KING’S HORSES” AND “MANNED MISSILES”
Operational norms have existed in society for a long time, creating a societal conflict between those with power and the powerless people in the community. The political confinement between these two classes acts as a catalyst to the existing rivalry and societal conflicts. ‘Kurt Vonnegut’s’ short stories reflect on the existences of political class prejudice that impacts the individuality and relationships between people. Both stories “All the King’s Horses and “Manned Missiles” (1958) demonstrate diverse ideologies that are related to the cold war and American fiction. The two stories reflected on the historical seriousness of the cold war and needed to be taken seriously. Their stories provide a critical reflection on the historical association between countries and social structure in America during the cold war aftermath of World War II.
Kurt Vonnegut’s two short stories reflect on an actual international backdrop during the times in which the stories were published. Both of the stories are structured within the period of a cold war between America and Russia. Kurt Vonnegut’s’ manages to portray Russia and America differently to create on the historical implication of the short stories. Even though the stories share the same character countries, they differ in the time frame in which the stories are constructed, have different international backdrops and how they impacted the cold war’s outcomes. “All the King’s Horses reflects on the events of a cold war that took place in the cold war. Although there was no official war going on, the cold war still had a significant impact on the lives of many people and created serious casualties among some people. Before the beginning of the chess game, Pi Ying makes an analogy of comparison between a chess game and war[1]. Just like a war, one cannot win a chess game without making sacrifices. Pi Ying slams American hypocrisy and says that people cannot understand the impacts of military action without personally affecting them.
“Manned Missiles” short story also reflects another actual international backdrop during the time the short story was published. The story provides contradicting viewpoints towards the issue of the cold war. The text touches on two-letter that are exchanged between father and sons. The letters had a message that, despite what governments painted about their sons, they were good men and not villains described. The fascinating impact about the fill sis the time it was published. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched a satellite to the earth’s orbit[2]. The satellite was visible to the American eyes, which informed the American that they were aren’t the leading country in the technological domain.
The two stories represent essential moments in the history of interrelations backdrops. America’s communist adversaries are portrayed differently by the two stories. The two stories are published during an era where soviet agents were campaigning to create for community influence. The story “All the King’s Horses” represent the America communist adversaries as the biggest evil against freedom. The story is about an American office who crashes in Asia and taken captive by the territories’ communist guerrilla chief, Pi Ying. The infusion of the cold war paranoia in the started to makes it more reflective of the times America communist adversary. During the cold war that existed after World War II, the Americans soldier engaged in military situations in an accusation that the Russians were spreading communism. The idea of leaders treating people as pawns was common in the 19th and 20th centuries. The concept of using chessboard shows that the king area protests and use the less powerful as shields. The story reflects American society as anti-communist at the time the story was published. The protagonist of the story, Colonel Brian Kelly, understands that he has to sacrifice some of the plays for others to survive[3]. This was the standard American view of communism during the time.
“Manned Missiles” presents the American society conflicts different from the “All the King’s Horses”. The story criticizes the mentality of us vs. them. Therefore the story presents the communist conflicts to exist between the American and the soviets. The story condemns the use of science and technology for military purposed. It is made up two letters from fathers in opposing supper power sides who both lose their sons. Unlike the government that blames each other during the cold wars, they reach out to each other to discuss their son’s matters peacefully. This letter demonstrates people attitude to the use of arms way[4]. In this story, the American and the Russian originated father are portrayed as equals. This novel reveals that people can connect in a brotherhood way despite their countries being at wars.
Drawing from the differences in portraying America’s communist adversaries in the stories, Vonnegut displays antiwar optimism. His antiwar perception is evident in his works, and he also seems to accept that wars inevitable times. It was ironic to have an absence of brotherhood between America and Russia considering their opposing sides during World War II. The author, Kurt Vonnegut, seeks to enlighten the audience on the dangers of political ideologies and the division that is created in a given society through two distinct nationals. The two novels published in 1951 and 1958 ought to bring changes in the perception of the community towards the cold war.
Bibliography
Vonnegut, Kurt. “All the King’s Horses.” Collier’s 11 (1950): 18-19.
Vonnegut, Kurt. “The Manned Missiles.” In Or the convention of the story may be that of a monologue, spoken aloud by one character to another. May I, monsieur, offer my services without running the risk of intruding. 1970.
[1] Vonnegut, Kurt. “All the King’s Horses.” Collier’s 11 (1950): 18-19
[2] Vonnegut, Kurt. “The Manned Missiles.” In Or the convention of the story may be that of a monologue, spoken aloud by one character to another. May I, monsieur, offer my services without running the risk of intruding. 1970.
[3] Vonnegut, Kurt. “All the King’s Horses.” Collier’s 11 (1950): 18-19.
[4] Vonnegut, Kurt. “The Manned Missiles.” In Or the convention of the story may be that of a monologue, spoken aloud by one character to another. May I, monsieur, offer my services without running the risk of intruding. 1970.