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Again, Vonnegut starts
with, "Billy Pilgrim says..." Does this mean Billy is an unreliable
narrator to our narrator?
Vonnegut keeps describing Edgar Derby as the "high school teacher who would eventually be shot." Why does he keep reminding us of that fact?
How could the lumps in the jacket work miracles for him if he didn't question their nature?
"Golgotha sounds" -- anybody have a comment on the source of this allusion? Great phrase...
Isn't it odd to have dartboards and pool tables in a war? Are they included simply as touches of realism or for some other reason?
What are your thoughts on Lazzaro's canine revenge? What about his planned revenge on the Blue Fairy Godmother? What do these things reveal about his character? Should Billy be nervous, or is Lazzaro just a big talker?
Billy dies on 2/13/76, the day before Valentine's Day...is there any other historical significance to that date?
The state of the United States has changed. There are "20 petty nations" instead of one that is united. Chicago has been hit by a hydrogen bomb that was dropped by "angry Chinamen." These things have not actually taken place in history. What is the idea behind these facts? Why does Vonnegut choose this fate for the United States?
What is geodesic? Why is that important?
The flag described is a Hereford bull in a field of green. Anybody read
Animal Farm? Seems to be a similarity between the flags. What is the significance of that?
Death is said to be nothing but violet light and a hum...no one else is there...not even Billy Pilgrim. Kind of depressing and empty.
What does the line drawn in the dirt by the Englishman mean?
What do you make of the fact that the Cinderella boots fit Billy perfectly? Is there any of the Cinderella story in Billy's story?
On page 146 in my book, the Englishman states that nothing in Dresden is worth bombing. If all of the reasons he gives are true, then why was Dresden obliterated by bombs?
Our narrator shows up in Dresden...behind Billy in the boxcar. What significance might there be in his comparing Dresden to Oz?
Since Billy knows that Dresden will be destroyed in the bombing, he takes in the beauty of the city with new eyes. Why is it that people generally don't take in beauty like this until it's too late?
What was the purpose of hiding a denture in the lining of the muff?
Vonnegut keeps describing Edgar Derby as the "high school teacher who would eventually be shot." Why does he keep reminding us of that fact?
How could the lumps in the jacket work miracles for him if he didn't question their nature?
"Golgotha sounds" -- anybody have a comment on the source of this allusion? Great phrase...
Isn't it odd to have dartboards and pool tables in a war? Are they included simply as touches of realism or for some other reason?
What are your thoughts on Lazzaro's canine revenge? What about his planned revenge on the Blue Fairy Godmother? What do these things reveal about his character? Should Billy be nervous, or is Lazzaro just a big talker?
Billy dies on 2/13/76, the day before Valentine's Day...is there any other historical significance to that date?
The state of the United States has changed. There are "20 petty nations" instead of one that is united. Chicago has been hit by a hydrogen bomb that was dropped by "angry Chinamen." These things have not actually taken place in history. What is the idea behind these facts? Why does Vonnegut choose this fate for the United States?
What is geodesic? Why is that important?
The flag described is a Hereford bull in a field of green. Anybody read
Animal Farm? Seems to be a similarity between the flags. What is the significance of that?
Death is said to be nothing but violet light and a hum...no one else is there...not even Billy Pilgrim. Kind of depressing and empty.
What does the line drawn in the dirt by the Englishman mean?
What do you make of the fact that the Cinderella boots fit Billy perfectly? Is there any of the Cinderella story in Billy's story?
On page 146 in my book, the Englishman states that nothing in Dresden is worth bombing. If all of the reasons he gives are true, then why was Dresden obliterated by bombs?
Our narrator shows up in Dresden...behind Billy in the boxcar. What significance might there be in his comparing Dresden to Oz?
Since Billy knows that Dresden will be destroyed in the bombing, he takes in the beauty of the city with new eyes. Why is it that people generally don't take in beauty like this until it's too late?
What was the purpose of hiding a denture in the lining of the muff?
94 comments:
Vonnegut cleverly chooses to refer to Derby as the teacher to be shot to remind us that we know this man's fate. It is a specific way of keeping us from becoming attached to any and all characters because we know already where they will end up in their life. Lazzaro on the other hand, has no emotional foothold by any means though. Lazzaro will one day send a man to find the Blue Fairy Godmother and kill him, and he claims this for many others. Personally I believe that this is all just big talk and that the anger will die off but according to Billy having seen the rest of his life this is no such thing. The fact that Lazzaro does forget the name until he reads about Billy in a local paper does support my point of which that he does not hold onto his anger long enough to order the hits unless reminded of past promises.
Vonnegut paints an empty portrait of death being the exact opposite of what everyone hopes for it to be: There are no deceased family members, God, heaven, reincarnation, nothing. Just nothing. This description of death goes against just about everything we have been told, and instills deep fear within us. This fear is what Vonnegut wants us to realize. No one wants to die, or should suffer death, especially an early one at the hands of war. Vonnegut succeeded in dissolving all the sugar coating around death as well, showing us that there is no honor and glory in dying, just nothingness. Thus the military men, who die in war, die for nothing, and into nothing.
On February 13, 1976 General Murtala Mohammed of Nigeria was assassinated. I thought it was mildly coincidental that Billy was assassinated on the same day as someone else. Taxi Driver was release that years, and on that day Gerald Ford was giving his 26th press conference. Not much going on that day besides the assassination of the Nigerian General. I then looked at 1876 and found that Alexander Graham Bell was applying for a patent for the telephone. The only year I could think of that had an important ’76 date on it was 1776 when the Declaration was signed. I also looked up when Slaughterhouse-five was published (1969) and now I find it really eerie that someone was actually assassinated on that date. Because the book was published before the date, I don’t think anything could be considered special about the date with connection to the book.
Paul Lizzaro reinforces my previous comment about perspective changing our views of the world. If we only get one perspective on a situation, we tend to be very close-minded. Lizzaro proves this point with his philosophy on revenge.
(continued) His philosophy is that he won't harm anyone if they don't directly harm him. He mentioned that when Dresden was bombed, he didn't feel any hostility towards the Germans despite how large this massacre was. He would only harm an individual if they were to harm him first. Although he claims this philosophy allows the innocent bystanders to avoid harm, it doesn't come off as beneficial. Lazzaro is a very close-minded person.
People generally don't take in beauty until it's gone because there is a sense in the world that buildings, landscapes, and views are permanent; however, most things in life are temporary and it is hard for people to accept that. There is a popular quote, "You don't know what you have until it's gone," and that is completely true. Most humans don't like change and the fact that at any given time some catastrophic event could happen is scary. Being in the mindset that buildings, cities, and nature are permanent, unable to be destroyed, is a more comforting thought for people. If humans actively recognized that most things in life are temporary, I think more people would recognize the beauty in their life while it was still there, rather than realizing the beauty after it is too late. Also, I think there is the underlying fact that people don't like being told that they cannot have something or that something is gone. If someone told you that you couldn't watch TV anymore, you would most likely want to watch TV even more and would recognize how nice it was to be able to watch TV. Similarly, when Dresden was destroyed, people began to realize the beauty that had been there all along once they could no longer enjoy the beauty of Dresden in person.
The line drawn in the dirt represents the division between the Americans and the English. The Americans are not to cross the line both figuratively and literally, or there would be consequences. The Englishmen had been living it up in the prison compound and did not want the Americans to mess anything up. I also think Vonnegut was eluding to the fact that even though both the Americans and the Englishmen were prisoners of war and were against the Nazis, that there were still clear divisions. In the book, Vonnegut wrote that "Billy and Lazzaro and Derby didn't have to ask what the line meant. It was a familiar symbol from childhood." I think Vonnegut was trying to emphasize the childish tendencies in drawing a line to divide up the compound. I think the Englishmen were afraid that the new Americans could be a threat and setting up boundaries was a safe way to maintain peace and distance.
