Post-War Insanity Essay - 1191 Words

Post-war Insanity â€Å"This is a novel somewhat in the telegraphic schizophrenic manner of tales of the planet Tralfamadore, where the flying saucers come from.† Insanity is a major theme in Kurt Vonnegut’s life and in turn his novels tend to be a release for his thoughts of mental illness. Vonnegut’s characters tend to embody him or at least characteristics of himself. His characters generally suffer from mild insanity and therefore hints that Vonnegut himself is possibly mildly insane. In each of his novels there are characters that are highly related to Vonnegut such as Kilgore Trout, Billy Pilgrim, and Eliot Rosewater. Each of these characters appear in different novels to help develop the plot and continue the relative†¦show more content†¦On top of that he doubts his own judgement. â€Å"He had fallen asleep at work. It had been funny at first. Now Billy was starting to get worried about it, about his mind in general. He tried to remember how old he was, couldn’t. He tried to remember what year it was. He couldn’t remember that either.† (Slaughterhouse-Five 56) These flashbacks are told later in better detail, â€Å"†¦for he was simultaneously on foot in Germany in 1944 and riding his Cadillac in 1967. Germany dropped away, and 1967 became bright and clear.† (Slaughterhouse-Five His flashbacks happened at any time, even while driving, indicating a severe case of Post- Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Apathy is also a major problem with the traumas of war. This apathy could be related to the apathy experienced after war or its following flashbacks. Many things do not concern Billy Pilgrim as he has disassociated himself from the world. He no longer lives in what we refer to as reality. â€Å"†¦both found life meaningless, partly because of what they had seen in the war.† (Slaughterhouse-Five 101) Common day life has become too difficult to deal with, hence the lack of emotion Billy has. In dealing with this post-war trauma, Billy becomes â€Å"unstuck in time.† He mentally travels through time to a place where he more is more comfortable being. He avoids all touch with reality. Eliot Rosewater is another VonnegutShow MoreRelatedMasculinity : Masculinity And Masculinity1850 Words   |  8 PagesFilm-makers have created innovative ways in which femininity and masculinity play a role in society. At the end of World War II, there were many interpretations on what it meant to be a man† most notably for soldiers returning home from the war whom were either unemployed, handicap and/or suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Film and television acted as pivotal agents that influenced a change in the way masculinity was defined. 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