D.P. by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Critique - Essay Example

D.P. By Kurt Vonnegut Jr. The short story D.P. by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is a very moving account ofa young boy and is based on the aftermath of the World War 2. The story is written in the setting following the war and focuses upon the lives of young children who have been displaced and are living in an orphanage in Germany and are looked after by the nuns. The scenario of the war and the condition of the orphanage is explained by the fact that the house where these young children are living was basically a gamekeeper’s residence. These children come from different backgrounds and the story focuses upon the life of Joe who is a six year old boy and who is a black. Vonnegut narrates the fact that Joe is teased by his fellows in the orphanage as well as by other people who live in the area surrounding the orphanage. He is a very sweet and innocent young boy who is made aware of his uniqueness by the people who surround him. Joe is misguided by a mechanic who enjoys making fun of him that his father is in the area and he looks like Joe. Joe sets out looking for him and he considers a black soldier sergeant to be his father. He eventually returns to the orphanage but only after he is given hope by the sergeant that he will come back to take Joe with him. The story has a very deep and important meaning and theme. Vonnegut explains the phenomenon of racism and how deep rooted this issue is and he also presents the lives of young children who get displaced by wars and their search for hope and happiness. Joe is a black and he is always made a target by the people of the village where they are taken for walks by the nuns. He is also teased by a boy named Peter in the orphanage who is elder than him and who always keeps on reminding him that he is not a part of this community. This can be seen when Joe states to the nun, “But Peter says I don’t belong here, that I’m not a German and never can be.” This highlights the fact that Peter always tries to make young Joe feel bad. This may be due to the fact that Peter is old enough and he remembers his good times and he has the memories of his family which make him feel worst about his condition. This probably serves as a drive for him to make other children feel the sadness as he does in his life. Joe is also targeted by the people in the village and a mechanic and other people who work in the village usually ask him mocking questions. The mechanic compares him to a world heavy weight champion as he and the villagers considered the champion Joe Louis to be the only known black. Joe is an innocent child and he always questions the nuns as to why they ask him such questions. He does not understand why he is targeted as once he asks the nun, “Why do people smile when they see me, and try to make me sing and talk, and then laugh when I do?” Though he is unable to understand the reason why people behave with him the way they do but he does know that he is different from the other people and he asks the nun about why he does not see other people like him in the village. Joe always tries to find ways to understand about his identity. The nun always tries to raise his spirit. He is a displaced child and she understands the difficulties that he may be coming across. “Joe, Joe! Look quickly,” said the nun “See-up there, in the tree. See the little sparrow with the broken leg. Oh, poor, brave little thing- he still gets around quite well. See him, Joe?” Hop, hop, hippity-hop.” By saying these lines to little John, the nurse tries to raise his spirit and motivate him by giving him the example of a sparrow who is hurt and hence he cannot fly like other birds but still he is brave and facing the situation. In a similar manner, she tries to infuse courage in the little boy so that he does not get disheartened. The story explains the wants and desires of displaced children who try to search for happiness in their lives. When Joe is informed by the mechanic that his father is in town, he truly believes him. When the nun does not let him go and search for his father, he cries and later he runs away from the orphanage to the area of the army camp. All the soldiers surround him and Joe has a strong belief that the sergeant who is a black is his father. He does not wish to leave him. He cries and grips him and he wants to go with him because he considers him to be his only ray of hope and a person who is like him. Joe wishes to be in a place where he truly belongs. The emotions of the child drive the sergeant to promise him that he would come back. It is this love and hope which makes Joe happy and the sergeant’s promise makes him feel that he would one day be able to be with his own people. His content and strong faith in the sergeant can be seen when Joe tells Peter about why he was so sure that the sergeant would take him in the following lines, “Because he cried when he left me,” said Joe simply. “And he promised to take me back across the water as fast as he could.” The story portrays the lives of displaced children and how they search for happiness in little things. Joe smiles and feels happy when he is given chocolate. His desire to have family can be seen when he is not ready to leave the sergeant as he does not want to be alone. The story carries a deep meaning and truly moves the reader. It indicates the innocent lives that are affected due to wars and the families that are torn apart. The children had no role to play in the war but they suffered because of the fighting. They got separated from their families and they could not lead a happy life like many other children of their age. They did not have parents, siblings and most of them did not even know where they came from. A war results in shattered dreams. The account of the little boy Joe is an eye opener and highlights the plight of many other innocent children who get displaced. Hope and dreams are the only ways for the young children to move ahead in their lives. Read More