Banned? - Slaughterhouse-Five (1972) Discussion

[–] steschus 20 years ago

The only reason that i could think that it would be banned is because of it's central story (not that the story is really centered on anything) is of the Dresden fire bombing, a dark part of American history, since most of the people in Dresden,Germany were in fact POW's. We've all heard of the nuking of Hiroshima, but the dresden bombing was just as destructive. The US likes to hide the dark parts of it's history by presenting the bigger picture of victory, of which Hiroshima was pivotal. Another example would be the freeing of slaves which really only occured because the North needed cheap labor. Once the slaves were freed they would head North to escape the hostility of the South after losing them. As a result (especially since 9/11) the movie could be seen as un-american. God forbid we present alternate historical views to our children. We need them to grow up under the banner of the almighty red,white, and blue.

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[–] charley-29 19 years ago

My assumption would be it would've been banned on onbase schools for U.S. Military Bases, which often banned a lot of media esp. during wartime, i.e. the Viet Nam War. Another one that comes to mind is Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory ( http://imdb.com/title/tt0050825/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxrdz0xfHE9UGF0aHMgb2YgR2xvcnl8ZnQ9MXxteD0yMHxsbT01MDB8Y289MXxodG1sPTF8bm09MQ__;fc=1;ft=20;fm=1 ) which was banned on U.S. Military Installations during the Viet Nam War for its potential anit-war interpretations.

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[–] Roy_L_Fuchs 19 years ago

There were no POW's in Dresden. It had no military value. It was full of German citzens, and we fire bombed it. SOME POWs were forced to perform illegal labors near the city. The Dresden fire bombing was a retaliation for the buzz bombs being sent into Great Britain. The English were being attacked, but the Americans, as their allies did the bombing campaign. It should never have happened as it was a beautiful city. Hitler should never have bombed london with V2s either, however.

As for Hiroshima, the Japanese should never have invaded Pearl Harbor, and they should never have tortured and murdered POWs in the Bataan Death March.

Both got it back in their face, and Japan is lucky we didn't make their country ours after the war. Spoils and all.

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[–] bukster007-1 20 years ago

It would be my guess that any talk of banning this book (or film, as I know I watched it myself in high school)would revolve around two things: The sexuality portrayed, and the language.

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[–] simon_gartside 20 years ago

Hold on, Americans re-writing history again. We (British) bombed Dresden (773 Lancaster bombers) on February 13th 1945. The USAAF followed up with more raids over the next two days.

You will be falsely claiming to to have captured the German Enigma cipher machine next...err...oh yes you already have, in U-571. :-)

Norbert

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[–] nikkichristmas-1 19 years ago

Dresden is yet one more of the many incidents throughout history that - along with the Holocaust, Inquisition, Manifest Destiny, and countless others - while man claims to believe in God, he maintains no contact with the Almighty.

Release the War of the Worlds series!
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/wotw/petition.html

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[–] proharhi 17 years ago

One of Uncle John's Bathroom Readers of which I am sure many of you are aquainted (anyone who likes Slaughterhouse Five ought to like Uncle John's) says that a school (I believe it was) banned this book because of a line describing the sound of a gun to that of "the opening of the fly of God almighty" (or something to that effect).

Can you imagine?

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[–] Butteoid 13 years ago

The book-burners are still at it. And spineless school boards let them get away with it.

Wesley Scroggins, a business school professor at Missouri State University, wrote an editorial for Gannett’s News-Leader condemning the teaching of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five in Republic, MO curriculum. He said that the Vonnegut novel (considered one of the best novels of the twentieth century and widely taught in schools across the English-speaking world) contained too much cussing for children. He also condemned Sarah Ockler’s Twenty Boy Summer, a book about a girl who experiments with sex during summer holidays because it contained sex.
In response, the Republic school board has banned Slaughterhouse-Five and Twenty Boy Summer, removing them from both its classrooms and school libraries. Scroggins is disappointed that they didn’t ban another book, Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak.

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[–] muzilon 9 years ago

Ha, this reminds me of the argument about "Slaughterhouse 5" in the Kevin Bacon classic Footloose (1984), where the townsfolk don't want the book being taught in school. Kevin Bacon says "But it's a classic", and one of the fuddy-duddies says "Uh, no, Tom Sawyer is a classic!"

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[–] s-whatley 20 years ago

I wasn't allowed to read Slughterhouse-Five in sixth grade because of the illustration with nudity in it, even though I had already read Deadeye Dick, and Breakfast of Champions, and Cat's Cradle in fifth grade... but I've never heard of it actually being banned. Though I have heard of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 having all the 'damn's and 'hell's and 'bastard's whited out in some public libraries and schools. But that's a completely different author so I don't know why I even mentioned it.

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[–] M_J_M 20 years ago

Kurt Vonnegut talks about banning "slaughterhouse 5" in his book "timequake"(good, fun book to read, almost part biography)
He explains that the use of the word motherfuc*ker in the dialogue seemed to
be the most condemning reason.

