Examples Of Post-Modernism In Slaughterhouse

If post-modernism seeks to express the new and multiple perspectives of the world, then it is inevitable that even the most commonplace of historical villains will be re-examined and re-evaluated alongside the most notable of traditional historical heroes. For both post-modern novels, Timothy Findley’s The Wars, set in World War 1, and its predecessor Kurt Vonnegut’s the Slaughterhouse 5, set in World War 2, this is more than evident. As in both novels, the protagonists witness those who would normally be considered enemies in wars, made their aides and those normally considered allies, made an obstacle. Whether it’s the fellow soldiers of the protagonists who betray them, the enemies that surprising guide them, or the incompetent commanders
For Ross this is the first German, a sniper he encounters after the gas attack, who spares his life, “[The German] could have killed them had surely that had been his intention. But he’d relented” (Findley 131) Likewise for Vonnegut these are the first Germans, a band of five, who are the saviors of Billy Pilgrim from his fellow soldier Roland Weary, “Weary drew back his right boot, aimed a kick at the spine, at the tube which had so many of Billy’s important wires in it. Weary was going to break that tube. But then Weary saw that he had an audience. Five German soldiers and a police dog on a leash”. (Vonnegut 51) Both Vonnegut and Findley introduce the first Germans the reader encounters in the novel as the saviors of Billy Pilgrim and Robert Ross, and by doing so demonstrates how the individual enemy differ from what might be commonly prescribed to them, that being their occupation of a hostile soldier. A job which typically involves trying to kill the protagonists. Continuing, the authors further polishes the supposed enemy by paralleling them with the protagonists. In Robert’s case, this is with the mitts that he keeps with him from Harris, and his physical features, “[The German sniper’s] hair was frozen like Robert’s, but blond. He wore a pair of
In the case of The Wars, the incompetence of the commander is seen through Captain Leather, who makes ill-advised and dangerous choices for his men, “[Robert] wanted to advise Captain Leather… he wanted to say the forward positions were crazy… He wanted to say that guns would sink in the mud. But he didn’t say anything” (Findley 116) And is disconnected from the combat, “Here was the all too familiar case of an officer-(Captain Leather)-standing to the rear with a map and a theoretical crater in his mind and making use of it in a fine imaginative way that had nothing to do with the facts” (119) Along with how unequipped the Canadian soldiers are, noticeably missing their gas masks, “‘We can’t sir,’ said Bates. ‘They sent us up so quick that none of us was issued masks’” (123) Vonnegut has a similar phenomenon in his novel by demonstrating the incompetence of the system with what happens to his protagonist, upon entering the war, “Billy never even got to meet the chaplain he was supposed to assist, was never even issued a steel helmet and combat boots.” (Vonnegut 32) Both novels demonstrate an incompetence of those in charge. Even though The Wars chooses to indicate this is through with both the gross incompetence of the system at large which leaves the soldier ill-equipped both in terms of