I think it’s funny that the Cinderella shoes fit Billy perfectly. It brings light to the fact that Billy has been through all these unlucky situations and comes out alive each time, Such as the almost drowning, the plane crash, and the bombing of Dresden, just like Cinderella was put through horrible conditions in her home life and came out alive. Also, the obsession with time. For Cinderella has to be home by midnight or her magic will wear off. This limits her. If only she were Tralfamadorian…
Billy travels through time so he is not as bound by it, but still, that is a major theme in this story just like it is in Cinderella’s. I would also like to point out that if Cinderella went around telling everyone that her Fairy Godmother bippity boppity booed her mice to horses and her pumpkin to a carriage they would think she was crazy. Just like how people think Billy is crazy for his alien stories.
If I ever had to classify someone as being scum of the earth, I might site Lazzaro as the perfect example. To me, Lazzaro is a coward. He tries to scare people by telling them that one day he will get his revenge but the story he uses to scare them is of him killing a defenseless animal. Cruelly killing a defenseless animal. Then when he explains how he would get his revenge on people in the future, he isn't even the one at the door ready to pull the trigger. Lazzaro plans on hiring someone else to do his dirty work. It doesn't even add up. Lazzaro is just a meaningless man who wants to feel important and uses violence and threats of violence to do so. That does not mean that his threats are empty though. He's the kind of person that would do something just because someone else didn't believe that he would.
Vonnegut decides to choose this direction because he sees the United States as a country that is already breaking apart whether it be because of politics or religion. Vonnegut has already showed that he doesn’t seem to lil the “human way” with the barca lounge chair reference. He also thinks that communist will still be the enemy because of the angry Chinamen reference. This also fits with why Dresden was bombed. The United States bombed it because they wanted to put the nail in Germany’s coffin and wanted to show there dominance. I think this could fit in with how the government split. The United States wanted to keep showing power, and eventually was overpowered themselves, this leading to a Hunger Games scenario where the country split.
Billy dies on February 13th, 1976. Thirty-one years before, Dresden was destroyed by bombs, and Billy witnessed it all. The question is, does the city resemble Billy as a person? I feel that the pool tables and dartboards are there to help the soldiers relieve the stress that they may feel. Billy takes in the beauty of Dresden, while other people ignore it. We often take for granted the simple things in life until they are taken away from us.
Golgotha, according to the bible, is the hill that Jesus was crucified on. Golgotha supposedly means "place of the skull", or Calvary. When Vonnegut says "Golgotha sounds", it probably refers to the sounds of nails and hammers as the soldiers build a new latrine. I find it funny that Vonnegut would compare the sound of building a toilet to the sound of setting up an execution.
There are "twenty petty nations",
and Chicago is hit by a hydrogen
bomb dropped by angry Chinamen. The main idea, I believe, behind such predictions stems in the inability for the United States to play nice with itself, as well as others. Vonnegut chose this fate for the United States because it seemed almost natural. When "Slaughterhouse Five" was published (1969), U.S and China's relationship had greatly deteriorated because of U.S's containment policy against communism. After an international embargo on Chinese trade, China was angered by the blow its economy took, and it turned to Soviet Russia as an ally. Not only that, but the U.S seemed to be falling apart from the inside as well, because many people were being arrested and accused as communist spies.
The story of Cinderella is one of a beautiful girl who was abused by her stepmother and sisters, forced to work her life away without being shown any compassion. Like Cinderella, Billy has live the same kind of life but more extreme. He was a soldier of war and was shown very little compassion from the people around him. As most people know, in the end of Cinderella she is able to go to the grand ball with the help of her fairy godmothers. With her gown and her glass slippers she has a grand time at the ball and in the end finds her prince and lives happily ever after. I wouldn’t quite say that Billy gets his happily ever after, but with the help of the nurse aka “blue fairy godmother” he recovers from his injuries and is able to make the track to Dresden. Before the big comune Billy wraps himself in the curtain and slips on the Cinderella boots he had found under the throne in the theatre. This foreshadows the life Billy will leave in Dresden. Compared to where he was before, Dresden was his grand ball, it has plenty of manufacture goods, cigarettes galore and even medication. At this time Billy had finally was somewhere that was like a actual home.
Lazzaro seems like a fool who wants to get back at the world for his bad life. I find Lazzaro’s threats funny. Lazzaro had his arm broken because he was stealing cigarettes. Lazzaro complains about people messing with him, yet he started the problem. Also when the Englishman shows compassion by asking how Lazzaro is, Lazzaro threatens him. I also find it humorous that Lazzaro wants to kill Billy for no reason. Billy had done nothing to Lazzaro and Lazzaro hates Billy because another soldier claimed Billy got him killed. Lazzaro met Weary on the train watched him die. I believe Billy has nothing to worry about. Lazzaro is a small guy who pretends to be tough by making threats. However, apparently Billy is assassinated still. Maybe that was a coincidence, or Lazzaro did carry out his revenge.
People don't take in beauty until it's too late because they don't have a reason to doubt that it won't be there tomorrow. It reminds me of the poem Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost. In the poem he says that things that are most beautiful have the least longevity. A lot of people are too focused on things in life that seem important one day but will change the next. The fact that Billy looked around with a new point of view when looking at Dresden for the last time is really great, but he also didn't appreciate Dresden in the years before.
The most repulsive part about this entire novel, so far, is when Lazzaro gives the dog a steak with pieces of metal in it. It was sickening to even read, to be honest. I couldn't imagine how awful something like that would feel. After I read that, I no longer liked Lazzaro. I was undecided before but that made my decision very clear. So cruel! Lazzaro has a very twisted way of viewing things and has no guilt in it at all. When he says the sweetest thing in life is revenge it just made me think that he never really had someone to truly care for him. He missed out on that part of life.
I think that Lazzaro is scared that people will see him as the small man that he is, so he makes up crazy stories just to make himself look more "manly." In all reality, Lazzaro just makes himself look like an idiot. I agree with Rachel about him feeding the dog a steak with metal in it. It really disdurbs me that he would even think of doing that, whether he really did it or not. It bothers me more when people hurt animals than humans because at least humans have a chance to fight back. Domesticated animals are so dependent on humans; they are like children. It really bothers me when humans think they are better than animals and can do whatever they want to them just because we were born smarter and with more capability to do cruel things. I think that Lazzaro feels threatened by people so he takes it out on animals because those are the only creatures that he is strong enough and smart enough to take advantage of. If I were Billy I wouldn't be worried because Lazzaro seems like he is all talk.
Billy takes in the beauty of the city because he knows that it will soon be gone. He wants to enjoy it while he can. The reason people don't look at it so closely and realize the beauty of it is because they don't expect for it to all be gone one day, along with themselves. The city may not necessarily be all that beautiful, but when you lose something, you begin to miss it and see the true beauty of what you have lost. The people who live in Dresden expect to live their full lives there and watch their kids and eventual grand kids grow up. They don't expect to lose everything they have. Billy however already knows what is going to happen to the city, so he wants to look closely and enjoy it while he can knowing it will all be gone soon.
