Minor characters may not be the center of action or attraction, but novelists can use them to supplement understanding of the characters principals and the thematic purpose of the text. In his novel Slaughterhouse Five, published in 1969, Kurt Vonnegut describes the fragmentation of the protagonist Billy Pilgrim's life as he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder following the brutality witnessed during the war chronology in his satirical novel to consolidate its critical tone towards the glorification of war by institutions and society as it masks the corruption and marginalization of veterans. Toni Morrison, author of The Bluest Eye published a year later, also employs a structure in her fragmented novel to explore the low self-esteem of the African-American community as a result of the oppressive and dominant white ideology in American society, which she calls the "master narrative." It describes the various backgrounds of the characters related to the protagonist Pecola and her eventual madness as she searches for the white ideal of beauty to comment on the distorted and destructive nature of the main narrative. Vonnegut and Morrison both use symbolism and manipulate narrative voice to construct minor characters; where Vonnegut uses the character of Roland Weary to criticize the glorification of war through the corruption of their innocence and empathy, Morrison uses the character of Geraldine to show the discrimination based on colorism that entrenches and furthers the cycle of self-loathing in African American society. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. Both authors of the novels use symbolism and motifs associated with certain characters to demonstrate the failure of their respective societies to support marginalized members. In Slaughterhouse Five, Roland Weary's character exemplifies humanity's desensitization due to war through his association with weapons and pornographic imagery. This is demonstrated in the apparent casualness with which weapons are treated in Roland Weary's family and in the obvious indifference to the horror and pain they cause. Weary's family uses a "working Spanish thumbscrew - like kitchen paperweight", and Vonnegut uses the hyphen to indicate the violent clash in the connotations of these two objects, highlighting that the characters' sense of grief has subsided. Indeed, the imagery suggests that torture weapons have simply been equated with tools rather than implements that cause devastation, and Vonnegut uses the impartial mood to further reinforce the loss of innocence in Weary's minor character. Consequently, Vonnegut uses Weary to symbolize the lack of sensitivity and sympathy perpetuated by institutions such as the government that promote war. The dirty image motif also serves as a reminder of these qualities in Weary and therefore these institutions. The image depicts a woman and a Shetland pony “attempting to have sexual intercourse”, which in itself is a grotesque image and suggests a distorted conception of relationships and intimacy. Although the narrator's tone seems impartial in describing the image, the author's tone is clearly mocking when he states that the photographer claimed that the intention was to "bring Greek mythology alive", suggesting the repugnant immaturity that Vonnegut associates with the Roland Weary's character while playing Billy "admires him" and thus validates the artistry that the photographer perceives. The allusion to Greek mythology suggests the completely irrational human aspiration to this unionof different species and highlights the blurred and weak physical boundaries of society. Therefore, the dirty image motif relating to Weary demonstrates the despicable atrocities such as Dresden which also constituted distorted views of physical harm during war and the void of human sympathy in a society that trivializes war. Although The Bluest Eye is not as satirical as Vonnegut's novel, Morrison employs an ironic and critical tone in the symbolism and imagery related to the character of Geraldine, who is used as a symbol for the entire class of similar women. In doing so, he clearly conveys the distorted ideals of the white master narrative that induce harsh rejection of one's own race and culture, commenting on the failure of American society to support its minorities despite its apparent values ​​of righteousness. Geraldine is described as "sweet and simple as butter cake", which Morrison contrasts with the "nervous, shrill" adjectives used to describe black women without any white heritage and of lower socioeconomic class. The simile incorporates a consonance that implies the pleasant image of women like Geraldine, but the bland adjectives and gustatory imagery highlight their essential lack of vitality and individuality despite her lighter color, physical appearance with attractive connotations through the image of "sugar-brown" . This is in stark relief with the cacophonous yet emotional diction used to describe “Negro” women, and as a result the author shows the distorted perception of superiority that colorism causes within the African American community and the ideal of a status-free of meaning in the community. . This clearly affects Pecola's self-esteem, as her encounter with Geraldine and Maureen furthers her desire to achieve this ideal, resulting in her tragic mental instability, evoking sympathy in readers and therefore a critical attitude towards the imperfect society in the novel. The characters discussed in both novels serve their purpose of social commentary, as minorities struggle against the authorities who dictate their fortunes. Vonnegut and Morrison develop their consideration of the misguided glorification of war and the destructive nature of the master narrative through characters respectively. discussed, especially through the manipulation of the narrative voice. The corruption of innocence in Roland Weary is explored through the focus which often portrays him as a child and exposes his distorted sense of justice, illustrating the ridiculous method and ideals of war. The third-person point of view in free indirect style throughout Slaughterhouse Five is focused when Weary aims to kick his spine, which Vonnegut describes as a "tube" with "important wires" inside it – the objectification and childish diction and simple in the image conveys the childhood perceptions of the characters and indicates that Weary himself does not fully understand the consequences of his actions on Billy's health. Therefore, although Weary retains the naivety of young age, he has lost his innocence, which Vonnegut highlights to lament the glorification of war in society. This is further emphasized when Weary, who as we have seen through the motif of weapons evokes disgust and vulgarity, “dilates” on the “virtue”, “magnanimity” and “undying honor” that he and the scouts upheld in his mind . the focus contributes to the character's passionate imagination through the lexical clustering and hyperbole of the three nouns, creating intense irony as Weary is clearly delusional and has a distorted sense of justice. Vonnegut once again demonstrates his distorted sense of sympathy through focusing on colloquialisms and expletives..