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Essay / "The Bluest Eye" and "Slaughterhouse Five": comparison of the representation and construction of minor characters
The minor characters are perhaps not the center of the action or attraction, but the novelists can use them to complement the understanding of the main characters and the thematic purpose of the text In his novel Slaughterhouse Five, published in 1969, Kurt Vonnegut depicts the fragmentation of protagonist Billy Pilgrim's life as he suffers from post-stress syndrome. traumatic after the brutality observed during the war He uses a metafictional and disturbed chronological framework in his satirical novel to consolidate his critical tone towards the glorification of war by institutions and society as it masks the corruption and marginalization of veterans. Toni Morrison, author of The Bluest Eye published a year later, also employs a fragmented novel structure in her novel to explore the low self-esteem of the African American community due to the oppressive and dominant white ideology in the. American society, which she calls the “master narrative.” She describes the various characters' journeys related to the protagonist Pecola and her eventual madness as she searches for the white ideal of beauty to comment on the distorted and destructive nature of the main narrative. Both Vonnegut and Morrison use symbolism and manipulate narrative voice to construct minor characters; where Vonnegut uses the character of Roland Weary to criticize the glorification of war through the corruption of their innocence and empathy, Morrison uses the character of Geraldine to show the discrimination based on colorism that entrenches and maintains the cycle of disgust of self in African-American society. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayBoth authors of the novels use symbolism and motifs associated with certain characters to establish the failure of their respective societies to support their marginalized members. In Slaughterhouse Five, the character Roland Weary illustrates the desensitization of humanity due to war through his association with weapons and pornographic images. This is seen in the apparent casualness with which guns are treated in Roland Weary's family and the obvious indifference to the horror and pain they cause. Weary's family uses a "working Spanish thumbscrew - as a kitchen paperweight", and Vonnegut uses the hyphen to indicate the violent clash in the connotations of these two objects, emphasizing that the characters' feelings of pain have become dull. suggests that weapons of torture have simply been likened to tools rather than instruments that cause havoc, and Vonnegut uses the dispassionate mood to further reinforce Weary's minor character's loss of innocence. As a result, Vonnegut uses Weary to symbolize the lack of sensitivity and sympathy perpetuated by institutions like the government that promote war. The motif of the dirty image also serves to recall these qualities of Weary and therefore of these institutions. The image depicts a woman and a Shetland pony "attempting to have sex", which in itself is a grotesque image and suggests a twisted view of relationships and intimacy. Although the narrator's tone seems dispassionate when describing the image, the author's tone is clearly mocking when he states that the photographer argued that the intention was to "bring Greek mythology to life", suggesting the repugnant immaturity that Vonnegut associates with the character of Roland Weary when he makes Billy “admire him,” and thus validates the artistry that the photographer perceives.The allusion to Greek mythology suggests the completely irrational human aspiration for this union of different species and exposes the blurred and blurred physical boundaries of society. Thus, the Weary-related dirty picture motif demonstrates the despicable atrocities like Dresden that also constituted distorted views of the physical damage caused by war and the lack of human sympathy in a society that trivializes war. Although The Bluest Eye is not as satirical as Vonnegut's novel, Morrison employs an ironic and critical tone in the symbolism and imagery related to the character of Geraldine, who is used as a symbol for the entire class of similar women. In doing so, she clearly expresses the distorted ideals of the white master narrative that induce the harsh rejection of one's own race and culture, commenting on the failure of American society to support its minorities despite its ostensible values of righteousness. Geraldine is described as "sweet and plain as a cake with butter", which Morrison contrasts with the adjectives "wiry and shrill" used to describe black women without white heritage and lower socioeconomic class. The simile incorporates a consonance that implies the pleasant image of women like Geraldine, but the bland adjectives and tasteful images emphasize their essential lack of vitality and individuality despite her lighter color, physical appearance with attractive connotations through the image of “sugar brown”. . This is made clear by the cacophonous yet emotive diction used to describe “black” women. As a result, the author shows the distorted perception of superiority that colorism causes within the African American community and the ideal of meaningless status in the community. . This clearly affects Pecola's self-esteem, as his meeting with Geraldine and Maureen reinforces his desire to achieve this ideal, leading to his tragic mental instability, arousing sympathy in readers and therefore a critical attitude towards the imperfect society of the novel. The characters discussed in both novels contribute to their aim of social commentary, as minorities fight against the authorities who dictate their fortunes. Vonnegut and Morrison respectively develop their thoughts on the erroneous glorification of war and the destructive nature of the main narrative through the characters. discussed, notably through the manipulation of the narrative voice. The corruption of innocence in Roland Weary is explored through the focus which often presents him as a child and exposes his distorted sense of justice, illustrating the ridiculous method and ideals of war. The third-person point of view in the free indirect style throughout Slaughterhouse Five is focused when Weary aims to kick himself in the spine, which Vonnegut describes as a "hit" with "important threads" inside – the objectification and childish, simple diction in the The image conveys the childish perceptions of the characters and indicates that Weary himself does not fully understand the consequences of his actions on Billy's health. Thus, although Weary retains the naivety of youth, he has lost his innocence, which Vonnegut highlights to deplore the glorification of war in society. This is further emphasized when Weary, who, as we have seen through the arms motif, evokes disgust and vulgarity, "expands" on "virtue", "magnanimity" and "imperishable honor » which he and the scouts defended in his mind. the focus contributes to the character's passionate imagination through the lexical cluster and hyperbole of the three nouns, creating intense irony since Weary is clearly delusional and has a distorted sense of justice...