I believe we’re constantly reminded about “the high school teacher that will eventually be shot” because it reinforces the fact that the people fighting in this war are civilians. None of them are trained in warfare and many innocent people died because of the war. Billy’s death date is ironic because 2/13/45 is the date Dresden was firebombed and he dies exactly 31 years later. I think everyone takes certain things for granted, and regrets it once it’s gone. I was talking to my aunt who lives in Colorado and she said she sometimes doesn’t even notice the mountains in the background anymore because she sees them 100 times a day. She didn’t appreciate their beauty anymore like I did because she lives there. I was taken back a little bit because I thought they looked gorgeous and I couldn’t even imagine not appreciating them every day! I bet she would take in their beauty a little bit more if she knew they would soon be gone.
February 13th is a significant date in Billy's life. Not only does he die on that day, but it is also the day that bombers are dispatched in Dresden to perform an aerial attack. I thought the geodesic dome was an interesting link between the Tralfamadorians and Billy's death. When the narrator compares Dresden to Oz, he does it to show how the city was completely different than anything they had ever seen before. It was a mystery to them. I believe that people generally don’t take in this beauty while they can because they are always so focused on the future. People don't live thinking they will die soon, many of us feel that we will live forever so we miss out on a lot of experiences. At the end of the chapter, I was elated to come across the connection between the title of the book and Dresden. The question that presents itself to me is, will the soldiers be slaughtered, like pre-mortem pigs, in their new home?
Now I can see why Lazzaro and Weary were friends. They both were so obsessed with the idea of torture and revenge. I remember earlier in the novel when Weary would discuss his malicious and cruel idea of torture and how he was so obsessed with it while Lazzaro combined the idea of torture and revenge by plotting the deaths of those he believed did him wrong. I also believe Billy is a similar character to Cinderella because they both share similar features and experiences. They both were the outcast that nobody really had faith in or believed could prosper in life. You have Cinderella who is only acknowledged as a maid to her stepmother & stepsisters and is never given the benefit of the doubt until she captures the heart of her Prince. And then there is Billy, an individual who most find as weak and useless even though nobody realizes he has a special gift of time traveling and is able to have an insight on life from another species point of view.
People generally don't take in beauty of something until it's too late because many humans think it's an everyday thing. People don't think about the future that much, they think that same tree or that same sunset will be around forever. But the truth is, nothing is permanent. You never realize how long something will last. No one knows when their last day is or when a hurricane could knock a whole city down, or in this case a bombing. When people see something everyday they don't appreciate it's beauty as much because they think it will just be there again tomorrow. I use to live in Florida and never appreciated the beach as much because it was always there but when I moved up to Michigan I never got the beach anymore. I love the beach and appreciate the beauty of it every time I get to visit it now.
Vonnegut refers to Derby as the teacher to be shot to remind the reader that we know his fate. It prevents the reader from having hopes for him in the future. I enjoy reading about Billy and his situations, he always manages to stay alive and make it out okay. Lazaro takes all his frustrations out on the world. He blames all his problems on everyone but himself. Lazaro likes to play the poor me card, he starts problems then when people react he gets upset even though he started it. Lazaro is very silly and dumb. He has a view on life that if he tells manly stories then he must be a man. Others see him or may be starting to see him as the little man he is. People don't generally take in the beauty of something until it's too late because many humans are to caught up in their own everyday lives to notice.
Lazzaro's revenge on the dog that bit him really upset me. It was shocking and it was graphically described. I can handle people dying but when dogs too, it's 42382938 times more sad. I think Billy should be nervous about Lazzaro, because a lot of serial killers are known to have tortured and killed animals before they killed people.
I think because Dresden was so open and unprotected is why it was bombed. The Englishmen were probably up to something and didn't want the Americans to worry. Billy thought Dresden was beautiful and appreciated it more because he knew what was going to happen soon. People don't take beauty in until it's too late because we never truly appreciate things until we don't have them, much like family and friends in our life.
I think Vonnegut refers to Derby as the "high school teacher who would eventually be shot" because if not, the reader would become too attached. Obviously a reoccurring theme in books is to have the reader connect with a character and then they die. And the reader is heartbroken. If you accept early on and are continuously reminded that he dies, it's not as bad. If Vonnegut wouldn't have included this, I probably would've rooted for Edgar Derby. He's basically the only one in the group that has determination, wisdom, any leadership skills, and compassion. Derby is probably one of the people that I would like to see die the least, just because he has stuck around through most of the novel and has helped the main character progress. But it's kind of expected; in the beginning, it's pretty evident that most of the people in this book die...
It is apparent to me that Lazzero and I would never be friends. After reading how he took revenge on the dog by tearing him apart from the inside out, I –to put it simply– hated Lazzero. He is an evil man who probably deserved to get bit in the first place. Also, it doesn't surprise me that Lazzero wishes to kill the Blue Fairy Godmother after the war because after all he does state that revenge is his favorite thing. However, I am surprised that he would make open threats, whether real or fake, when he is in fact a prisoner and could easily be killed himself. As to if either the Blue Fairy Godmother or Billy should be nervous that Lazzero will carry out his threats, I do not know that answer. I think he is just a big talker who thinks the only solution in life is violence, but then again, Billy does say that he is eventually killed by Lazzero. Speaking of Billy's death, he dies on the anniversary of the Dresden bombing, which I found rather ironic. He lived through one of the worst bombings to date, only to still die on that same day years later supposedly by being shot by another Dresden survivor. A rather sad way to die I'd say.
Vonnegut refers to Edgar Derby as the "high school teacher who will eventually be shot" to inform the reader that his destiny is predetermined. It also means that Derby does not get the opportunity that Billy is given: to have free will. Going off of what Tyler said in the first comment, I think Vonnegut does this in order to keep the reader from becoming too attached. You can see him trying to desensitize through the many instances where he ends an explanation about death with a "So it goes." Maybe Vonnegut repeating that Derby will eventually be shot is another way he is trying to desensitize the reader.
I think it is very "fitting" that the boot would fit Billy perfectly. Both Cinderella and Billy were not appreciated for all the hard work they did whether it was cleaning the cinders from the chimney or fighting in a war. Cinderella's dream was to go to the ball to dance with the prince and that dream was accomplished with the help of her Fairy Godmother. Billy's dream, I assume, is to have a place to escape. Kilgore Trout helped Billy find his escape and that is why I associate Trout as being Billy's Fairy Godmother.
Again, religion is playing a huge role in this novel in this chapter. I inferred that from the book starting out with a quote from “Away In A Manger” that this book would focus a lot on religion, and religion would play a big part in this novel. In this chapter especially, we see a lot of that happening, and religion being used quite often as a reference. Geodesic is a form of differential geometry. It is a generalization of the notion of a straight line to curved spaces. I am kind of confused by this term, even though math is my favorite subject. It also says that this term “geodesic” comes from geodesy, which is the science of measuring the size and shape of the Earth. That might have something to do with the book too. I don’t like how they say death is just a violet light and a hum and nobody is there. That is very sad and depressing. People don’t realize beauty until it’s too late because you don’t realize what you have until it is gone. When someone or something is in your life, you don’t realize its beauty and importance. You just take it for granted. But then when it’s gone, you realize all the good things about it and want it back, even though it’s already too late.
I was fairly disgusted by Lazzaro's revenge story. It was only a dog that didn't know any better than to be wary of someone it didn't know. I think Lazzaro is so extreme about his revenge because he is small and weak and wouldn't be able to do anything directly, he would have to wait and be sneaky or send someone unknowingly to do it for him. Also completely unnecessary, mainly to make himself seem like something he is not. The future of the United States was inspired I think by the cold war, and China being communist. Perhaps America lost a war with China and then was split up to dissolve the country. The flag being similar to the one from Animal Farm makes me think this communist theory is correct as wee.
