Kurt Vonnegut s Slaughterhouse Five, Billy Pilgrim...

In today’s world we question the problem of free will and it’s understanding. Is the nature of humanity characterized by the ability to chose for oneself or through our understanding of physical laws. Is there any room for individuality when and if the world operates under these fundamental laws or whether God has already created a â€Å"path† for us to follow? When this question comes up people tend to want to forget about it. Kurt Vonnegut abjects this illusion of free will in his novel by his use in ‘characters’ and having free will. In Slaughterhouse-five, Billy Pilgrim question the Tralfamadorians, â€Å"Why me?† Their response is simply, â€Å"†¦There is no why.† The Tralfamodorians exemplify the role of â€Å"the other† that marks free will as a distinctly a human characteristic. Billy use’s this as a means to cope with the reality that pain and suffering is a guarantee. Vonnegut repetition of the phrase  "So it goes† , supports that free will is question with no answer and desensitizes the major suffering and deaths throughout the novel. All of the events in his life were simply uncontrollable and he was able to travel throughout various events in his life easily. In Chapter One the narrator is speaking with movie-maker, Harrison Starr, about the book he plans to write about World War II. Starr, compares writing an anti-war book to writing an anti-glacier book. Harrison stated, ...Why don’t you write an anti-glacier book instead? This comparison is stating that we do not have freeShow MoreRelatedSlaughterhouse Five By Kurt Vonnegut1242 Words   |  5 PagesSlaughterhouse Five, a novel written by Kurt Vonnegut, depicts unchronological and sometimes nonsensical moments of the life of Billy Pilgrim as he â€Å"become[s] unstuck in time†(Vonnegut S. Five 23) Billy has no control over where he will end up next. â€Å"He has seen his birth and death many times, and he pays random visits to all the events in between†, and â€Å"is in a constant state of fright, ... because he never knows which part of his life he is going to have to act out next.†(Vonnegut S. Five 23)Read MoreSlaughterhouse Five And The Comforts Of Indifference By Barry Chabot2680 Words   |  11 Pagesthere is none. The story doesn’t morally make any sense, and thats the conclusion Vonnegut is trying to guide the reader towards. The literary criticism of ‘Slaughterhouse Five’ and the Comforts of Indifference, written by Barry Chabot is a critical essay that explores deeper into the meaning behind the eccentric story of Billy Pilgrim, and its creator Kurt Vonnegut. Billy Pilgrim’s indifference is an extension of Vonnegut attempting to come to terms with the violent nature of man. However this â€Å"comfort†Read MoreSlaughterhouse Five By Kurt Vonnegut1199 Words   |  5 Pagesbook, which was published in the middle of the twentieth century, Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut, is able to show the various possible results war can have on a person’s mind. In the novel Slaughterhouse-Five, Vonnegut is effectively able to portray the psychological effects of war through Billy Pilgrim and his fantasies, his indifference, and his alienation because of Vonnegut’s own personal experiences in war. Billy Pilgrim creates different fantasies after his experiences in Dresden. TheseRead MoreBilly Pilgrim By Kurt Vonnegut1376 Words   |  6 PagesThis book was written by Kurt Vonnegut, the main character in this story is Billy Pilgrim. We know who Billy Pilgrim is, but let’s talk about his character identity. Billy is the primary character of Slaughterhouse-Five, of course he is not precisely the holy person of the book. Then again rather, he doesn t have the gallant qualities routinely related to the most warriors in the midst of a story concerning time of time. Billy may be an interesting looking practice understudy once he gets composedRead MoreSlaughterhouse Five By Kurt Vonnegut1050 Words   |  5 PagesWorthington AP ELA 4 30 November 2014 Free Will Through his novel, Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut poses an ancient question: Are we masters of our destiny, or are we simply pawns of fate? The medium through which Mr. Vonnegut presents this riddle is death. Death is the central point to which all action in the book connects. The story is primarily about the death of 135,000 German civilians in the bombing of Dresden narrated by Billy Pilgrim, a man who experiences death from every viewpoint, a man whoRead MorePoststructuralist Analysis Of Slaughterhouse-Five. Poststructuralism1603 Words   |  7 PagesPoststructuralist Analysis of Slaughterhouse-Five Poststructuralism is a form of psychoanalytic theory. It is the study of the natural development of the psyche to structure. In this critical analysis, Lacanianism will be the focus. â€Å" Lacan’s psychoanalytic work is often evoked