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This chapter reminded me of
this cheesy television show,
Quantum Leap. The premise of the show was that the handsome lead
character would be sent back and forth in time in order to help with one
situation or another. Until the situation was resolved, he was stuck wherever
he landed...but one of the main differences between the show and the novel is that
in the show, he could become other people...so he might be a woman, or he might
be an old man, or he might be African American...that would be even tougher
than Billy Pilgrim trying to figure out what age he was. It's much easier to
act like yourself, no matter what age.
I love the phrase "unstuck in time,"
if for no other reason than it indicates that we are all currently stuck in
time. Interesting to think about.
When relating Billy's situation, the narrator
says, "He says." Does this mean that Billy Pilgrim is unreliable to
the narrator? If the narrator doesn't trust the story, should we?
Billy Pilgrim's father dies in a hunting
accident while Billy is away at war...Billy's wife dies from a random carbon
monoxide accident after Billy survives a tragic airplane crash as the only
survivor. Irony? What do you make of these odd coincidences?
What is significant about Billy's profession?
OK...so you're in New York, you're up late,
and you're listening to talk radio. A man calls in and tells a story about
being abducted by aliens, being put on display in a zoo, and being forced to
breed with a former starlet with the unlikely name of Montana Wildhack...what
is your reaction? What do you think of Billy's story?
So according to the Tralfamadorians, when
someone dies, they are still alive in the past. All moments -- past, present,
future -- have always existed and will always continue to exist. What do you
think of this interesting theory? Is it plausible?
We finally find out the source of "so it
goes." Does it change the way you hear that phrase?
[Note: Gotta love an author who uses the word
"flibbertigibbet."]
vox humana and vox celeste...meanings?
Four survive the Battle of the Bulge: 2
scouts, 1 tank gunner, and 1 chaplain's assistant. Is there any significance to
their jobs?
Everyone on the gun crew was killed except for
Weary...sound familiar?
A Spanish thumbscrew, in case you were
wondering...
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Weary has a sick fascination with torture, don't you think? The Iron Maiden...
What does Weary's version of the war tell you
about Weary as a character?
Why did Billy resent being rescued from the
bottom of the pool?
We get the story of Private Slovik, the only
American soldier shot for cowardice since the Civil War. Why are we told this
story?
When Billy is unstuck in time, why does he
visit his only infidelity? Is there a method to the madness of this time
travel?
The chapter ends with the surreal scene of
Weary beating Pilgrim while Germans watch in wonder...what does the scene
suggest to you about the line between fantasy and reality?
