Slaughterhouse Five The Atypical Novel - 1044 Words

Slaughterhouse Five: the Atypical Novel Most great novels traditionally have one dynamic character with a strong personality that embarks on a prolonged pilgrimage. This character s demeanor or life is changed forever as a result of an event or obstacle they are forced to overcome. However; Kurt Vonnegut s Slaughterhouse Five breaks the mold of a traditional novel and blazes forward in a new and bizarre path. He uses a diverse cast of subordinate characters to make certain symbolic representations. Roland Weary, Paul Lazaro, and Edgar Derby are three minor characters in the story; while different they serve to demonstrate the ideas of hatred, greed, and patriotism. Hatred is a poison constantly polluting the thoughts and actions of society and its inhabitants. As a result, hatred plays a big symbolic role in the book. Two characters act to personify hatred; these characters are Roland Weary and Paul Lazaro. An ever-burning hatred influences both men s behavior. Weary’s animosity stems from the treatment he received during his younger years. In his youth, â€Å"He was unpopular because he was stupid and fat and mean, and he smelled like bacon no matter how much he washed(Vonnegut 44), causing other local kids to pick on and ditch him. The relentless mistreatment of his peers forced him to make a coping mechanism that involved his preying on those who were weaker than him. This coping mechanism followed him even through the war. During the war, he met two scouts and formed an