel be a successor to a leader who mysteriously disappears during a campaign. All following independence movements and independence recognitions would be a result of worldwide efforts to diminish the Empire.
Character perspectives would range from first-person to third-person. While the the majority of the storylines would take place in the third-person, occasional bursts of first-person would occur as Novi members tap into one of their abilities: to see the memories of their ancestors.
Obviously, a theme here would be to never trust what you see or read unless you are absolutely sure it is right (with the only way of doing so being that one was actually there). The last novel may strike a chord with the notion that Novi may become dormant in the future as the human race catches up to its staggering progress and begins to settle for world peace, reiterating the fact that even though hope is for the most part a desperate feeling, its continued presence results in a positive state of mind; in essence, something is better than nothing. Numerous other occasions of drama and romance would occur, with Novi members becoming tied up with the human feelings they are supposed to ignore in order to accomplish their respective goals. With the ability to see memories of the past, notions of "What if?" would be prevalent throughout the series, thus adding to the fictional aspect of the series and inspiring thought-provoking events throughout.
Ultimately, the series would not only provide the entertainment values that a series needs in order to continue its lifespan, but it would also possess messages that become more and more visible as the story progresses towards its inspiring culmination. Given that it is based party off of history, an immense amount of research would have to be done to ensure that the boundaries of the novel are not too far-fetched and that they remain within the confines of possibility (no aliens, for example).
Should the opportunity occur in which I would be able to sit down with enough free time to commit to the series' commencement and ultimate completion, I would take it. The journey would, of course, be satisfying as I learn a great deal of history and improvise 'my own'. But the end result of creating a timeless legacy would, I believe, be something worth experiencing, regardless of how grueling the journey is.
However, there is no good novel without a primary message that is both relatable to the real world and something that can be observed with a critical eye. That being said, a possible topic would be revolving around secret societies such as the Masons or the Templar. However, these are traditionally cliche themes for a historical fiction novel to be based off of.
Perhaps something of more novelty would lie along the lines of an international organization that has existed for the entirety of man's presence of Earth. Similar to the movie The Adjustment Bureau, my made-up organization was made to keep the life of man in check. Instead of having an all-knowing chairman such as in the Adjustment Bureau, the members of the organization would, do, and will forever strive to keep from a single group of people from conquering the world.
Through ever-present monitoring and infiltration, the organization, aptly named Novi (from the Latin "know"), seeks to topple nations that they have deemed to be too powerful. The history goes back to the Egyptian Empire, to the Roman Empire, to the Mongolian Empire, and even to America's independence, were all a result of the plans of the Novi members. For example, Rome's collapse may partially be attributed to its greedy conquest of land. However, members of Novi know that the collapse was entirely attributable to a series of contributions of members that ranged from influencing military generals to changing public opinions.
Indeed, one doesn't not voluntarily choose to be a part of the completely secret organization. In my novel, members of the organization are first born as humans with exceptional abilities. One such ability is to sense the presence of other humans with the same abilities. As Novi relies on these extremely rare traits, they can track down potential new members fairly quickly to keep an eye on them. Some humans choose to ignore their abilities as simply heightened senses. However, those that begin experimenting are quickly isolated. At some point in their early lives, a 'tragic' accident occurs in which the child is spirited away. Perhaps they are lost in a crowd and kidnapped, or become stranded in a forest, they are never seen again.
The novels would take place over hundreds of years. As not every single period in human history can possibly be covered, I would pick certain time-frames to be the subject for the storyline. But for further clarification, the organization does not seek to single-handedly topple whole countries. Rather, they seek to influence the collapse of these countries/empires. As such, the collapse of the Roman Empire or the gradual decline of the British Empire would be possible to explain (military influences for the Romans and public opinion changes for the British). For example, the leader of a social movement for independence from Britain may in my novel be a successor to a leader who mysteriously disappears during a campaign. All following independence movements and independence recognitions would be a result of worldwide efforts to diminish the Empire.
Character perspectives would range from first-person to third-person. While the the majority of the storylines would take place in the third-person, occasional bursts of first-person would occur as Novi members tap into one of their abilities: to see the memories of their ancestors.
Obviously, a theme here would be to never trust what you see or read unless you are absolutely sure it is right (with the only way of doing so being that one was actually there). The last novel may strike a chord with the notion that Novi may become dormant in the future as the human race catches up to its staggering progress and begins to settle for world peace, reiterating the fact that even though hope is for the most part a desperate feeling, its continued presence results in a positive state of mind; in essence, something is better than nothing. Numerous other occasions of drama and romance would occur, with Novi members becoming tied up with the human feelings they are supposed to ignore in order to accomplish their respective goals. With the ability to see memories of the past, notions of "What if?" would be prevalent throughout the series, thus adding to the fictional aspect of the series and inspiring thought-provoking events throughout.
Ultimately, the series would not only provide the entertainment values that a series needs in order to continue its lifespan, but it would also possess messages that become more and more visible as the story progresses towards its inspiring culmination. Given that it is based party off of history, an immense amount of research would have to be done to ensure that the boundaries of the novel are not too far-fetched and that they remain within the confines of possibility (no aliens, for example).
Should the opportunity occur in which I would be able to sit down with enough free time to commit to the series' commencement and ultimate completion, I would take it. The journey would, of course, be satisfying as I learn a great deal of history and improvise 'my own'. But the end result of creating a timeless legacy would, I believe, be something worth experiencing, regardless of how grueling the journey is.
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