to explain how power works, why the individual - the subject - is so extraordinarily susceptible to power† (Bertens, 161). What this form of poststructuralist psychoanalysis can do is explain someone’s behavior by deconstructingRead MoreThe Slaughterhouse Five Novel By Kurt Vonnegut1366 Words   |  6 Pages The Slaughterhouse Five novel, is a fictional and nonfictional delight all clashed into one. The author, Kurt Vonnegut, amazingly combines a fictional character’s life with the nonfictional influence of what Kurt himself had experienced. As well as major topics being debated on and dealt with today. Billy Pilgrim takes hold of the story’s main protagonist as a prisoner of war during the Dresden raids in eastern Germany. While reading, I found many relationships in the novel to common concerns, suchRead MoreSlaughterhouse Five By Kurt Vonnegut1458 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout the novel Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Barry Sadler singer of the song Ballad of the Green Beret and novelist Kurt Vonnegut maintain comparable tones regarding their literature pieces representing the war and the underlying image that is portrayed by the Green Beret. Sadler insightfully states that the impacts that committed soldiers fought through and the sacrifices their families had endured: represents honor, courage, and is described as jingoistic. It is an exceptionallyRead MoreSlaughterhouse Five By Kurt Vonnegut1154 Words   |  5 PagesTaylor Holmes In the novel Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut presents a framed narrative voiced through an unreliable narrator that stimulates the presence of universal and empirical truths. (Introducton?) The juxtaposition of predestination with the exercise of free will is an age-old question. In the pagan world, prior to the upsurge of Western development and Christianity, predestination was deemed a truth; pagan gods were superlative and dictated the lives and fates of subordinate humans. AroundRead MoreDescriptive Essay : Slaughterhouse Five1442 Words   |  6 Pageshelped me to be able to vividly imagine what the leftovers of war might look like if I were actually there. The word slaughterhouse is mentioned in this sentence which leads me to believe that the things mentioned in this sentence may foreshadow the events leading up to one of the main topics of this book, where it takes place, and why it might have been named Slaughterhouse Five. I completely agree with this phrase in the book because wars are almost impossible to stop or avoid for many reasons

Serial Killer John Wayne Gacy - 1846 Words

One of America notious serial killer is John Wayne Gacy also known as the clown man . John Wayne was born on March 17, 1942 in , Chicago ,illnois. he is son ofMarion Elaine Robinson and John Stanley Gacy. John is the only boy and he is the second oldest out three kids. He is of polish and Danish heritage Gacy and his siblings grew up with a drunken father who would beat the children with a razor strap if they would misbehave. He came from a middle class family . at the age of 11 john suffered from a a head blow caused him to have intermittent blackouts until he was 16. As child john was overweight and unathletic . At school he suffered from isolation, unable to play sports due to hart conditions. Gacy later realized he was attracted to men After attend four high schools , jonh drop out of high dchool right before his senior year.He graduated from Northwestern Business College and start to as shoe salesmen. In September 1964, Gacy met and married co-worker Marlynn Myers. Whose family owned a KFC in Waterloo, Iowa and began to work there as Manager. Marlynn gave birth to two children, a son named Michael was born in March 1967, followed by a daughter named Christine in September 1968.HE became active in local Springfield organizations, joining the Jaycees and rising to vice-president of the Springfield chapter by 1965. Well-liked in his community and a clown performer at children s parties, Gacy also organized cultural gatherings Gacy opened a â€Å"club†Show MoreRelatedSerial Killers, Ted Bundy And John Wayne Gacy1588 Words   |  7 PagesKEISER UNIVERSITY Killer Stories H.H. Holmes, â€Å"Ted† Bundy John Wayne Gacy Faraz Garcia 10/16/2017 â€Æ' Abstract When you tell children scary stories they shouldn’t be able to come true but unfortunately for the people victimized by the vicious killers in this paper those horror stories did come true. Traveling and staying in a â€Å"Hotel† owned by a wealthy â€Å"doctor† got them tortured, experimented on and ultimately killed, helping a seemingly helpless man put things in his vehicle lead themRead MoreEssay about John Wayne Gacy: Serial Killer610 Words   |  3 PagesJohn Wayne Gacy in his early years was shown to have a minor biological impairment. At the age of 11, Gacy was playing near