Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1993. [Vol. 1.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 21)

STUDIES - Donald E. Morse: 'Why Not You?": Kurt Vonncgufs Debt to The Book of Job

and suffering can't matter nearly as much as I think they do. Since they are so common, my taking them so seriously must mean that I am insane. I must try to be saner." 4 The significant achievement of Slaughterhouse-Five lies in Yonnegut's discovering artistically

—in the novel's form and style

—and personally

—with his feelings and thoughts

—how to deal with commonplace death and suffering. Through his happy invention of the Tralfamadorians he shifts the novel's perspective from a human one, such as that of most of the Book of Job, to God's, such as that found in the conclusion of the Book of Job. When Billy Pilgrim finds himself in the Tralfamadorian zoo he asks the obvious human question: "Why me?" The answer he receives both puzzles and instructs him: 'That is a very Earthling question to ask, Mr. Pilgrim. Why you? . . . Why anything? Because this moment simply is. . . . Well, here we are, Mr. Pilgrim trapped in . . . this moment. There is no why." (Slaughterhouse-Five

, p. 66) Job asked the same question, "Why me?" hundreds of years before Billy beginning in the prologue to the Book of Job when a series of messengers arrive bringing news to Job not of family members being captured by strange beings in a flying saucer, but of horrendous destruction. The first reveals that all of Job's servants have been killed; the second that his sheep have been destroyed by fire from heaven; the third that nomads have carried off his camels and slaughtered his herdsmen; and the fourth brings the worst news of all, that a hurricane suddenly killed all his sons and daughters. Naturally Job is heart-stricken. He rends his clothes, and goes and sits on the village dunghill in deep mourning. As the book proper begins he receives visits from three friends who attempt to comfort 4 Palm Sunday, p. 296. 78