Slaughterhouse 5

Question: How does one become an “insider” or “outsider?”
So, time travel… Obviously a technology that we all wish we
could utilize and yet no one has been able to as of yet. Kurt Vonnegut picks a
protagonist named Billy Pilgrim to represent a man who has the ability to
re-visit instances in his life as well as travel to an alien planet called Tralfamadore.
Both of these aspects of pilgrim’s make-up help him become an “insider” on a mental
level and an “outsider” on a physical level. First off, the ability to look
back on instances in his life… Most of us struggle remembering things that’s happened
over one year ago unless it is a very major event. This means we are ignorant
of many of the things that have taken place, thus making us “outsiders” to the
truth. Billy is always able to be influenced by these past experiences, allowing
him to make the best decision in every situation. That would be the definition
of an “insider.” Now, on to Tralfamadore. In my opinion this is a very
controversial aspect to the novel because it isn’t clear what the purpose of
Billy’s experiences on it were. Possibly just Vonnegut showing that the
protagonist in his novel is crazy? I believe rather that it Vonnegut giving
Billy the gift of seeing the future because the inhabitants resemble the path
humanity is currently on. The last chapter of Slaughterhouse Five describes
how the aliens are changing. Once again, now Billy has the ability to see a
frame of time that no one else can, which makes him become an “insider.” Now,
it is also important to understand that the story is not completely happy for Slaughterhouse
Five’s Protagonist. As a matter of fact, I believe that Billy’s advantage
as an “insider” turns him into an “outsider” in society because no one can have
the advanced knowledge that he possesses.

Beloved

Question: How does one become an “insider” or “outsider?”

As we discover the different layers of the protagonist in
Beloved, we find more and more answer to the big question. It is quite apparent
that Sethe is an “outsider,” however; this is not due to some personal action
she committed, but rather the mere fact that she is black. But the fact that
Sethe doesn’t physically appear to be an “insider” doesn’t completely rule her
out of this title in my opinion and this is because of her mental determination.
Sethe stops at nothing to find every way possible to level the playing field
and bring the white folks down to her level. Furthermore, I believe that we can
find more answers to this big question in the character of Beloved herself.
Being a ghost, Beloved obviously has a spiritual advantage over the other
characters. This enables her to manipulate characters and be the most prevalent
“insider” in the novel. Beloved introduces an entire new dimension to the big
question because of the fact that what determines being an outsider in this
instance are aspects of life that are uncontrollable and spiritual.

The Stranger

Obviously, when one examines the title of this staggering tale, it is not expected to see an “insider” presented. This is the case for “The Stranger” as Meursault begins the story as an “outsider”. While this story does not do a great job of answering my original Big Question, which was “How does one become and “insider” and “outsider”,” it does a superb job of showing that pure passion with regards to an “outsider” such as Meursault can result in crazy actions and failed attempts to regain a position in society. While the reasons for Meursault’s ruthless killing of the Arab are never is explained, I believe his actions acted as an attempt to fit in with Raymond and the rest of his so-called friends. However, Meursault’s pure passion at trying to stand up for his friends leads him down an irreversible path that eventually leads to his death. The uniqueness in Meurault’s situation is that we find an “outsider” trying to become an “insider,” which has not been the case in the other novels read in class. Ultimately, Meursault understands all too late that he is different and realizes, as he sits in the jail cell awaiting the guillotine, that he had found his own form of happiness being an “outsider” before murdering the Arab.

Crime and Punishment

Psyche. Crime and Punishment delves into this confusing and intricate realm to determine what makes an “insider” and “outsider”. Rodya begins the story in a unique situation because I would neither characterize him as an insider or outsider at this point in the story. All the characters in other books have had a defined role in society. However, after the murders, Rodya distances himself from the “insiders” and as his mental health deteriorates, so does his presence in society. I believe there is a deeper message in this, which relates back to a classic quote, “Always believe in yourself.” It sounds cheesy and elementary, however, when one examines Rodya’s situation, his mental psyche is what ultimately demands his expulsion from society. If Rodya had a greater sense of mental strength he probably would have even gotten away with committing the murder and used the sense of “superman” power to greater his position in society and become an “insider.” Rodya’s thoughts and mental state are ultimately his downfall in what determines his spot as an “outsider” in the Russian society in which he resided.