a swing set and was hit in the head causing an accidental blood clot in the brain. The blood clot was not discovered until he was 16 years old and he suffered from blackouts from the clot from the ages of 11 until it was discovered. There was a brain blockage that medications were able to dissolve. Gacy also had a series of health problems that kept him hospitalized for a significant Read MoreInfamous serial killer, John Wayne Gacy, was born on March 17, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois. Gacy,500 Words   |  2 Pages Infamous serial killer, John Wayne Gacy, was born on March 17, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois. Gacy, born into an abusive environment, was assaulted physically along with his siblings, with a razor strap if they were perceived to have misbehaved by their alcoholic father. In addition, Gacy’s mother was physically abused as well throughout her marriage and during the children’s upbringing. During John Wayne Gacy’s childhood education, he suffered further alienation due to a congenital heart conditionRead MoreTheories Of John Wayne Gacy1313 Words   |  6 Pagesdeviant ways. Serial killers such as John Wayne Gacy fall into some of the theories of deviance. The theories John Wayne Gacy falls into are the control theory and the antisocial personality disorder theory. John Wayne Gacy was born on March 17, 1942. He grew up in a Roman Catholic family. When Gacy was young he had an abusive father. His father would psychologically and physically abuse him. Gacy dropped out of highschool but later on went to college and graduated from business college. Gacy was alsoRead MoreIdentifiable Criminal Behavior : Modus Operandi And Signature964 Words   |  4 Pagesinvestigator. Serial offenders often prefect their Modus Operandi they evolve from their mistake the further they go along, in other words they grow in their craft (as horrible as that is) when they get away with the crimes being committed. â€Å"Every criminal makes mistakes, but most learn from them and try to get better with time† (Douglas E. J., Douglas K. L, n.d). Serial killers are killers are murders who have killed more than one time they usually killing for psychological gratification. â€Å"Serial killingRead MoreSerial Killers And Murderers : How Can You Tell A Normal Person?844 Words   |  4 Pages2016 Serial Killers and Murderers How can you tell a normal person from a person who is chemically imbalanced? When you are walking in a crowd, do you ever wonder what is going on through these people’s minds? Who are they? Have they ever killed anyone? This is what we are going to talk about, the mind of a murderer. There are many types of murderers. There are mass murderers, spree killers, and serial killers. A mass murderer kills multiple people at one time in one place. A spree killer killsRead MoreSerial Killers: Are They Born Or Made?. There Are Multiple1230 Words   |  5 PagesSerial Killers: Are They Born or Made? There are multiple theories as to why or how a person can become a serial killer. A serial killer can be a person who murders at least three or more people over a long period of time (Ramsland). Are serial killers born with the need to kill or is it a result of a horrific childhood? These two concepts are associated with the nature vs. nurture theory. â€Å"People on the side of nurture are of the opinion that our environment determines who a person is and becomes†Read MoreEssay On The Killer Gangster1676 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction: Criminal Case Facts John Wayne Gacy, also known as â€Å"the Killer Clown,† was 36 years old and living in Des Plaines, Illinois when he was apprehended by police in 1978. By then, Gacy had murdered 33 young men and boys. He was originally arrested on a drug charge, when further investigation of his home, due to the connection that he had to several missing young men, revealed to investigators the horrible contents of the crawlspace underneath his home (Crime Stories, 1999). He was thenRead MoreSerial Killers And The Serial Killer1080 Words   |  5 Pageshelp? This was the technique one of the most infamous serial killer Ted Bundy used to approach his victims and ultimately murder them. B. Background and Audience Relevance: Today, I will be speaking to you about serial killers. C. Speaker Credibility: I decided to do my topic on serial killers because, criminology is something I’m genuinely interested in and would like to learn more about it myself. D. Thesis: By learning about serial killers, hopefully in the future they can be captured fasterRead MoreSerial Killers Essay985 Words   |  4 PagesSerial Killers Behavior is sometimes defined as the response of an individual, group, or species to its environment. Parents, girlfriends, sisters, brothers, and peers can all affect a persons behavior. Not everybody necessarily will have the behavior of a serial killer. In this paper, I will attempt to show the difference between the psychopath and the psychotic. Explain how the environment, upbringing, and treatment of serial killers led them to become who they are today. Most serial

