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Freeing The Virgin: a mental assassination
Reading Kurt Vonnegut's short story "Welcome to the Monkey house" you feel betrayed. The author takes the reader on a journey, filled with dark humor and satire that brings a smile to your face. Floating on this cloud you enjoy the dystopia story of the world during a population crisis, with solutions like suicide parlors and genital numbing pills you find yourself enthralled and diving deeper into the narration absorbing every moment. Until in the end you are dropped on your head and all you can do it try and pick up the pieces after the final period; just like the character Nancy must now pick up the pieces of her own life to decide for herself what she now believes. In this work of fiction written by the late Kurt Vonnegut he transitions from a story filled with dark humor and satire to one of serious content and a political and societal message in attempts to end the story leaving the audience in awe and alone with their thoughts searching within themselves for understanding and answers. By creating characters that transform in personality and characteristics we as an audience are transformed in opinion of these characters, changing the tone of the writing and inserting page breaks and dramatic pauses slows the reader and creates a deeper importance to really hone in on each sentiment coming from these characters. The jokes and humor end in this last excerpt of the story and in the end we are left just as Nancy is left, alone, uncertain and needing to search within ourselves for our own truth.
"Which he did." (Vonnegut 47). The page break following this sentence is the beginning of the end. Not only is this the last page break of the story but in this next excerpt the entire tone and voice of the writing changes. No longer are we as readers meant to laugh and enjoy this story, from here on out we are meant to think, analyze, and determine for ourselves the morality of the characters, the world of the past, our current culture and our plausible future. This is the turning point and from here we must take note and be prepared for the emotional warfare we are about to experience because Vonnegut spares no feelings. The page break on page 47 is not the only grammatical aspect that dictates meaning and creates an important element to the text. The use of the em-dash is essential in changing tone and determining dramatic importance in the story. "On the contrary, he was terribly depressed, and said to Nancy, "Believe me if there'd been any other way---"' (Vonnegut 47). Billy does not finish this sentence, he interrupts himself with silence because there is nothing more to say. There is no other way, he knows that, Nancy knows that and him saying anything about that now is pointless. What's done is done and showing regret for that now is unnecessary. The use of the em-dash is prevalent through out the ending of the story and that's because the author wants us to slow down, we are supposed to read this last part carefully. This use of grammar is meant to show us that by taking this new pace it creates a more serious tone to the reading and ensures that we as the reader really understand and absorb the ending of the story. And the true difference between what we've read up to this point and everything here after.
The author changes his characters in the end. Billy is no longer this idea, he's here and his purpose is no longer a joke. He has come to do a job and in doing it we are moved. "He deflowered her with a clinical skill she found ghastly." (Vonnegut 47). Billy the poet was cold, he was methodical and he knew what he was doing. Like a surgeon cutting into human flesh, Billy did his job with all seriousness and without wavering. This is important, because it signifies that Billy was not happy to be doing this and in this moment neither was he destroyed by his actions. It was a job that needed done and one that he was capable and willing to do. We know all along Billy's ultimate driving force, we know his motives and yet we don't see it happening this way. Despite Nancy never wavering we just assume she'll give herself over. When Billy has to rape Nancy we feel unprepared. In a way as an audience we also feel taken advantage of. The quote about Billy's depression is also relevant to the changing of Billy's character because of what it says about him. "On the contrary, he was terribly depressed, and said to Nancy, "Believe me if there'd been any other way---"' (Vonnegut 47). This passage is the first time we realize the effect that the plight of reawakening a sexual revolution has on Billy. He doesn't enjoy forcing himself on women, there is no part of this violation and rape that brings him joy. He is bothered by his actions but that doesn't change the fact that he believes in what he's doing and it's importance. This passage shows us that his beliefs come at an emotional price and that's something Billy can not get away from. But Billy isn't the only character suffering and he's certainly not the only one to make a dramatic change in behavior. "Her reply to this was a face like stone--and silent tears of humiliation." (Vonnegut 47). Again we see an em-dash used to signify the importance behind the second portion and it's true weight. This is the first time Nancy has ever shown weakness. She is broken, her confidence was taken from her and she's no longer the same woman. "Big as she was, like a double bass wedged onto that narrow shelf, she felt like a pitiful little thing." (Vonnegut 47). Up to this point in the story Nancy had the desire to fight, the confidence in herself and her ability to kick-ass, but now she's defeated, in the following sentence it says that she pulls the covers up to "hide her face" (Vonnegut 47). She feels shame, and we pity Nancy. This whole story we see her strength, Nancy reassures the audience she's strong and that she doesn't need any help with defending herself and now we see her defeated and it's painful to read. Nancy is full of shame and wants to just hide from the world. This is not the same woman we were introduced to in the suicide parlor. This woman has changed and it's unclear at this moment whether what was done to her truly was for the better.
"And he left. And they all left but Nancy." (Vonnegut 50). At the end of this story Nancy is left alone to deal with what just happened to her. She must process her sexual awakening and how she feels about it, she must process what Billy tells her about the government and the lies she'd been fed in order to shape her life. Being left alone with her thoughts, now armed with the truth she can decide her own fate. This is also how we as an audience are left. The author doesn't tell us how to feel at the end, he doesn't tell us what to think or how to react. He just tells us the facts, he predicts a future filled with government mandates in order to control sexuality, and at the time this was written the government had already began a war on drugs during a time where experimenting with drugs was just as much apart of a culture as sex. So why should the freedom of sex not also be threatened? The way this story ends is pivotal in delivering it's message. The author tells no more jokes, describing Champagne as a drug as illegal as heroin is the last piece of humor we find (Vonnegut 46). This digression away from humor is so important in creating a serious message and ensuring that the audience is receptive to the new direction of the tone.
In essence while reading "Welcome to the Monkey House" we are both being violated, the reader and Nancy. The author draws us in, makes us feel safe and then violates that trust creating this feeling of vulnerability. We don't know what to think, we are empathetic to a rapist and yet we understand his motives and have to question our own morals for understanding. This wasn't what we agreed to, this wasn't what we were sold in the beginning, Vonnegut promised us humor and witty quips and then he stole that away from us. He stole the innocence of the story away from us just as Billy the Poet stole away the innocence of Nancy. Forced the reader to see something ugly, something true. In order to find enlightenment. We are in a way just like Nancy, in order to understand we must be forced. The page breaks and grammar tell us that this passage is serious and that we are to take note, we are drawn in all along by humor but those jokes end and the serious nature of this story ensues. Billy the Poet becomes a monster and a hero in a matter of seconds and we are left unsure how to feel about him after all and Nancy transforms from the charismatic, beautiful, confident and strong woman to someone afraid so show her face. Unable to muster the will to even fight. She's confused and in the end she's left alone. This entire story Nancy is never alone, from the beginning with her co-worker and police officer to being kidnapped and guarded at all times. Even whilst being raped, she's surrounded by people holding her down, but in the end she's alone. Finally, to decide for herself what her truth is. We are like Nancy, the author is no longer telling a story, the facts are all laid before us and we are to determine our own truth. Are we to be empathetic to a rapist? Should we support this ideal of the sexual revolution and the reawakening of the population? Can this be a righteous cause if the solution is to violate women? These are what we are left with as an audience, self doubt, the need to find answers within. Vonnegut performs a mental assassination on his audience at the last minute in order to really get them to think and it's one of the most amazing pieces of literature that I've read in a long time.
So any feedback would be great, one thing I've unsure of is my use of the same quote twice. I think it's important in both grammatical context and character development but maybe structure wise I might set it up differently. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated in all aspects.
