A Scatterbrained Message

Since today is going to be the last day we discuss Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five, I suppose now would be the time to discuss how I felt about it.

Frankly, I wasn't a fan. Maybe it's just the way I think (go engineering), or maybe it was just the fact that our main character was a spineless, insane optometrist (nothing against the profession, just kind of felt like throwing that in there). Billy Pilgrim is a man that could be described many ways: scatterbrained, crazy, incapable of supporting himself mentally, schizophrenic, a door mat for others to walk on, a man who cares little about himself (not in the selfless heroic way). Take your pick, I have more. My point is that I really find it hard to enjoy main characters that are on the bad side of not being normal. Normal protagonist? Love it. Heroic protagonist that really isn't normal whatsoever? Can't get enough of it. Billy Pilgrim? Please let me finish this book and go read something else.

So maybe the main character was what did it in for me.

Or maybe it was the way the story was written. You know, in the fourth dimension and whatnot. I can do math problems and some physics in three dimensions (how long does it take to get from A to Z?), but when we go from A to D to B to Q to P to Y to A again, then back to... Well, you get the drift. It's difficult for me to grasp a book that jumps around quickly, doesn't match the full development of the story. I feel like it is one of those "choose your path books" where at the end of every page it says "turn to page 67 to stay at home; or turn to page 53 to go on an adventure" except in this novel we only get the choice "turn to the next page to be schizophrenic and confused; or put the book down if you're fed up by now." (While the second option was very tempting, I actually did finish the book.)

The message of the book did actually turn out decently with the little bird sound at the end symbolizing how there truly was nothing intelligent to say about a slaughter. Had the book been written at least semi-chronologically I might have actually enjoyed this book.

Overall the book gets a 5/10. While it may not have been the worst book I have ever read, it definitely doesn't pass my re-readable test. Perhaps I will take the Tralfalmadorian approach just this one time and focus on other things that will better occupy my time rather than focus on how much I disliked Slaughterhouse Five.

A Day in the Life...

Meeting with Sina my conversation partner has lead me to a lot of great insight about different perspectives on things. We have only met twice due to scheduling conflicts (we're both pretty busy), but each time has been really neat. I've learned somewhat of what Germany is like and what the humor is like. We talked about the presentation on German humor that Hans and Nick gave, and she confirmed a lot of what they said about different types of German humor (way to go guys if you're reading this). She literally laughed out loud when I told her about what was said in the presentation about the Polish always being thieves, and said that those were the only jokes German people ever really told about the Polish. She also confirmed the idea that Germans are very serious people, and that some of their humor is different from humor you would find in America.

After talking with Sina, I realized she isn't too different from any of us (which wasn't my initial assumption anyways, just something that stuck out). She had Spring Break plans just like any other student here did, and she actually went to Florida with some of her friends just as any of us would have. It makes me wonder if she has become acclimated to our culture, or rather if the German college culture truly is that different from ours.

I've also noticed that Sina has been to quite a few places here in Fort Worth that I haven't been to, which was strange to me considering I am the American, and she is the foreigner. She has experienced more of Fort Worth than I think I will in my four year college career. I've noticed that Sina is a lot more outgoing than I am and more willing to try new and different things than I am, which kind of makes me wonder if I would function as well overseas in an entirely different surrounding as she did.

I'm meeting with her again today, and as before I'm excited to see what she has to say about different things (especially considering it was just Spring Break!)

That's all for now. Hope whoever reads this finds themselves in a good mood and always finds enough time in the day to enjoy the simple things!