"The barbershop quartet sang again. Billy was emotionally racked again. The experience was definitely associated with those four men and not what they sang... Billy was pulled apart inside."
~ Slaughterhouse-Five, page 175
So Billy has a major emotional breakdown during this chapter - the singing quartet reminds him of the bombing in Dresden, which is a very traumatic experience for Billy. This scene actually contradicts what I thought had been a theme in the beginning of the book and some theories on which I had speculated. At first, I thought that the book was about veterans being affected by war, but so that they were completely apathetic to death and destruction and depressing matters. Actually, the message is completely the opposite - veterans are the most sensitive to death and violence. They have actually experienced it and it negatively affects their mentalities for the rest of their lives. They know first-hand how much harm the violence causes, and they see the innocent civilians hurt by other people's arguments. The concept isn't apathy, but suppression of emotion or unhealthy methods of coping with negative memories and experiences.
Showing posts with label emotion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label emotion. Show all posts
Monday, April 30, 2012
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Anthropomorphism (Chapter 14/ Pages 198-207)
"But the spell was ineffective. Obstinately the beautiful memories refused to rise; there was only a hateful resurrection of jealousies and uglinesses and miseries."
~ Brave New World, page 203
John has had a very difficult and erratic relationship with his mother, so when she is dying, he has quite an experience in the hospital. He remembers his mother and the joy and support she brought him, but he also remembers the events that plagued their relationship - Pope, the other women, etc. It isn't animals or even inanimate objects in this case that are being personified. John's ideas are given human characteristics which make his emotions much more real to the reader. When the memories "refuse to rise," one can better understand the pain and frustration that John feels. It also gives the reader an image of the intangible ideas performing an action (which is interesting). The anthropomorphism intensifies the ideas and their emotional effect; they seem more vivid. All of this leads to John's emotional undoing when his mother finally dies.
~ Brave New World, page 203
John has had a very difficult and erratic relationship with his mother, so when she is dying, he has quite an experience in the hospital. He remembers his mother and the joy and support she brought him, but he also remembers the events that plagued their relationship - Pope, the other women, etc. It isn't animals or even inanimate objects in this case that are being personified. John's ideas are given human characteristics which make his emotions much more real to the reader. When the memories "refuse to rise," one can better understand the pain and frustration that John feels. It also gives the reader an image of the intangible ideas performing an action (which is interesting). The anthropomorphism intensifies the ideas and their emotional effect; they seem more vivid. All of this leads to John's emotional undoing when his mother finally dies.
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