Armageddon in Retrospect

Armageddon in Retrospect
By Kurt Vonnegut


This is a posthumous collection of twelve new and unpublished writings on war and peace that range from a visceral nonfiction recollection of the destruction of Dresden during World War II — an essay that is as timely today as it was then — to a painfully funny short story about three Army privates and their fantasies of the perfect first meal upon returning home from war, to a darker, more poignant story about the impossibility of shielding our children from the temptations of violence.

1. Vonnegut's Speech at Clowes Hall, Indianapolis, April 2007
2. Wailing Shall Be in All Streets
3. Great Day
4. Guns Before Butter
5. Happy Birthday, 1951
6. Brighten Up
7. The Unicorn Trip
8. Unknown Soldier
9. Spoils
10. Just You and Me, Sammy
11. The Commandant's Desk
12. Armageddon in Retrospect

Vonnegut writes each story with extraordinary insight and a lively style that forces you to reassess your view on war. His own experience as a prisoner of war in Dresden during WWII brings each story to life with realistic descriptions of conditions, characters and dialog. Each story reveals the foolishness of war, the brutality of all sides, and the total waste of life and property that war brings.

In “Spoils,” the main character goes out with his buddies to pillage a village for war souvenirs and to find food for supper. While in a barn looking for food, he finds a rabbit in a cage and kills it, hoping to make a delicious stew with it. Suddenly, the inhabitants return to their farm, so he hides in the shadows of the barn. As he waits, a small boy comes in and finds his pet rabbit dead. The soldier watches in horror as the little boy carries his beloved pet outside and falls down weeping and wailing. As a result, the soldier refuses to collect souvenirs and returns back to the United States ridden with guilt.

In “Just You and Me, Sammy,” the main character is a German-American who served in the American Army and was captured by the Germans. While in a prison camp, he observes George, another German-American soldier in the U.S. Army who was also captured. George gains the German guards’ confidence and becomes the camp entrepreneur, trading cigarettes and other goods for food and favors. Now that the Russians are coming, he is worried and talks Sammy into going into town with him. George tries to “buy” Sammy’s dog tags so he can assume his identity to escape a court martial for collaborating with the enemy. George doesn’t have the nerve to kill Sammy and misses his chance when the Russians come. After the Russians leave them alone, Sammy kills George with a pistol he found in the house and then lies to Army Intelligence, saying he accidentally shot himself after falling into a ditch. After investigating the incident, they discover that George had fake ID tags because he was a German spy sent to the camp to gain intelligence for the Nazis.

In “The Commander’s Desk” an American Major sets up a headquarters in a Czech town and forces a carpenter to make him a desk. The carpenter was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Americans after suffering both under the Russians and the Nazis, but becomes quickly disenchanted with the gruff major. The only American who has any sensitivity is a captain assigned as the major’s aide, so the carpenter builds a relationship with him. The major puts a lot of pressure on the carpenter to finish the desk, so the carpenter makes a secret drawer and places a bomb in it. However, as soon as the desk is delivered, the major is transferred and the captain takes his place. The carpenter informs the captain of the secret drawer and deactivates the bomb before it can go off.

In “Armageddon in Retrospect” scientists are searching for ways to prove that the Devil exists and find a way to trap him. In one last attempt, the lead scientist talks his assistant into performing one last attempt to trap the Devil in a special copper barrel wired with electricity to keep him from escaping. After performing a special ceremony at midnight, the scientist begins to go mad and falls into the copper barrel. The assistant locks him inside and turns on the electricity, claiming that the scientist had become possessed by the Devil.

Hecuba

Euripides wrote Hecuba around 425 B.C., his first anti-war drama, which depicts the plight of Hecuba, the queen of Troy, after the city was destroyed and she was taken captive. While she is a prisoner of Agamemnon, encamped on the shores of Thrace, she has to endure the sacrifice of her daughter, Polyxena, on the tomb of Achilles as his just reward for his death at the hands of Paris. That very same day, the corpse of her son Polydorus washes ashore and is brought to Hecuba. Bereft of two children in one day, Hecuba seeks vengeance on Polymestor, king of Thrace, who murdered Polydorus. Before Troy fell, king Priam had sent Polydorus to Trace with a large cache of gold in order for him to be kept safe by Polymestor. However, as soon as Troy fell, Polymestor murdered Polydorus and stole the gold.

Hecuba entreats Agamemnon to avenge her son’s death but he refuses since there is a treaty between him and Polymestor. Hecuba then devises a plot, using the large contingent of Trojan maidens being held captive, so that Agamemnon doesn’t have to break his treaty. Hecuba calls Polymestor to bring his two children and meet with her. While in her tent, the Trojan maidens kill the two children and poke out Polymestor’s eyes. Polymestor begs Agamemnon to avenge him, but he refuses. Polymestor then curses Agamemnon, Cassandra and Hecuba. He relays a prophesy by Dionysus that Hecuba will commit suicide by jumping into the sea and Agamemnon, along with Cassandra, will be murdered by his own wife, Clytemnestra when he returns home. Agamemnon scoffs and has Polynestor banished to a deserted island.

Euripides portrays the horrible aftermath of war and all of the political and personal intrigue that follows. Violence begets more violence and those who live by violence die violent deaths. This echoes Jesus’ warning, “All who draw the sword will die by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52).

Don’t Circle the Wagons

If you got most of your history of the American West from cowboys and Indian movies, or from left-wing hate America first literature, then you should read P.J. Hill’s article, “Don’t Circle the Wagons” in Books & Culture, March/April 2007, page 10. Hill reviews the book, Indians and Emigrants: Encounters on the Overland Trails, and debunks the notion that there was a lot of conflict between the Indians and the settlers because they came from very different cultures. He also debunks the myth that today there must be clashes of cultures as well. On the contrary, history shows that two widely different cultures can coexist amiably if they want to.

Contrary to modern myths, “Indians and settlers interacted rather peacefully for a long period of time.” The prairie became a vast cooperative meeting ground where commerce and exchange were carried out for mutual profit. Much of the land was settled in a peaceful manner and wagon trains heading to Oregon or California were rarely attacked by Indians. Both sides saw incredible opportunities for potential gain through repeated peaceful interaction. Indians even settled along the trail to act as middle men in this exchange system.

While there was some misunderstanding between the two cultures, most of the misunderstanding came from the side of the settlers, not the Indians. There were a few skirmishes, and these “stories” were repeated numerous times, until they became well-embedded in the consciousness of those heading west. As a result, many settlers expected to be attacked, and so they began to treat all Indians with suspicion and fear. And even though there were very few attacks and Indians willingly offered themselves as guides, even putting their own lives in danger to help and rescue settlers, the fear grew.

From 1840 to 1860, only 362 emigrants were killed by Indians, a mere 18 deaths per year. By contrast, 426 Indians were killed by whites. Yet these were small skirmishes, usually as the result of the settlers misunderstanding the intentions of the Indians. There were few major incidents or organized plans of attack. Instead, there were only eight “massacres” between 1840 and 1870.


I like Hill’s conclusion: “We ought not to be too quick to assume that people of very different backgrounds will always find their interactions laden with conflict.”

As Christians, we need to be leaders in reducing fear and promoting peaceful interaction between groups with different backgrounds and worldviews. Fear leads to mistrust and misunderstandings, resulting in conflict. Love conquers fear and leads to trust, understanding and cooperation.


You can read the article at: http://www.christianitytoday.com/bc/2007/002/3.10.html