Slaughterhouse

In Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five ,Billy Pilgrim is a man who travels through time. He was a solider in WWII and flashes back between his days in the war, his days after the war and his time spent on Tralfamadore. Billy some how experienced trauma that causes him to believe the he is time traveling. Vonnegut allows for the explanation for Billy's unstable mental state to be one of three things. He suffered too much brain trauma in a plan crash after the war, he was traumatized during the war, or something else accrued before the war and the crash that caused his trauma. Throughout, the novel Billy switches between "worlds"(realities) which in themselves creates his own 3 dimensional reality. Through these flash backs Vonnegut displays the realities war holds, allowing him to share his own reality of what war is. Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five,constructs, not only the possibility of Billy's reality, but Vonnegut's reality too.

Beloved

In Toni Morrison's Beloved, the character of Sethe seems to be stuck in one reality. Her past. She is almost held prisoner to it. This constructs her reality in the present. She sees things through her views from the past. She is haunted by the ghost of Beloved, her daughter whom she killed to save from slavery, who transforms into a person and ends up living in Sethe's house with her. Beloved represents the past. She reminds Sethe of the past whenever she is around and then Sethe is consumed by the past. This defines what reality she chooses to live in. Why does Sethe let her past construct her reality? Whatever that reason maybe, the point is that, Sethe's reality is constructed by her past because she allows it to be. Even though, her past is scaring and very traumatic beyond what most will ever experience, she chooses to let it be her focus. Making her past her present reality.

The Stranger

In Albert's Camus's The Stranger Meursault is a strange character who is an outcast of society. This present an the interesting opportunity for two realities to be represented. One from the view of society itself and the other from Meursault. Society places Meursault upon the outskirts because of his lack of emotional expression. Throughout the novel Meursault is a character that is hard to connect with because all that is expressed is his actions and small thoughts. The opportunity to see into his emotions isn't available. From this view Meusalut becomes an outcast to the reader, as well. When he is placed on trial the jury not only declares him guilty for murder but also condemns him because of his "lack" of emotion at his mothers funeral. Society's reality is challenged and that is what makes Meursault's reality clear. He lives his life based on what he feels, not on what society wants or expects of him too feel. Is this message that Camu was really trying to portray through this novel? That life is what you make it and why should that be judged?

Crime and Punishment

Opinions VS. Emtions

Throughout Crime and Punishment, Rodya is in constant turmoil with himself. He battles his emotions against what he believed was fact or reality. Rodya wrote an article on how superior people have the right to live above "the law." Including the right to murder people without having to receive the punishment of committing the crime. Rodya's opinions in this article show a reality that is different from what most believe is moral and acceptable. With this different perception of reality Rodya commits a murder, but then strangely he consumed by the guilt of his actions. This guilt turns into paranoia, and conflict with in himself between his article(his opinions) and what he feels(his emotions). His inner turmoil challenges what he believed to be reality causing him to be in a state of confusion and forcing him to decide what it is that he believes is true. The most intriguing part of the story is the concept, well the question really that it presents; Is reality constructed by opinions or emotions? Can they both combine and make reality, or are they too different? From what Rodya ultimately decides, to come clean for the murder, it shows an example of opinions being too temporary to overpower emotion. Displaying Rodya's reality, based on his opinions, to be easily shattered by what he feels.
Emotions are such subtle things but they hold an incredible power on the way a reality is constructed. They way one feels about any situation shapes their interpretation of that assurance, creating their reality.

HENRY IV

Honor, Its Own Reality
In William Shakespeare's Henry IV part 1, the character of Falstaff grabbed my attention. He appears to be viewed as a lazy, cowardly, alcoholic bum. Falstaff's personality can be interpenetrated as passive, and it typically is. He never seems to be a "go getter", compared to the valiant Prince Hal and Hostpur. They seek power and greatness. These two achievements are what they consider to be honor. Falstaff has a soliloquy that focuses on the question, "What is honor?" Some readers may just pass this off as another unimportant Flastaffian babel spree. Yet, this where Falstaff's reality is revealed. His almost opposite views of what is meaningful, contour act all that is seen within Prince Hal and Hostpur. Thus, creating an the alternate reality of the work. Falstaff's view of honor's importance as being nothing more than just a word develops another reality. Yet, he doesn't not discredit the fact that he believes in honor, rather that he believes in another meaning of honor.The reoccurring theme of honor develops the explanation of two different lifestyles, truly being two different realities(interpretations of the situation). Prince Hal's view of honor is constructed by his interpretation of what the people and even what his father want and expect in a king. By Prince Hal appeasing to his father and the people's expectations, he will achieve his honor. On the other hand, Falstaff, doesn't see honor as appeasing the people or rather their expectations; but as what he believes is true. Honor itself holds a subtle clout that constructs, or at least sets the foundation, for what people view as importance. What they should strive for and give their all to. Without the reoccurring theme of honor would the characters of Falstaff and Prince Hal's interpretations of the circumstances, they both faces ,still differ from one another?

Oedipus

Oedipus creates his own reality by believing that the King Polybos his is father and Queen Merope is his mother. When in reality King Laius and Queen Jocasta are his true parents. Jocasta marries her son Oedipus not knowing he his her son, but eventually figures it out. Changing her reality and POV. Could she have chosen not to believe that Oedipus was her son? Is there really enough evidence? Jocasta repeatedly speaks of how the prophecy of the Oracle wasn't not true about Oedipus, so why would she choose to believe it when they "figure out" that Oedipus was her son? Jocasta allows for this to be her reality. Oedipus ,through the whole work, believes that this prophecy is his fate, but will fight against it. His reality wasn't necessarily changed, but confirmed when he was told of his true origin. He continually holds the same reality to be true, through connecting his fate with fact. Both Jocasta and Oedipus pull elements from their surroundings to form their "truth". They each chose the elements they wished to believe true, piecing together their reality.

B.I.G

What is reality and how is it constructed?

Can there really be one version of reality? Is there answer to this question? Reality is so fragile in the hands of man. It is consistently being shaped and reformed by every individual. What one hears, sees and believes is always changing, in turn changing reality. That is why the questioning of reality draws me in. What one chooses to be their reality, becomes their truth. For example, when my family experienced the "almost death" of my Aunt Nathylee, we all felt and interpreted things very differently. My sister, as soon as she heard the news, backed up and left her college to get to my Aunt as fast as she could. I, on the other hand, wasn't sure what to do. I just quietly walked up to my room in a zombie like state, and wasn't sure what to feel. My reality of this situation differed greatly from sister because of different situations I have been through, that my sister hasn't. We interpreted the same news through different understandings; Creating our own realities of this situation. In Homer's The Odyssey, the suitors after Penelope believed that Odysseus is dead. That is their reality, which they each constructed based on each of their individual interpretations of his absence. Odysseus’s reality is constructed by the gods, Athena and Poseidon in particular; They both direct his bath, creating his Odyssey. By the gods creating and leading his odyssey they are developing his reality. By shaping Odysseus's path the gods place him trough trails that mature, and mold him into true leader. This "molding" forms his new outlook on life and every situation; Creating his reality. A movie that relates to the questioning of reality is Inception. This movie is all about trying to establish what is your reality. In Inception, Cobb, then main character (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) tells when he is in reality and when he is not by spinning a coin. If the coin is spinning he is in a dream and if it falls over he is in reality. (IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE DON'T READ THE FOLLOWING) At the end of the film, Cobb rejoins with his kids. He spins the coin, but you never see it drop. This complex ending leaves audiences questioning what really was reality. Inception shows, that whatever people choose to believe is reality, will be their reality.