SlaughterHouse 5
War is a time overflowing with hate, pain, and sorrow. All lives are affected whether one is a soldier, the relative of a loved one fighting over seas, or even the factory employee who assembles the weapons used. No matter his role, each individual feels the repercussions of war, and has the burden of remembering the horrid memories for a lifetime. Religious belief is a concept which many involved in wars feel strongly about. Either soldiers gain strong religious faith to reassure them and give them the courage to get through the war, or they develop a strong apathy towards religion and God. Often, the images of war can be extremely disturbing to one who survives, and leaves the survivor unable to retain belief in God or religion. Through Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut conveys negativity towards religion brought on by war through a passage mocking the bible, the mocking of sacred objects, and the negative effects of religious faith. Within the first chapter of Slaughterhouse Five, Vonnegut begins showing the novel's negative attitude towards religion, along with his personal opinion, in a passage involving the biblical story about the pillar of salt. In the bible story Vonnegut learns "Lo
Killing, hating, and violence are contrary to what the bible preaches. What shows the strongest apathy towards religion is how "she did look back, and I [Vonnegut] love her for that" (22). In this specific story, Lot's wife disobeys God's will and in return becomes a pillar of salt. It is quite evident that his mother has no feelings towards religion, and uses the crucifix on the wall to justify her lack of religion in her life. Followers of religion obey all that God commands them to do. In addition, the point of religion is not to dwell on the past, like his book, but to take the negatives of the past and to change them to live a life closer to perfection. The National Prayer Week is an example of a hollow attempt at religion and religious faith. ------------------------------------------------------------------------**Bibliography**. The mockery of the bible is shown through the bulletproof bible. The novel's negative view is quite evident through Vonnegut's constant mocking of religious references. Through Billy's mother, Vonnegut is telling the reader that religion is nothing but an accessory people are able to wear. Religion is not about buying plastic crucifixes at gift shops; its what an individual believes is the truth.
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