Slaughterhouse Five-Billy Pilgrim and his Compromises

When I first thought about Slaughterhouse Five and Billy Pilgrim, I didn't think that any compromise was present in the story. But as I dug deeper, I realized that Billy compromises his beliefs for the majority of his life, as he keeps the aliens and his experiences to himself. Although he knows in his head that the experiences are something that he shouldn't share with anyone because they will think he is crazy, at some point he decides that telling the world is what is more important to himself.

When Billy finally decides to share his experiences, it seems as though he sets himself free. Although his daughter and son-in-law think he has lost his mind, and spend their time worrying about how his actions will affect them, he couldn't care less. He feels as though his experiences need to be shared, whether or not anyone believes that what he has to say must be shared.

As I thought of all of this, I felt that Vonnegut was sharing an important truth with his readers: we shouldn't compromise when it comes to our happiness. He seems to be saying that while other people may not agree with what you have to say, saying it will set you free simply because you are being honest.

I'm not sure how I feel about this message. I do agree that it is important to do what it takes to make yourself happy, I don't feel like you should step on others to ensure your own happiness. I actually want to "compromise" his message, and meet him halfway. Do what you can to make yourself happy, but don't be willing to ruin relationships around you just to make sure that your feelings are where they want to be.

Invisible Man-Compromises all around

As I read Invisible Man, i was struck by how much the narrator waffled back and forth between being willing to compromise and sticking to his guns. When he does what he thinks is best, and takes the white man in his care to a black bar to get him something to drink and save his life, he is in deep trouble with his president. When asked why he did what he did, the narrator will not explain and stand up for himself, which is disheartening to read. He just takes his punishment. Then, as he is about to leave, he begins to yell at the president, trying to get his point across before he is expelled from the school. This actually works in a sense, because the man sends him to Harlem with letters of reccommendation so that he can get a job. Although this wasn't his intent, his sticking to his morals seems to have helped him at the time.
From that example, it feels like compromise is a problem, which I don't think is the case in real life. Because he was unwilling to compromise and do what would have been "best" for the white man, he lost his job and his livelihood. I wonder what Ellison is trying to say? Does he think compromise is not worth our time or energy? I don't think so. I think he is telling us that there is a balance. Compromsie at times, but when it's necessary, do what's right. For you.

The Stranger-Compromise, or Sticking to Your Beliefs?

As I finished The Stranger, I really felt as though there was little to no compromise in the novel. For example, Meursault refuses to comply with societal norms, and doesn't really have the time or energy to be bothered with the fact that his mother died. Although not everyone loves their mother and wants to spend every minute with them, the fact remains that they gave birth to us, and are an integral part of our lives. It would have been a compromise for Meursault to at least pretend to be broken up about his mother's death, but he simply slept through the entire event and went along with his life.

Another example of lack of compromise I saw was when the priest came in to Meursault's cell near the end of the novel and tried to convert him to Christianity. I was surprised at Meursault's behavior, obviously, but he made his beliefs known. The priest wouldn't even consider this fact, and continued to probe Meursault until he exploded. Meursault refused to even consider the idea of religion, which surprised the priest, and they both refused to compromise, and stuck to their beliefs one hundred percent.

After reading the novel, one question I came up with was: is compromise a good thing? An argument can be made on both sides. Compromise helps everyone to work together, and allows everyone to get a little bit of what they want. On the other side, compromise keeps people from sticking to their beliefs, and allows people to submit to others rather than fighting for what they want. It's kind of scary to think about whether or not compromise should even happen, and while I'm inclined to say it should, The Stranger may suggest otherwise...