Criteria of Abnormality free essay sample

Jihads (1958) criteria for ideal mental health an individual should be in touch with their own identity, resistant to stress, be focused on the true and have an accurate perception of reality. The legal definition of abnormality declares a person Insane when he Is not able to judge between right and wrong, but this cerebellum Is not used by psychologists The following criteria are used to determine whether a persons behavior is abnormal or not: Several conventional criteria * The standard criteria in psychology and psychiatry are that of mental illness or mental disorder.Determination of abnormality Is based upon medical diagnosis. This is often criticized for removing control from the patient, and being easily manipulated by political or social goals. Statistical Infrequency In this definition of abnormality behaviors which are seen as statistically rare are said to be abnormal. For instance, one may say that an individual of above or below average IQ is abnormal. This definition, however, fails to recognize the desirability of the particular Incidence.This deflation also Implies that the presence of abnormal behavior in people should be rare or statistically unusual, which is not the case. Instead, any specific abnormal behavior may be unusual, but it is not unusual for people to exhibit some form of prolonged abnormal behavior at some point in their ivies 1 * Deviation from Social Norms; It defines the departure or deviation of an individual, from societys unwritten rules (norms).For example if one was to witness a man jumping around, nude, on the streets, the man would be perceived as abnormal, as he has broken societys norms about wearing clothing, not to mention ones self dignity. There are also a number of criteria for one to examine before reaching a Judgment as to whether someone has deviated from societys norms. The first of these criterion being culture; what may be seen as normal in one culture, may be seen as abnormal in another.T he second retention being the situation context one Is placed In; for example, going to the toilet Is a normal human act, but going in the middle of a supermarket would be seen as highly abnormal, I. E. , defecating or urinating in public is illegal as a misdemeanors act of indecent public conduct. The third criterion is age; a child at the age of three I OFF twenty. The fourth criterion is gender: a male responding with behavior normally reacted to as female, and vice versa, is retaliated against, not Just corrected.The fifth criterion is historical context; standards of normal behavior change in some societies, sometimes very rapidly. A substantial deviation from social norms or expected standards of conduct. Every society has a set of commonly accepted rules and standards of behavior. Some of these are explicit and legally binding (e. G stealing/ murdering etc. ) and some are implicit but not legally binding (e. G. Queuing etc. ) behavior that deviates from that standard is considered to be abnormal behavior. But those standards can change with time and vary from one society to another. This basically means that behavior is considered ;normal if the majority considers the behavior acceptable. * IF: The Failure to Function Adequately Definition of abnormality defines whether or not a behavior is abnormal if it is counter-productive to the individual. The main problem with this definition however is that psychologists cannot agree on the boundaries that define what is functioning and what is adequately, as some behaviors that can cause failure to function are not seen as bad I. E. Firemen risking their lives to save people in a blazing fire.DIM: Deviation from Ideal Mental health It defines abnormality by determining if the behavior the individual is displaying is affecting their mental well-being. As with the Failure to Function definition, the mandarins that stipulate what ideal mental health is are not properly defined, and the bigger problem with the definition is that all individuals will at some point in their life deviate from ideal mental health, but it does n ot mean they are abnormal; I. E. , someone who has lost a relative will be distressed, but would not be defined as abnormal for showing that particular behavior.On the contrary, there are some indications that some people require assistance to grieve properly Maledictions of behavior This criteria is how the behavior affects the well-being of the individual and/or social roof. Behavior that is out of control or interfering with normal social or occupational functioning This definition suggests that