"[Roland Weary] had been unpopular because he was stupid and fat and mean, and smelled like bacon no matter how much he washed."
Vonnegut characterizes the people in his book in a very unique way. Vonnegut uses characterization, the process by which the writer reveals personality, values, and quality of a character, by both blatantly addressing a character's flaws, and by revealing them indirectly through anecdotes. In the case of Roland Weary, Vonnegut initially portrays him as torpid, prude, and generally uncivilized. He is a very one-sided character that, when contrasted with the innocence of Billy Pilgrim, seems staunchly corrupt. Vonnegut goes on to explain Weary's character by sadistic behavior and torturous proclivities, making the character come off as even more sinister. Basically, the use of Vonnegut's characterization of Weary is to make him seem like the epitome of the violence obsessed man in order to illustrate the effects of a war focused society on young minds.
"It was a crazy, sexy, murderous relationship Weary entered into with people he eventually beat up."
No comments:
Post a Comment