My thoughts on Lazzaro and his idea of "sweet revenge" are that he is a sick and twisted man. First of all, I love dogs and I believe that yes, animals can be vicious, but they are also not able to defend themselves. Being an animal lover, I was fairly disgusted by the revenge that Lazzaro took on the dog that bit him. It was so gruesome and cruel, cutting up sharp pieces of coil and putting them in a seemingly harmless steak! His planned revenge on the Blue Fairy Godmother seems a bit ridiculous to me. Sure, he broke Lazzaro's arm, but shooting him in his "pecker" and then in the gut seems a little bit over the top. I think Billy should be nervous, as it seems that Lazzaro was the one who arranged Billy's death in the end, but I also think Lazzaro is a big talker. He himself is rarely ever involved in the revenge, he said himself that he hires assassins to do the killing. Billy should definitely be cautious, but overall Lazzaro is just a messed up character. Revenge is not as sweet as he makes it sound.
For the most part, people ignore their surroundings until it’s too late because in most societies people are glued to their watches—trying to keep time, watching their cell phones—waiting for that one text message or phone call. This was even true before the invention of the cell phone. People have always been rushed, and probably always will be. People always need to get to their next adventure or appointment and there is absolutely no way that they can be late—even if only by a few minutes. With that being said, since Billy knows about the impending bombing of Dresden, regardless of whether or not there is anything worthwhile to bomb, he takes special note of his surroundings, even the little things. He notices the beautiful architecture, the wonderful setting, all of those things that everyone else just tosses aside as something to worry about “later” or “when I have time,” which poses the question, When is later? How much time do we have? When, if ever, will I have time?
Billy is a wise person, his ability to time travel made him as wise as he is. He knows what is going to happen in his life, when it will happen, and how it will happen. Billy knows that Dresden will be destroyed in a bombing, he keeps this to himself because he believes that time should take its destined course. He takes the time to see the true beauty of Dresden because he knows that one day, it won't be there anymore. People often take advantage of what they have and don't see the true value of something until it's taken away. Billy is one of the few that knows better.
Wow Gwen had a rather bone-chilling point on explaining Vonnegut's view on death. Nothing. a very persuasive way to instill fear based on the fact that everything we do and we were will just cease to exist the second we die. But as Vonnegut may have taken away the perception of glory in death I believe if you die saving lives or doing some heroic deed that I can't think of it is honorable. Those who lived because of you will bring honor to your name. Sure you won't be able to experience it yourself but in the end what really lives on, you or what people remember of you? I am not sure what others believe, but I certainly can say people in our military or who used to be in our military never died for nothing. Without winning a few wars and putting a dominant foot down eventually we will all probably be blown up. they at least work to postpone that for all of us. Vonnegut does like to include his beliefs to cause religious unrest though with his readers. I like that about him.
I think Lazzaro is a very cruel, twisted man. His idea of revenge is to make someone suffer then kill them. His story of how he "took revenge" on the dog that bit him was appalling and me think even less of Lazzaro as a person. Lazzaro is all bark and no bite, he comes up with these wild stories of revenge when he instigated most of the quarrels. He is a coward because he threatens people but then gets others to take care of his dirty work. I don't think Billy should be nervous of Lazzaro, but of his ideas and whoever he will hire to kill him.
Vonnegut refers to Derby somewhat as foreshadowing, but we already know what will happen to him and he is just reminding us. Death is portrayed as nothingness to take all the sugarcoating away. Although most people are afraid of dying, they view it as his extravagant thing and think that there is so much to it, when there is not. Taking away all religious beliefs, or thoughts of any afterlife, death is just nothing. Some refer to it as "the stopping of existence". Back to what Gwen said, this brings us fear because we all like to believe that we will always exist, and something happens to us after death. Because if we just stop existing, where do we go?
Vonnegut stating “Billy says…” yet again is a clear sign that perhaps we should not trust Billy. I do not believe that Vonnegut trusts Billy’s thoughts and telling of the war, so why should we as readers? It is obvious that Billy is suffering from some mental disorder, so any fact or even opinion that comes from Billy has a chance of being unreliable. Having an unreliable narrator is difficult because my first instinct when I read a book is to immediately connect to the main character because I have an inside look at their thoughts and morals. With Slaughterhouse-Five, I cannot connect as easily to Billy because part of me thinks he is a complete whack job and I really don’t believe his stories of time travel. We don’t know if what Billy is relaying to us is true information and for me it is very difficult to trust a character completely if I cannot believe their words and actions. I think Vonnegut telling us “Billy says…” is a way to warn us to be wary of Billy’s tales and to tell us that Billy’s reality and our reality may not be the same.
The purpose of hiding a denture in the cuff of the jacket was so that the owner wouldn't have her valuables stolen by her Nazi guards or by other prisoners of the camp. When new prisoners arrived at the concentration camp, before they were put to death, they were striped off their clothes, valuable, and even their hair. It was common to be checked for valuable gold or other types of fillings and dentures, and officials would often pull them straight from their head. She must have sown it in before she left the ghetto, and was chosen to be murdered in the gas chamber leaving Billy to inherit her nicest coat and the only money left to her name. This woman thought foolishly that she was going to be able to live through the camp and come out with her hidden treasure, which unfortunately, was not the case for her and millions of others like her.
I believe that we are so used to things being the way they are, not thinking of what they could become. It's really a shame that once something is lost, people see it with "new eyes". Almost like when you see an old dog being put down. Quite depressing, but I feel it's an appropriate comparison. At that moment, you just see a grumpy old dog. No old dog wants to be in a Vet's office. They may be worn and gray, sagging eyes, dragging their paws, shedding their fur. But it is at that moment, when you realize that dog will no longer be in a family's life anymore. The change is setting in, and you view everything more sensibly. The dog was once a puppy, full of life and free. The city of Dresden had not been so demolished before until then. It was once young and full of life, as the old dog. Smart and cultured with architecture and art. Now, all that is going to ruins, along with fellow soldiers. How was billy supposed to know all of that? Too late now, so all he has now is too see it for how it really was.
Death being described as a violet light and a hum is pretty depressing, but I believe it is described like this because of Billy's view of death. According to Billy Pilgrim and the Tralfamadorians people never really die so it makes sense that no one is there. Death is nothing because people only appear to die but are very much alive in the past, according to what Billy learned while on Tralfamadore. In the book Billy experienced death for a while then swung back into life again. It seems that Billy is more knocked out than dead. Violet to me is calm and relaxing but also cold and deep. Which seems to me like a pretty good description for death.
Vonnegut describes death a great deal in that it is the opposite of what everyone thinks that it will be. He does not believe in religion, none of that. This puts deep fear into us because everything that we’ve been told he believes is a lie, and makes us very uncomfortable. Next, Lazarro is one of the most sickening people in the novel. He often distorts his stories and himself to make him seem more manly and dominant. Lazzaro is a coward and a fool because he starts all of the problems but yet he blames it on other people and thinks it is funny. He is almost like the older brother of the group of characters from the novel. What sickened me the most and made me think from then on that he was a scumbag was when he gave the dog steak after he put metal pieces in it.
Try number two!
Vonnegut, in my opinion, describes Edgar Derby and keeps referring to him as "the high school teacher who would eventually be shot" to spare his readers from getting emotionally attached to him as a character, How sweet of him! Haha
As humans we never take in what we can when we have the change. We're always too wrapped up in what's next, who is next. Next hour, next week, next year, next ten. Nextnextnext. Moremoremore. We're greedy creatures. We never adore and appreciate what we've got until it's gone, until it's too late. Then, while we're in the moment, we're stuck in the past, wishing we held onto what we could have, took in all that was around us. The smell, the lighting, the people.
