1.
Anti-war Literature <ul><li>War writing </li></ul><ul><li>Experience and truth </li></ul><ul><li>Representational crisis </li></ul><ul><li>Vonnegut </li></ul>

2.
Realist / Naturalist Representation <ul><li>Most WWII literature follows this pattern </li></ul><ul><li>It is not until the late 50s that the realist representational form is challenged. </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Broadly and in war literature </li></ul></ul>

3.
Realist / Naturalist Representation <ul><li>“War is hell” </li></ul><ul><ul><li>This truism is the guideline for much war literature, particularly those who have participated. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>The horror of the situation is expressed </li></ul></ul>

4.
Realist / Naturalist Representation <ul><li>Bildungsroman </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Using structures similar to the Bildungsroman these texts generally articulate a loss of innocence. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>This innocence gives way to experience, often disillusionment. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Often results in a perceived machismo / masculine text. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>“ When boys become men” </li></ul></ul>

5.
Realist / Naturalist Representation <ul><li>The soldier as hero and masculine ideal </li></ul><ul><li>Cultural icon not shared by writers </li></ul>

6.
Realist / Naturalist Representation <ul><li>The soldier as meaningless pawn in a meaningless game of history. </li></ul><ul><ul><li>The circumstances are seen as meaningless and the loss of life is meaningless. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Remains embedded in conventional language and narrative. </li></ul></ul>

7.
Joseph Heller, Catch-22 <ul><li>Beginning in the 1955 in magazines, published in 1961. </li></ul><ul><li>It’s anti-war message makes it popular among young people. </li></ul><ul><li>“Yossarian lives!” </li></ul>

8.
Absurd logic of war <ul><li>“There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to.” </li></ul>

9.
Postmodern Representations <ul><li>The lack of objective truth. </li></ul><ul><li>Metafictional reflexivity. </li></ul><ul><li>Fragments favored over coherence. </li></ul><ul><li>Anti-authoritarianism </li></ul><ul><li>Historical fabulation reveals a belief in historical impotence. </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Tim O’Brien is one example postmodern response. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Later Vonnegut is another. </li></ul></ul>

10.
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. <ul><li>1922 – 2007 </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Cat’s Cradle </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Slaughterhouse-Five </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Breakfast of Champions </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Satire, science fiction and black comedy </li></ul>

11.
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr <ul><li>Was a soldier in WWII. </li></ul><ul><li>One of the few Americans to survive the bombing of Dresden. </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Imprisoned in Schlachthof Fünf </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Casualties difficult to determine, but estimated at 25,000 – 35,000. </li></ul><ul><li>Vonnegut received a Purple Heart. </li></ul>

12.
Slaughterhouse-Five <ul><li>Early example of postmodernist writing: 1969. </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Belated response to WWII. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Five earlier novels. </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Billy Pilgrim unstuck in time, travels to Tralfamadore. </li></ul><ul><li>Opens with a framing chapter, mentioning the difficulty in writing WWII experiences. </li></ul>