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[–] Alheyd66 20 years ago

To tell the truth, I'd be more worried about banning the movie itself. I just saw it in my English class this past year in school. My teacher had to stand up at the tv and cover every partially nude scene with a manilla folder (which didn't work, I still saw those white cheeks of the POWs in the shower scene.) The book isn't really that bad. Just let the older kids read it. But, then again, I did read Lord of the Flies in 8th grade........and there was my english teacher who made us watch a video on Walt Whitman....

You say Hell is for other people. I say Hell is other people.

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[–] porbeagle_zen 20 years ago

Don't forget the "first pornographic photograph", and a post-Dresden Billy Pilgrim masturbating.
Still, those incedences were so small it's a lame reason for banning a book.

Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the war room!

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[–] Patriot427 19 years ago

I'm a senior in high school and for my English class we have to read a book that has been banned before. I chose to read this and I just started it. I hear it's kind of weird but, also very good. I hope it is, and I'm not quite sure for what reasons it was banned, but I suppose because it has certain social implications and for its scenes of violence. But then, I haven't read it yet, so I can't really say.

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[–] Clifton-K 19 years ago

Its definitely what MJM said: It's the word "motherfu*cker" that is used ONCE in the book in a very comprehensible context. He even brings it up himself. On page 34: "and the scouts were safe in a ditch, and Weary growled at Billy, "Get out of the road, you dumb motherfu*cker." The last word was still a novelty in the speech of white people in 1944. It was fresh and astonishing..."

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[–] Cyberbob8385 19 years ago

Yes, language may be an issue. But I've got a wonderful book about censorship, and it lists it under "literature supressed on political grounds."

But let me make it very clear right now. I have absolutely no patience with, or use for anyone who bans or challenges any book for any reason. They contribute nothing useful to society.

~Cyberbob
On the other hand...
...You have different fingers.

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[–] kitkat981 18 years ago

Same here. I can't tell you how much it bothers me that steller and valuable works of literature get banned in schools because of a curse word here or mention of a sexual act there. This is America, where we have freedom of speech. Besides, it's not like the language and so-called objectionable content are things most teens aren't familiar with already.

In the introduction of Slaughterhouse Five, Vonnegut says that the dominent theme running through his work is "the inhumanity of many of man's inventions to man" (I'm actually reading the book right now.) As a society, we're forever saying that it's imperative that we study history so that we aren't doomed to repeat the same mistakes. The bombing of Dresden is a historical fact. Even if Vonnegut's other works in this vein are fictional, they still offer a powerful lesson that our youth needs to hear. So censors, get over yourselves already!

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[–] lonelypeople3 19 years ago

It was probly bannned for a reason.May be people do not like some of the content of the movie.

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[–] bg_chick12 19 years ago

I have come to notice that schools are banning a lot of books that should not be. While in high school I read 2 books which are now on the banned list at many schools. One was Hoops...a book that's about a kids aspiration to be a professional basketball palyer, and another one I think it was called The Red Dress, which was about a utopian society where the main character's role in the society was to have babies. I suspect both were banned due to sexual referrences and language. I find it ridiculous to ban any book from a school other than ones that might teach kids how to make bombs and stuff like that. As a matter of fact, I think my teachers fought the school board from banning some books at our school. If they ban Slaughterhouse 5, I will very disappointed. It's my favorite book. Plus, then they would have to ban all World War II books and movies, lol. I would hate to hear what they have to say about Band of Brothers.

There is cool s*** to do but it can't come to you so come on...There is life outside your apartment

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[–] Cyberbob8385 19 years ago

Yeah, well, maybe it was banned for a reason, lonelypeople3, but that's no excuse. Although I'm not sure about the movie (has anyone tried to ban it?), the book is considered a great classic, but a few people have issues with it.

Some people have issues with a brief passage in the middle about Jesus Christ and the Gospels. Some people don't like anti-war books.

But to try to censor those ideas, whether you agree with them or not, is CRIMINAL. People deserve the right to speak--or write...or read--freely. Censorship, no matter what you call it, is a stripping of that basic right.

~Cyberbob
On the other hand...
...You have different fingers.

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[–] elchivo83 19 years ago

I can't believe that in this day and age in the western world, the authorities (whichever authorities) still have the power and the audacity to ban anything. I can remember in my British primary school when I would have been in the american equivalent of the 5th grade, having to read a passage from a book to the class when everyone was reading a section and the word 'sh*t' came up. (Funny how I can't even say that word on this website. It ain't just schools!) I was told to just go ahead and read it out loud.
I also clearly remember watching films in secondary school that contained nudity. For example, Rumble Fish in 8th grade. I just can't understand all this, it's just yet another example of something American that completely baffles me, along with the continuous debates about abortion and evolution and the success of Sex and the City.

"Do not swallow, Bill Murray!"

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] cfz2468100 18 years ago

Pathetic statement. You have not bothered to research this issue nor are you familer with the US Constitution.

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[–] joobus 18 years ago

My last year of high school I had to write a report on an American Classic or something like that. Slaughterhouse-Five was one of the options to read... I of course read it. I love reading Kurt Vonneguts books.

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