I like that Vonnegut is still making it sound like he doubts what Pilgrim is saying is the truth. I don’t necessarily think that Vonnegut thinks he is unreliable he just knows that Pilgrim will and does have a different point of view and that Billy thinks that what he is saying is the actual truth he believes that every single thing he “remembers” or time travels to is exactly what has happened in his past. I think that is true for any person though, maybe not to the extremes that Billy is going to, but someone might say something that may have happened, some details have been changed, not intentionally, but as time goes on your past becomes a blur. Billy obviously already knows what day he is going to be killed because of time travel and I don’t think Billy has anything to worry about being killed by Lazzaro because his entire life he hasn’t wanted to be alive so with someone threatening to kill him he might finally have his idea about not living anymore fulfilled. If Billy had more of a will to be alive I think he might have more fear or go into hiding or something along those lines, but he didn’t seem to be to affected by Lazzaro’s threats.
It is weird to think that the day Billy is shot and killed by the laser gun and killed is the same day that the firebombing occurred over in Dresden about 31 years previously. It just shows that in a situation when someone is more likely to be killed Billy leaves unscathed, but in a situation where he is giving speech and should be safe he is killed by a laser gun for revenge for something that happened 31 years previous to that day.
Lazzaro is an exact picture of what can happen to a man if he is corrupted. I had mixed feelings about him before this last chapter. I thought at first he was much too gullible to believe Roland Weary and hold a grudge against a man he had never met, however now I see that he is simply a cruel person! The scene of the dog eating the metal in the meat made me want to puke. The idea that a man could be so cruel to an animal makes me literally sick to my stomach. He seemed genuinly impressed with himself, as if tricking a dog into a painful torturous death was in some way a good thing. It made him feel satisfied. However, it made me wish that Lazzaro would not make it out of the war alive. I feel bad to admit that. I should not wish the death of another human, but everyone has their moments of cruelty; moments when they want justice. I guess even wanting Lazzaro to die for what he has done, isn't much (or any) better than Lazzaro's obsession with revenge in the first place. Mine feels much more justified (to me of course) since he is simply a fictional character in a some-what fictional book who killed a fictional dog. So it goes.
"You never know what you have until it's gone."
I believe that this is the truth in most cases. People, to be blunt, take things for granted. Either they just assume that things will be the same if they continue to act as they always have or if they go against the flow, they'll be right in what they do and everything else will be wrong. I think this is why Billy looked at the city in a different light. He knew it would be gone shortly after his arrival, so why not enjoy it?
I also think that maybe because he had spent so much time knowing that it gets bombed, that he always loathed it. He hated the city because it brought bad things. But now that he travels through time and knows it will never truly end for him, he decides to see the beauty in what he had seen so much ugly in before. Billy took the city for granted before, so now, he just took it in and tried to make a different memory of it. He had knew thoughts on it, so he saw it through new eyes.
The city of Oz was an elaborate façade. Its beauty and splendor drew people in, though it was run by lies. Dresden being bombed after the Americans were told that it wouldn't be falls in line with discovering that Oz was run by a man behind a curtain, rather than a great wizard who could grant your wishes with the snap of his fingers. With the knowledge that Dresden would soon be reduced to ashes and smoke and rubble, Billy takes in the city with unclouded, awing eyes. He knows that this will be the last time that anyone sees the city for what it is in all its wartime glory. If I was told that tomorrow would be the last time the sun would rise, you could be darn sure that you would find me out on my lawn, staring up at the sky and soaking in the rays for all they were worth. Simple appreciation.
The United States has so many different cultures and ethnicities, that if something were to happen, we might not all come together and unite against a rising threat such as China. There are many disagreements now within our own country about certain things like same sex marriage or racism. Heck we still have petty fights over who we vote for president and congress etc., who’s to say we won’t come together if a major threat arises. Not everyone agrees with how our government acts in world affairs now we are already divided one certain issues in this country today. It’s only a matter of time until something happens that completely splits the nation into a Second Civil War (if you wish to call it that). We will only stay united if we all come together for the wellbeing of what we believe in as a nation, but if we ever lose sight of that then it could be the end of us.
Anyone else care to share their thoughts on this issue?
Billy died 31 years after the first bombings of Dresden, and it is almost ironic. Here he is surviving the bombings that took place there but then dies may years later on that historical date, oh the irony. Speaking of ironic dates in history, does anyone here have a birthday on a famous date in history or holiday? Just curious to know if anyone does, so if you could please write some of the more interesting ones you found up on this post.
Here’s some of mine, my birthdays is April 4th
1687 - King James II orders his declaration of indulgence read in English churches
1814 - Napoleon abdicates for the first time in favour of his son.
1818 - Congress decided US flag is 13 red & white stripes & 20 stars
1916 - US Senate agrees (82-6) to participate in WW I
1917 - Lenin issues his April Theses calling for Soviets to take power
1945 - Hungary liberated from Nazi occupation (National Day) (I’m of Hungarian decent so this one was interesting)
I think the Englishmen were wise to store up food. Quite frankly I liked them. They liked to keep clean and took pretty good care of the Americans. I wonder if any of the other American soldiers appreciated it considering how awful the Germans have been treating them previously.
Something that I though was strange was how smoothly the bombing of Dresden was written. It might have how I read it but it did seem pretty calm and boring.
At first, I thought Lazzaro was full of it. He was just a big talker. I thought this way because of the way he spoke. He sounded much too cocky to do that stuff. Gettings someone to do his dirty work for him was plausible, but the incident with the dog and being so intent on killing him seemed silly. Actually, it wasn’t until Billy travelled through time again and was giving his speech did I realize Lazzaro was completely serious. Billy knew his death date, how it would happen, and under whose command. Yet, Billy wasn’t nervous. In fact, he was welcoming his death and I believe he learned that from the Tralfamadorians, because a similar concept is in their beliefs. In the previous chapter they explained to Billy that time just was. In example, there was no point in trying to change something like war, because war would happen anyway. I believe Billy took this to heart and learned a lot from the Tralfamadorians and that is why he wasn’t nervous.
i like how billy thinks the diamond and the denture help him get better but only if he doesn't find out what they are i thing that that is so insane of him to believe that they can help him. its almost as if the war has made him want to believe that they will make him better. i don't remember if this was the chapter where he dies. i like that he portrayed death as un-picturesque, and bland the violet light and humming, i nearly cried because he insulted so many people in one or two sentences. i looked up what happens on February 13th in history and i found cholera first appeared in london? spudnik is launched, Dresden is bombed. does that mean that he really died in the bombing of Dresden?
I believe that Billy does not know enough about Lazzaro to not take him seriously. The story he told about the dog and the steak was pretty gruesome. Lying or not, if you can think up a torture method like that, there is obviously something wrong with you. He also keeps talking about how he can have anybody killed after the war is over. I don't care how brave Billy thinks he is or was, this has to be unsettling news for him. Especially when Lazzaro mentioned how his good buddy Weary got killed because of Billy. Now Billy has way different views about death than most Earthlings, but I believe that deep down, he had to be feeling kind of nervous about his impending death after the war.
I think Vonnegut instills fear within us when talking about death. Since I was little death was almost a happy thing because you were 'going to a better place.' You look forward to going to heaven and live your life accordingly to get there. With Billy's death he makes it seem as if you are going no where there is no God, heaven, hell. His death was in no way sugar coated and showed that it was not glorified in any shape or form. It makes you appreciate life a little more because men, and women die everyday fighting and we don't glorify their deaths but will spends months praising a celebrity who didn't die an honorable death.