failing to cope with everyday life (washing, getting out of bed, eating, generally taking care of ones self) is an indication of psychopathology.Society has a collective opinion on how others should lead their lives. Behavior that is dangerous to oneself or to others Examples are a man who attempts suicide, an alcoholic who drinks so heavily that he or she cannot keep a Job or a paranoid individual who tries to assassinate national leaders. Personal distress; This criterion considers abnormality in terms of the indivi duals subjective feelings, personal distress, rather than his behavior. Most people diagnosed as mentally ill feel miserable, anxious, depressed and may suffer from insomnia. In the type of abnormality called neurosis, personal distress may be the only symptom, because the individuals behavior seems normal. Unhappiness, anxiety, depression, etc. A common approach to defining abnormality is a Multi-criteria approach, where all definitions of abnormality are used to determine whether an individuals behavior is abnormal.

Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents Essay Example

Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents Essay Human Kinds Ultimate Struggle According to Sigmund Freud’s essay, Civilization and Its Discontents, human kind has been confronted by many different struggles. Although these struggles do come in many shapes and sizes, there is one that stands out from the rest. This main struggle makes itself known through human kind’s everlasting conflict concerning instinct and aggression. This conflict has been made apparent through Freud’s timely argument that human kind’s primal instinct is to act aggressively towards one another. Freud made the observation that this aggressiveness would one day lead to human kind’s ultimate conflict, the demise of civilization. Freud makes his point very clear when he writes of instinct and aggression. This point is exemplified when Freud says that it is natural for human beings to be so aggressive towards one another that it will eventually lead to their downfall. Freud uses primitive society as an example when he says that the leader of the family felt no guilt in spreading and expressing his aggression towards his own family. This paints a deeper picture for the reader, what Freud is basically saying is that this leader can just as easily be the leader of a society, instead of expressing his instinctual rage upon his family, it would be just as easily expressed upon society as a whole. Freud further backs up his statement by saying that humans originally entered society in order to shun the aggressive aspects of life; however in time people began to feel unhappy and guilty because their instincts were not being fulfilled. According to Freud this would make them rebel against the civilization that they created. We will write a custom essay sample on Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This rebellion would be built upon the irony that humans created a civilization to escape the aggressive instincts that consume them, but in the end the rebellion caused them to be filled with an aggression that is even more dangerous than that which they started with. Freud illustrates this point when he says, â€Å"In all that follows I adopt the standpoint, therefore, that the inclination to aggression is an original, self-subsisting instinctual disposition in man, and I return to my view that it constitutes the greatest impediment to civilization (p. 1). Freud then further backs his point as he says â€Å"In consequence of this primary mutual hostility of human beings, civilized society is perpetually threatened with disintegration (p. 69). Both of these quotes exemplify the heart of Freud’s argument. I believe Freud is correct in his assessment that human kind’s ultimate conflict is the instinctual aggressiveness that we inherit at birth. Freud’s argument is very logical, especially in his example, which shows how humans suppress their instinctual traits so much that after a certain amount of time, those traits resurface at a greater strength. Another element that convinced me to take Freud’s side was his excerpt on how civilization was formed to manage the instinctual aggressiveness, but as unhappiness spread and rebellions occurred, the aggressiveness that was meant to be extinguished returned, but this time alongside of rage. All of these elements combined allow me to safely say that I agree with Freud about this conflict. It is said that as long as there is competition and new ideas, conflict will always live. With this in mind, it is safe to assume that conflict is instinctual. There are many conflicts that plague human kind; however Freud has proved, through his essay, Civilization and It’s Discontents, that as long as human kind carries the instinctual aggressiveness, civilization will always be in danger.