I decided to compare the experience of war provided by Kurt Vonnegut in Slaughterhouse-Five to the “Americans and the Holocaust” virtual exhibit from the website of Washington D.C.’s Holocaust museum. I find it interesting that when we discuss wars or any past historical events, it is an expected tendency to categorize all soldiers or people from a country with having the same intentions or knowledge base. Something that stood out to me in this virtual exhibit was that although Americans supported Jews and other minorities during the second World War, the exhibit emphasizes that Americans could have done more to prevent the countless murders which occurred. As most perspectives of World War II attempt to regard, the Holocaust Museum’s exhibit focuses solely on the Jewish perspective and how the Jews caught by the Germans were let down by so many countries.
After reading Slaughterhouse-Five, I was opened up to the perspective of American soldiers that were dragged into the war, such as Billy Pilgrim. At times, it can be easy to disregard the damage the second world war has on the outside countries which participated in the war, although the countries may have not been as prominently acknowledged in our perception of history. The exhibit later displays the efforts Americans put in to putting an end to the war and Nazism occuring during the time, however, as many Americans protested Nazism, including a petition created in the spring of 1933 in which tens of thousands Americans signed in opposition to the Nazi’s treatment of Jews. Vonnegut seemed to represent Billy Pilgrim as one of the sympathetic Americans that not only wanted the war to end, but wanted those around him to be safe as it was difficult to constantly see death and pain surrounding him. The exhibit and Vonnegut both make the clear point that this war was a bloody one; people were dying and getting hurt constantly, sometimes even from those who should not be in opposition to them. The Holocaust Museum also displays a video as part of their exhibit which shows clips of many different protests held in America of Americans coming together, marching against Nazism and anti-semitism. These protests were held before the American government involved themselves with the war. As I mentioned before, it can be easy to presume an entire country has the same goals within a war, however, these American citizens holding protests and marches proved to provide support for the Jews being abused by Hitler far before the American government took action.
I believe the “Americans and the Holocaust” virtual exhibit provided useful infortmation regarding the second world war and America’s involvement in it. It was interesting to compare Vonnegut’s experiences expressed through Billy Pilgrim to the exhibit, as the exhibit was more factual and provided a clear timeline of Americans going through this war, while Vonnegut illustrates a more emotional and empathetic narrative to the American soldiers in the war. I recommend others to look through this exhibit themselves, as it has many different parts to observe!
The exhibit link: https://exhibitions.ushmm.org/americans-and-the-holocaust/main
-Becca Schwartz
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