The description of death in this chapter is very depressing and brings down the mood a lot. In Billy's point of view death is described as a violet light and a hum. I think this is how Billy views death whenever it happens. I also think that people nowadays do take things for granted. Billy shows this by looking at things in a different perspective and he knew I've should enjoy things while they last. This just goes to show that people can't take life for granted and you should be appreciative for what you have.
The Englishmen became fed up with the Americans very quickly. They hated their self-pitying attitudes and lack of appreciation towards their welcoming efforts. They held these sorts of grudges even though they could tell the Americans had been through a lot. Their relationship reminds me of a puppy trying to be friends with a sick old dog. The Englishmen soon realized that it was no use to interact with the Americans. They drew the line after the bathroom issues. The line meant the same thing it does to children. It says this is my side and that’s yours and don’t think for one second that we will tolerate you coming on to our side because we don’t like you.
When Vonnegut starts with "Billy Pilgram says....", he is showing that Billy is an unreliable narrator. Billy narrates his life as If it is pre-determined. Now we know that everything Billy says will happen in the future, won't exactly come true. I thought Lazzaro was an extremely evil person after I read about his canine revenge. After hearing about this Billy would half to on edge after the war. I don't think Billy is scared to die, but I think he would be scared of dying a excruciatingly painful death, similar to the dogs.
I don't think Vonnegut described death as a violet light and hum, to be depressing. Instead I think Vonnegut is describing death as a different stage of life, and it seems that all people are equal. The way Vonnegut describes it, there are no people present in death. I think the description of death, implies that those who die have become one with everything. I don't think death is a conscious thing. I think Vonnegut has projected the reader to come to a similar conclusion based on the rest of the experiences regarding the fourth dimension.
"Billy Pilgrim says..." is a red flag that shows how unreliable he is. If I were to walk into class and explain how "Matthew Lezon did..." Everyone would give me strange looks and assume that I was either crazy or joking. It's almost as if he wasn't there. The dartboards and pool tables are probably a way of showing realism and how the people in the war are still humans and not just dogs of war, but that's just an idea. On the topic of events that happened on the day before valentines day, one that stands out is the final peanuts comic strip is released into newspapers a day after the creator dies. I doubt that this was the connection that the author intended, but it is interesting how two things ended.
I am completely disgusted with Lazzaro’s thoughts and actions, as I am sure most of us are. We have discovered his character, yet we continue discovering other sickening things about him. The scene I remember the most, obviously is the one where he describes his actions towards the dog. He explains that the dog bites him, therefore he puts him through torture. Supposedly, dogs, unlike humans do not know what is right from wrong. They cannot control their actions as a person can. We think horribly of Lazzaro because he punishes the dog greatly for something he can’t control.
I find a resemblance between Lazzaro and the dog, with people in war. The people could resemble either the dog or Lazzaro at times. Previously mentioned, they are in a “Children’s Crusade” the dog and children can be compared because neither is sure what they are doing or why. The people think that war and fighting is the right thing to do because he is told to do so, not remembering that on the other side there are soldiers just like them fighting to keep their families alive. Depending on how you look at it Lazzaro can be compared to cowards in war, who bully those who are weaker. He can also be compared to someone with a government status, who keeps the dog (soldiers) unaware of what damage they are really causing and why.
Golgotha is the place where Jesus was crucified. It's a hill, and it means something like "place of the skull". It's also accurate as to men putting vertical posts in the ground. Crosses were mostly that anyway. It's an interesting allusion.
At first when I read about Paul Lazzaro, I thought he was only a big talker. But Billy did end up dead, and in a manner like Lazzaro described, and in a setting where it would be easy for him to do.
Humans do have an interesting capacity for hindsight. We always lament bad decisions we made in the past, when at the time, we were probably just trying to do the best we could with what we had. If we had knowledge of the outcome, of course we would have done it differently. But we didn't. Billy can sort of get around this with how he perceives the world. We usually don't bother to take in beauty because it seems so unimportant. Only when we realize it's important do we pay attention.
People don’t s generally take in the beauty of things until it’s too late because they think it will always be there. But little do they know that could be the last time they pass that tree in their front yard or even the beauty of the city in Dresden. People take advantage of where they live as well. For the people who live at the beach they just think oh I see this every day I will see it again tomorrow, but for me I don’t live anywhere near a beach and every time we go to Myrtle Beach I savor it as much as I can. I bet those people in Dresden thought that they would see their house again that day that the bomb went off and just thought it was another day because they thought they wouldn't bet bombed because they weren't a threat, but they did and they took advantage of what they had. I was always told live everyday like it’s your last and don’t have regrets, so maybe not taking in the beauty of their home in Dresden was those people’s regrets.
Golgotha is the place where Jesus was crucified. I'm not sure why Vonnegut used such a description for sounds other than painful or laborious. The task seems pretty hard, but it's still a weird allusion.
On February 13th, 1945, the Allies bombed Dresden. I wonder what Vonnegut's reasons were for having Billy die on that date so many years later. He obviously knew he was choosing that date but was it because he wanted more attention on the bombing of Dresden? In the beginning of the novel he talks about how he was going to write a book dedicated to it. Did he think that readers would pick up on the date and realize the connection?
Vonnegut chose this fate for the United States because around the time he was writing this was the Vietnam War. Many people in that time protested the war and wondered why we were involved. When Vonnegut writes that the US has been divided so it will "never again be a threat to world peace." I think it's because some say the US is nosy, and we often get involved in a country's business but it doesn't need our help. He brought up how Chinamen bombed Chicago probably because we were fighting so many Asian countries at that time.
Lazzaro's canine revenge is kind of insane actually. When a dog had bit him he had devised a plan almost instantly to create a device that would cause more pain to the dog then necessary. His plan for revenge on the Blue Fairy Godmother is quite similar because, like the dog, Lazzaro wants to extend his revenge over a long period of time to where he doesn't see it coming. I personally think this reveals him as a crazy serial killer, but some could say it makes him clever and loyal. The only reason I say loyal is because he always promises to avenge his friend's deaths. Including Roland Weary who was supposedly killed by Billy Pilgrim. Billy shouldn't be worried though because he knows he will die that way since he claims to be a time traveler.
The date February 13th held a lot of importance in this chapter. It was the day that Billy died, and was also the day that the bombers were dispatched in Dresden. In my opinion Billy's death and the Tralfamadorian's were linked by the Geodesic Dome. It fascinated me how the Narrator described Oz. He used Dresden to help show how Oz was a very rare and unique sight. When he talked about this it brought back memories of the many amazing things I've seen in my life and pushed me to think of all the of things I could have missed. It really is quite a shame how much people miss due to laziness and a sheer lack of motivation in their lives. It also made me think of the opportunities where I have been in the face of something beautiful and simply shrugged it off due to a over occupied mind. I think people need to relax and appreciate what they have and what they see and do. Lastly, I feel as if there is some foreshadowing through the title of the book and the fate of the soldiers.
The line drawn in the dirt by the Englishmen means one thing for the most part. It is to tell the Americans not to cross it and say "This is our part of the compound. Stay off of it." The Englishmen have been able to be happy in the war due do the honor and glory they find from war that was discussed in past chapters. Although they are on the same side of the war the Englishmen and Americans are not friends especially in this situation. England and America have obviously had their differences in the past and this of course carries over to the war. All in all, the line drawn in the dirt is used to separate the should be comrades.
It's interesting to see that the Cinderella boots fit Billy perfectly. Cinderella and Billy both have similar stories -- two lone outcasts hoping to escape. While Cinderella has to suffer by being a maid to her abusive stepmother and stepsisters, Billy has to live a life of war. But with the help of her fairy godmother, Cinderella transforms into a beautiful woman with her happy ending. The Cinderella boots fitting Billy could foreshadow the possibility of Billy's happy ending being close by. Perhaps the Tralfamadorians can be considered Billy's fairy godmother in this situation, as they are the only ones who take some sort of interest in his life.
