Introduction
For a comparison of cultural artifacts, two anti-war works of art were chosen: Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle and Edward Berger’s film adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front based on Remarque’s novel. Cat’s Cradle was written in 1963, All Quiet on the Western Front was released in 2022. The works reveal the anti-war theme it in two different ways: in a fantasy novel and in realistic depiction.
Theme
The common theme of the two cultural artifacts is an open war critique. The theme in Cat’s Cradle is revealed by the reasoning about the creation of a nuclear bomb. The narrator proves the danger of weapons of mass destruction. All Quiet on the Western Front is a critical reimagining of Remarque’s novel, which talks about the senselessness of killing young people during war conflicts.
Personal Experience
For me, as a pacifist, it is important to see artistic anti-war statements that reinforce my belief that war cannot be beneficial. Vonnegut establishes a clear view that one person responsible for the creation of weapons of mass destruction can lead to the death of all civilization. Showing the successive deaths of young men, Berger emphasizes the lack of meaning in human life during a war.
Professional Influence
Anti-war rhetoric is important for all professions in which the disclosure of general humanist values is valuable. The medical profession, for example, must take the value of every human life, particularly. The disclosed topic is important for scientists, who must be aware of the responsibility for their creations. Practical humanities knowledge allows professionals to form the correct vision and direct their efforts to help people.
Resources
Three sources were chosen to support the work: two scientific articles and one film review. The similarity of the sources lies in the fact that all of them can be considered reliable, and the difference lies in the topic’s disclosure. The sources are relevant as they study the selected artifacts from different points of view. My thought process was to find three peer-reviewed scientific papers. The selection was based on neutrality and reliability. An obstacle was the lack of scholarly publications on All Quiet on the Western Front. It was overcome by the inclusion of the film review.
Context
All Quiet on the Western Front is a result of rethinking Remarque’s classic work. It is the third film adaptation that is close to the modern viewer (Schmitz, 2022). The film was created to rethink World War I. Cat’s Cradle is a reimagining of the events of World War II and the creation of the nuclear bomb (Herbert & Frederick, 2021). Vonnegut talks about the post-apocalypse as the world moved closer to the threat of nuclear war (Sucithra & Shanthi, 2019). The historical context underscores the temporal importance of anti-war rhetoric.
Comparison
All Quiet on the Western Front is full of symbols despite being a realistic work. The sun in the film becomes a symbol of life and death (Schmitz, 2022). The symbol in Vonnegut’s novel is an island, symbolizing all of humanity (Sucithra & Shanthi, 2019). Vonnegut’s work is allegorical, also touching on the themes of life and death (Herbert & Frederick, 2021). The similarities lie in emphasizing the need to value every human life, while the main difference lies in how the theme is conveyed.
Medium
Vonnegut uses the medium as a basis for reflection on the world on the verge of a global catastrophe. The medium is reflected in including real events such as World War II in the fictional world (Herbert & Frederick, 2021). Berger uses the medium to create a realistic work. The film conveys the events of World War I for a modern viewer (Schmitz, 2022). Both artifacts rely on humanistic values to emphasize the thesis of the importance of life.
Thesis Statement
Cat’s Cradle and All Quiet on the Western Front are anti-war statements in which both authors emphasize the importance of human life, expressing the main theme through realistic and allegorical reimagining.
Audience
The audience for the topic and thesis can be all people who find anti-war rhetoric important. Literary and film critics may also be among the audience. The greatest benefit can be received by adolescents, who begin to form their idea of the world. The audience will be interested to hear how the rethinking of the theme of war is refracted in literary and cinematic imaging by using realistic and allegorical means of expression.
Tailoring the Message
The study is understandable to a wide audience, as it does not use specific terminology. However, for younger people, the text may require some adaptation. For example, more plot details of both works can be given to grab the attention, since not everyone may be familiar with the novel and film. Effective communication with the audience will be based on the principle of carrying a common theme throughout the entire statement. It will also be necessary to give the audience a background to deepen their understanding and respond to incoming questions.
Conclusion
All Quiet on the Western Front and Cat’s Cradle explore the theme of war, criticizing its cruelty and senselessness. Using historical context and artistic rethinking, the authors emphasize the importance of human life. Any audience, from teenagers to literary and film critics, can be interested in studying this topic. For a spectacular disclosure, it will be necessary to provide listeners with plot context for both works.
References
Herbert, J. X., & Frederick, S. (2021). Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle, a fictional framework of posthumanism: The interdependent similarities between novel and the theory. Dogo Rangsang Research Journal, 14(3), 213-220. Web.
Schmitz, R. (2022). Movie review: All Quiet on the Western Front. NPR. Web.
Sucithra, G., & Shanthi, R. (2019). Apocalypse now: Scrutinizing the postmodern in Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle. Think India Journal, 22(3), 1091-1096. Web.