The use of satire in “Slaughterhouse-five”
Kurt Vonnegut was always among the most scandalous writers in the United States, and this is no wonder as his satire is something not ordinary and able to touch somebody’s mind and heart to the very depth of them. In “Slaughterhouse-five”, his the most famous and popular work, Vonnegut resorts to the use of the sharpest satire in order to criticize all the sad consequences that war might have for the civilians along with the soldiers participating in it. The author is also rich in the use of such effective techniques as caricature, situational irony, verbal irony, sarcasm, the grotesque which help him to send the message about all the vanity and sorrow wars are related to. In the following paper, Kurt Vonnegut’s excellent satirical skills will be examined in terms of their effectiveness and the impact they have on the audience; in addition the work of the author will be compared to the other popular examples of satire including “The Onion”. Generally, after examining a row of sources along with Kurt Vonnegut’s works it appears that the author’s satire which can be also acclaimed as his “carte-de-visite” is a very effective instrument helping in showing all the pain and sorrow along with idleness and vanity which are hidden behind wars.
Speaking about the use of satire in “Slaughterhouse-five”, it should be stated that Vonnegut appears to be a master of this genre. The most sophisticated and unexpected expressions are made by the author during the whole story-telling of this inimitable literary work. In particular, the very interesting example of this tendency by the author can be seen in a constant address to the word-expression “so it goes” which he applies about 200 times in “Slaughterhouse-five” (Beidler 107). This short but effective phrase placed in the most unexpected places helps the author to create an unbelievable spirit of satiric mockery on such phenomenon as wars, and all the problems they are connected with.
Vonnegut’s testimonial account through fictional satire
Then, with regards to Vonnegut’s ability to use nonfiction in combination with fictional satire, and the effect it produces on the audience, it seems that this literary method is the very “salt” of his works. There can be hardly found any other writer on this earth with such excellent ability to draw the attention of one’s public to some important social or political problem in such a manner. What is the most appealing and intriguing along with attracting the attention of the audience in “Slaughterhouse-five”, it is a constant shift to science-fiction episodes made by the author in order to contrast them with the real events of the war, and raffish the public as a result (Beidler 109).
Satirical techniques applied by the author
Further, discussing the way Vonnegut applies satirical techniques, it should be stated that he is very skilled in them. The reader can find a row of the most diversified literary means in the author’s works including caricature, situational irony, verbal irony, sarcasm, the grotesque. For example, the constant address to the grotesque when the author exaggerates a row of the main heroes’ qualities and abilities. One more illustration is in caricature. Vonnegut constantly makes a parallel with a well-known work called a “Tralfamadorian novel”. Using such enriched language, the author seems to draw the attention of his public to the issue of war’s idleness and vanity. He encourages his audience to really think about all the sad outcomes wars are connected to including deaths, psychological traumas, pain, troubles, breakdown and disappointment (Gehring 71).
The similarities and the differences between Vonnegut and “The Onion”
Finally, addressing the similarity and the differences in the styles of the other satirists and the one by Vonnegut, it seems that the author holds the palm of victory in the area of criticizing certain developments within human society. In particular, comparing the works by Vonnegut with those by “The Onion”, it appears that both of these masters of satire use unusual and sometimes even strange methods and grotesques in order to captivate the attention of the public, and to make people think about the most difficult problems of nowadays. And, with regards to the contrast between the two styles, it should be stated that Vonnegut is much more effective in the use of varied satiric techniques than “The Onion” especially of such ones as caricature, situational irony, verbal irony, and sarcasm.
Concluding on all the information related above, it should be stated that the inimitable works by Kurt Vonnegut including “Slaughterhouse-five” and ” Wailing shall be in All Streets”, though being severely criticized for their failure to correspond to the standards set by governmental censorship organizations at times, present their valuable lessons for a wide public to understand all the vanity and idleness behind such phenomenon in human world as wars. The use of satire enriches the author’s style in an incredible way which makes it very easy to accept difficult ideas concerning all the pains, troubles, unneeded causalities which stand behind any war. Thus, the wider implication of Vonnegut’s work is in helping humanity to understand that war is not a successful way to development and prosperity in the world neither for humanity in general nor for any particular nation.
Works Cited
Beidler, Philip. “What Kurt Vonnegut Saw in World War Ii That Made Him Crazy.” Michigan Quarterly Review 49.1 (2010): 106+. Questia. Web.
Gehring, Wes D. “A War by Any Other Name.” USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education) 2009: 71. Questia. Web.