Scarry engages the idea of self-extension from a critical viewpoint. In particular, the author brings out the aspect and effect of torture on human beings. He argues that the pain prompts an extension that delineates between one’s body and voice. In Scarry’s view, subjecting people to torture results to pronounced destruction (Jeremy 34). For instance, torture has the potential of affecting one’s sense of reasoning and speaking, which are the primary tools for self-extension. Under severe suffering, individuals tend to cry and face difficulties in communicating well. Scarry particularly emphasizes that; extreme pain will always cause destruction to language, the world, and self (Jeremy 35). The Slaughterhouse-Five presents a creative work that provides a good example of the sentiments raised by Scarry about the idea of “self-extension.” The paper critically examines how the novel, Slaughterhouse-Five illustrates Scarry’s argument.
The use of Billy Pilgram’s time travel highlights an expression of his harsh experience with WWII and the Firebombing. Presenting the story’s parallel plot would be essential in providing evident to this assertion. According to Vonnegut and Solveig (36), Billy is the primary character; however, he does not show heroic features characteristic of the main soldier in wartime stories. Vonnegut portrays him as a simple person who is nervous and appears disturbed most of the time. He always seems uncertain of his life in the next minute (Vonnegut 38). When the German scouts capture him, he clashes with almost everyone as they regard him pathetic and useless. However, it is interesting to learn that Billy with his weak and helpless character can survive challenging encounters that others are unable to overcome (Vonnegut 48). For example, he surprisingly comes out the Dresden firebombing successfully. Vonnegut explains that Billy is in fear throughout because he is not sure of the part of his life that he is likely to be undertaking in the next mission. With the earlier brutal and disturbing experience, he grows feeble of the uncertain future and the formidable challenges that await him (Vonnegut and Solveig 36). It is evident that Billy’s flashback of different incidents in his life presents a plot-level fact that highlights the development of the novel from his acts that underline the idea of self-extension due to his earlier sorrowful experience.
The destruction caused by the pain that Bill underwent during the war period is apparent throughout the novel. Bill typifies soldiers’ life when they return home. They struggle to fit in the society once more since the carnage of war is intense to make them lose their mind. This is substantially evident in Billy story especially when he explains about his prison experience. Vonnegut explains that Bill undergoes severe disturbance in his life that he results to alcohol to forget his problems (Vonnegut 34). This, however, worsens the situation that his life is completely out of control. The novel highlights the situation that characterized Billy’s drinking habit by noting that he had to do it because it is the pivotal rock of his life. He would go to war and hit his rock bottom when he got home (Vonnegut 27). It is apparent that Billy is struggling with post-traumatic stress condition, although he attempts to fit back in the society. This provides evidence of the effect of war on individuals who had its experience. In particular, the scenario brings out the destructive effect of torture in line with the Scarry’s claim.
The Slaughterhouse-Five also validates Scarry’s argument by utilizing Science fiction to explicate the influence of war on Bill’s life. Jeremy argues that Bill hallucinates of his experience with the Tralfamadorians as a strategy to overcome the idea of the world that has been wrecked by the war (36). This mainly highlights the world that Billy can hardly understand. Moreover, the fourth dimension of the idea of the Tralfamadorian Concept presents as a convenient tool than just a simple way for Billy to vindicate all the deaths that he had seen (Vonnegut 43). In this essence, Billy is a stressed person who can hardly overcome the destructiveness of torture (exemplified by war) without affecting a fantastic and challenging theory that he can utilize to revolutionize the world.
Scarry’s claim might be misinformed because the scholar fails to account for important philosophical concepts that characterize the nature of humanity. For example, this claim can be challenged in respect to the idea of Cartesian Dualism that identifies a strict difference between body and mind (Lowe 47). Attaching Billy's habit purely on his war experience is inadequate. A human being has the potential of engaging in rational reasoning besides their previous experience. Furthermore, it is apparent that Billy’s experience had the potential of building his character more.
In conclusion, it is clear that Slaughterhouse-Five work presents the claim raised Scarry. It becomes apparent that extreme pain has the potential of destructing person’s language. In essence, it is unchallengeable that there is a unique attribute of pain that can potentially destroy one’s life, the world, and language. From another perspective, pain or torture might be viewed as the aggressive isolation of speech from voice, in a manner that it makes someone assume an animalistic and infantile state.
Works Cited
Jeremy, Davis. Bodily Pain in Romantic Literature. New York: Routledge. 2014. Print.
Lowe, E J. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind. Cambridge [u.a.: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2000. Print.
Vonnegut, Kurt, and Solveig Odland. Slaughterhouse-five or the Children's Crusade. Copenhagen: Aschehoug [u.a., 1994. Print.
Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-five, Or, the Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death. New York: De Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-five. New York, N.Y: RosettaBooks, 2010. Internet resource. ll, 1988. Print.