I think that Lazzaro and his "sweet revenge" of giving the dog a steak with pieces of metal in it is absolutely revolting. Having two sweet and loving dogs of my own, I could never imagine harming any dog, especially not in such a cruel way. After reading that, I had immediate dislike for Lazzaro. Only vicious people could stomach to do such a thing. As for death being described as only a violet light and a hum, with no one else there, I do not see that as depressing. To me, those things embody peace and solemnness rather than sadness and depression. Humans spend their whole lives in chaos and madness with people all around, and to me the description of death is just an ending of serenity.
I could kind of guess from the beginning of the book that religion would play an important role. The book began with "Away in a Manger" and in this chapter there are a lot of referrals to religion. Religion is used as examples and as references. Golgatha is the place where Jesus was crucified, also another religious input. It disturbs me when death is described as a hum with violet light and then no one is there. That's a pretty depressing way to pass. I don't think that many people understand how important someone or something is in their lives until it's gone. I have found myself doing this. We take things for granted and never show our appreciation. Then when we don't have it anymore we realize what a mistake that we made. We never know what we have until it's gone. February 2nd is an important date in this novel. It is the day that Billy dies and when the bombers were ordered in Dresden.
This is sort or a continuation of my comment above. I guess I sort or wrote about more than chapter 5. Whoop. I'll try to stay in the chapter this time.
(ʘ‿ʘ✿)friendly reminder that the Romans also made candles out of Christians.
I wouldn't think that it would be cheating. I'll assume here that he really did get kidnapped by aliens and put in a zoo on a different planet. First off I don't think he had a choice. If he didn't please the aliens then they might just rid of him. Why keep him if he does nothing? No one will want to look at him. He won't be interesting. And who knows if they'll ever let him go back to his beloved planet Earth? Its better to just play it safe.
Paul Lazzaro seems to be one cold blooded human being. Although, at first I did just see him as a big talker with his fancy temper tantrum and all his talk about how he could take the president of the United States out if he wanted to. All of my first impressions then changed when Lazzaro thoroughly described spring filled steak slaughter. Next, I was completely shocked when the name of Roland Weary was brought up again. Lazzaro still remembered this death threat he was supposed to take out on our beloved Billy. But of course, he tells Billy not to worry, at least not for another five, ten, fifteen, or twenty years. If I was Billy I would have been horrified at the idea of knowing how I was going to die but not knowing when. Then I realized that Billy does know when he is going to die, and accepts it. Even when he has the power to change this future death, he doesn’t. I feel as though Billy has finally learned and displayed some of the knowledge he has learned from the Tralfamadorians. As I explained in my last blog post, Tralfamadorians learn to accept what the future holds even if it is detrimental. Even though I do not agree with Billy’s decision, he has ultimately accepted his death.
The saying,"you never know what you have until it's gone" comes into play significantly in this particular chapter. Billy takes a few steps back to really take in and appreciate the beauty of Dresden because he knows it will soon be destroyed. I admire Billy for that because too often in life we take things for granted and don't realize how much they mean to us until they're gone. If we had the chance, we would go back in time and pause for a moment to take it all in. Which in this case, however, Billy is actually able to do through time traveling. I feel like with this time traveling Billy is able to do, comes a lot of wisdom because he is able to appreciate things more in his life because he knows they will be gone in the near future. I'm guilty myself of taking things for granted and only truly caring about them when they're no longer apart of my own life.
Of course, the boot fit perfectly. Cinderella received her glass slippers at her lowest place. Pilgrim took shoes and something to keep warm for himself, therefore helping him in a time of need. This is how Billy’s story relates to Cinderella’s. They both hit rock bottom. Cinderella was doing her mother’s laundry, lived in the attic, and sang and sewed with mice to pass the time. Billy Pilgrim was cold and in desperate need for some warmth during the wartime, so much so that he dressed himself in a curtain and stole boots from a play. In time, they were both granted opportunities not given to others. While Cinderella was able to dance the night away with Prince Charming thanks to the fairy godmother, Billy Pilgrim got the chance to escape thanks to Kilgore Trout.
I very strongly believe in the saying "You never know what you have until it's gone." So many people now a days take everyone and everything for granted. We think that that certain person/thing(s) will never leave us, or that we will have a warning before it does. But that is not always the case. Billy on the other hand realizes this and admires and lives in the moment in Dresden. I know I take a lot of people/things for granted and I should start looking at things in Billy's point of view.
Also religion never leaves in this story line. Religion plays a big role in this chapter especially. I thought from the beginning that religion would be a big part since it started out with the "Away in a Manger" quote.
With the help of the Tralfamadorians, Billy is able to have knowledge of "future" events - even though the Tralfamadorians have taught Billy that everything happens altogether. He knew of the Dresden bombing and saw the grand architecture of the city with a different mindset. It takes a lot for people to change. But once we do, we see day-to-day things in new ways. We are creatures of habit and routine. We take things for granted and are often surprised by fresh sight. We wallow in these ruts we call life until something monumental backslaps us into attention. And so on. Our stubborn selves are unable to see the big picture until its too late. While continuing this tangent, I would also like to point out that Billy has the most unusual perception (or a least the oddest of experiences) of the world, and with it, he plainly describes Dresden as a "Sunday school picture of Heaven." It sure shows his simple, innocent childhood. Billy was once a regular little kid with regular little kid dreams.
The lumps in the jacket worked miracles for Billy when he didn't question them by saving him from the consequences of curiosity. Imagine if Billy had torn open the seams and found the denture and the diamond, most likely he would've sat there dumbly looking at them until someone discovered him and took the diamond (I'm guessing that dentures weren't in high demand). Billy's life probably would've ended then and there if he has crossed paths with the greed of Americans. People take things for granted. It is a fact. Like right now I am taking granted of the back that we have a copious amount of S'mores Pop-Tarts in the cupboard, and I might dine upon one tonight absent mindedly, but only when they are gone shall I truly appreciate their crunchy frosting and gooey insides that are made from god-knows-what. It's the way we are because we don't view things as temporary. When I see this Pop-Tart sitting on my desk, I don't think "This Pop-Tart has approximately 3 minutes left of existence" that would be silly. Billy viewed Dresden this way. He viewed it with a timeline with a distinct endpoint, and it urged him to appreciate what he knew would not be there forever.
Lazzaro's way of finding bliss through acts of "sweet revenge" accurately depicts the true horrors capable by spiteful, twisted people. His story about how he brutally murdered a dog by making it eat a blade-filled steak is the first sign of Lazzaro's twisted ways of killing. It also becomes very evident through his plan to kill the "Blue Fairy Godmother" that Lazzaro enjoys a slow, torturous death for his victims. While it would be easy to write off his claims as "big talk", the story of the dog killing makes it seem as though he would do anything in order to fulfill his wishes for revenge. I would say that Billy should be nervous, but Billy has also had a death wish for the longest time. On top of that, Billy truly doesn't fear death; rather, he embraces it. This fact is clearly evident when he does nothing to stop his assassination by Lazzaro on 2/13/76 (which was the anniversary of the Dresden bombing in 1945).
The story of Cinderella has been told for centuries and maybe thousands of years and many of them are very different. The same core characteristics hold true throughout most of them. The fairy godmother or someone watching over, unfortunate life or upbringing, a quick change in luck or fate, and that quick change is triggered by something small. Say a perfectly fitting shoe? Everything else that happens after Billy puts on those silver boots is somewhat positive. He is save in Dresden through the bombing, the war ends, and he gets to go home. But who is the fairy godmother if the silver boots are his glass slippers? The Tralfamadorians?
