D.P Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

D.P - Essay Example 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 na med 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, â€Å"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 su ch questions. He does not understand why he is targeted as once he asks the nun, â€Å"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. â€Å"Joe, Joe! Look quickly,† said the nun â€Å"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 wh o 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.