Vonnegut keeps saying, "Billy Pilgrim says..." at the beginning of each chapter, not because Billy is unreliable, but because, he wants to clarify the source. The more a story is told, the more it is stretched. That's how tall tales are formed. Vonnegut is just trying to keep the story factual, and close to what occurred. So, between that, and coming from
A first had experience, it could be completely distorted. As talked about in another war book, "The Things They Carried," by O'Brian, there's many versions of one story. The what actually happened version, and the version that seems real, because that's what the person saw or felt I'm that moment. I think Vonnegut knows the tales of Billy many not be exactly true to the world, but are true to what Billy experienced, and how he saw and interpreted what was happening.
In chapter 6 we meet the very interesting character of Lazzaro. He chooses to get revenge on a dog by feeding it a steak with metal in it. I think this is one of the most inhumane actions one can take against an animal. His planned revenge on the Blue Fairy Godmother is not much better. Lazzaro is obviously a sick, twisted person who is enjoys getting revenge on animals and humans who don’t even deserve it. I think Billy should be nervous in the least. Then again, Billy didn’t harm Lazzaro in any way personally, and apparently that qualification has to be met for Lazzaro to kill. Who knows? Perhaps Billy is safe for a while. The only definite thing is that Lazzaro is a cruel man with mental problems if he can justify killing another creature.
The only thing that I can find significant about the date of 2/13/76 is that the Nigerian government was overthrown, and General Muhammed was assassinated on that day. I doubt it is coincidence that a military general is killed the same day that Billy was killed.
Personally, I don't believe Billy is an unreliable narrator, he recalls war and tells his story the way he remembers it. War has confused him, made his forget certain information, and caused him both physical and physiological trauma that cannot be reversed. It's funny you mention the Edgar Derby fact, I had mentioned that in my previous comment. When I read about Lazzaro's revenge I was shocked at how violent and disturbing he was. The details about the incident made me cringe and I was not excited about any of his future plans for revenge. Since I have already finished the book, I now know that his threats should not be taken lightly. Billy's comment on death was different, he seems to have an answer for almost everything though. This book explains events and motifs so clearly it's almost impossible to believe as true.
Vonnegut splitting the United States into "20 petty nations" got me thinking about if that really did happen. It makes sense not being a big threat like we are as a huge nation, but flying under the radar as small countries with no power. Everything would be so different but it would also give the already large, powerful nations much more power.
Vonnegut having the Chinese bomb Chicago is not something I expected at all. The novel has taken a lot of unexpected turns that I would have never guessed would happen.
The way people fear death and what comes after is very depressing. Life should be lived in the moment instead of always wondering and being concerned if death is going to be a great heaven or "a violent light and a hum".
Well, to begin with, that is a vague date. 2/13/76 tells us the month, then day, then the last two digits of the year (assuming it's in m/d/yr format and not d/m/yr as in other countries). That leaves centuries of difference. I first went back to the year 1676. The major thing that happened was a total solar eclipse. I don't believe that's too ironic. February 13, 1776, is slightly not interesting. On this date, there was a huge deal with gun powder. Patrick Henry became colonel of the First Virginia battalion in defense of the state's gunpowder supply. Gunpowder George Washington really wanted to get. This makes more sense. Both war settings. Though, I'm still not seeing a huge connection. That day has no big significance in 1876. But, if I went on to 1976, that would make no sense. The book was published in 1969. To this point, all the events were in the past. So as to the date, I have found no correspondence. Though, if I did go to 1976, much did happen. The Nigerian government was overthrown and the head of the country General Murtala Muhammed was killed in during the coup. This could be tied with Billy's death. A death in a more military style. But that doesn't make any sense as it was after the book was published. So, that date has nothing to do with the book in that death.
Vonnegut talks about a split and attacked America. The idea behind this is that America has not tried fixing its problems in any other way than war. I think he chose this fate so that people will think about what we are doing and realize that we cannot just create war and violence to solve our problems. We need to find a better way to cause change. Also, in today's world people don't take in the beauty of the world until it is too late, because we are always so wrapped up in what is happening and what we are doing. We never just stop and look at things or the world, or life for that matter, and see how wonderful and amazing everything is. This is getting much worse as technology continues to consume our lives.
As I’m reading the book I keep going back to is Billy’s last name Pilgrim. In our history our Pilgrims were the Protestants that came over on the Mayflower. But the world Pilgrim means traveler who is on an journey to a holy place. It wasn't till now I finally made the connection between his last name and Billy's journey to the Tralfamadorians to him was a new holy place. In chapter 5 he even said he likes being there because there wasn't much left he had to live for back on Earth. This was very similar to our own Pilgrims, who come out a unforscene journey across a wide ocean to a new world to find a place where they could practice their religion without persecution. I know it probably is little too late to finally be figuring this out but hey it takes me awhile.
I think Billy is unreliable about when he left for Dresden because he was on morphine, but the rest of the story is reliable. He keeps reminding us of Edgar Derby because he was an ordinary guy (high school teacher) and everybody is eventually going to die some way or another. He had a gut feeling that the objects in the jacket would eventually do something good for him, and wanted to save them for that moment. I think that it’s cool that they have pool tables and dartboards for the soldiers to take their minds off the stress and let loose and have some fun. I think Lazzaro is completely insane for killing the dog the way that he did, and being so inhumane. Although some of what he says seems to be just talk, I wouldn’t deny that he has the capabilities to become a serial killer and kill everyone that he promised that he would. Billy dies exactly 31 years after the bombing of Dresden, which was when he should have died. It’s interesting that Cinderella’s boots fit Billy perfectly; that maybe he would have his own Cinderella story with those boots on.
Lazzaro is a unique individual to say the least. His cruel torture of putting sharp metal in a steak and then fed it to a dog was insane. Another thing that I noticed about him was that when he was describing his plan to have his revenge on the Blue fairy godmother, was that it was so organized almost like he has done this before. I don't think Billy should be too concerned about Lazzaro. He doesn't seem like he will be that determined to do this years later.
The narrator has frequently been mentioning this phrase reminding us that the high school teacher will be shot. I think it is a way to keep our minds thinking that he will be shot.
In chapter 6 when Billy was saying that Dresden was the only big city in Germany that has not been bombed. It seemed kinda logical that it would soon be bombed. I mean what enemy would leave one big city untouched because then people would take refuge there. Especially military to discuss battle strategies without having to worry about being bombed. I thought it was really said that poor old Edgar Derby was the one to be executed because he seemed like the kind of man who really didn't actually care about the war but just wanted to go home and keep all the other men safe so they could go home. Also the fact that he was drugged before was terrible because he really didn't even know what was happening to him. The least they would have done is have him be sober and face his death like how he should.
It's really a horrible thing that Lazzaro thinks that the sweetest thing in life is revenge. Then he goes on to say after the war he is going to kill the officer who beat him up. Lazzaro seems like a guy who takes things too far. Like when he gave a dog a steak with pieces of metal and watched it die because it bit him. It's just horrible that while these men are trying to survive the prison some of them are fighting each other.
Vonnegut continues to note that Edgar Derby is going to be shot because the book is about the continuality of death and departure from this life.
War became such a familiar thing to some people and parts of the world that they needed to bring familiar things to it. With battles and death being so real, you could not make it normal without including other normal things.
The similarity in the flags may represent that the people are being treated like animals or are viewing themselves as animals, as backward as this is from Animal Farm
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