Kurt Vonnegut
Chapter 2 (pg. 23- 51)
Through out the first chapter we get to perceive how the narrative will develope, since this initial chapter is a sort of introduction. It does not blend with the rest of the novel, but is Vonneguts way of familiarizing us with the content of the story, as well as describing the role of the narrator, which intended to write about World War II, specifically in Dresden. As we continue reading, we reach chapter two in which the structure of the narrative completely changes when being introduced to new characters, one of them being Billy. Uniquely what really calls our attention is the distinct way in which he is initially described: "Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time." (pg. 23) At first, we dont quite understand what they mean, by that phrase, but when we advance in the reading we get to see, that its a state in which Billy lives, "He is in a constant stage fright, he says, because he never knows what part of his life he is going to have to act next." (pg. 23) Meaning Billy travels through his life, in no determined order, and with no control over it. I sometimes wish live could be like thta, passing through moments and not being stuck in a determined place, specially when they are bad. As the novel continuous we learn more about Billy Pilgrim,and his childhood. He was born in 1922 in New York and graduated from Ilium High School as the third of his class, he later was to serve for the military in the World War II, until returning and continuing his studies, this time as an optometrist. While in the Ilium School Billy meets his future wife with whom years later he has two kids:Barbara and Robert. After reading this we can see that Billy grew up as a normal child, going to school such as we do, serving in the military like most boys have to and returning home specializing in a career and starting a family like most of us intend to do.
We then begin to notice some changes in the novel, since it becomes more dramatic and thrilling. We are told that Billy is the only survivor of a plane crash and that his wife has past away, this is when he abruptly decides to go to New York City and get a radio program devoted to talk were he talks about how he was abducted by aliens in 1967 and taken to the planet of Tralfamadore, a month later he writes a letter to the newspaper about aliens, and the cretures found on this planet. I began to wonder why such an akward subject was being brought ou. Being abducted by aliens? Will that mean something important further on in the story? Barbara, his daughter, afraid that his father has lost his sanity brings him home, but soon her father was writing a second letter about his expirience with aliens. Billy then tells us about the first time he became "unstuck." It was during World War II while he was a chaplains assitance in South Carolina, after the Battle of the Bulge in which a copule of soldiers were left behind, among them Billy, two scouts and Roland Weary. Roland was an insecure man , which dreamed about being a hero an was naive when believing he could be one easily, but most peopel were disgusted by Roland thus he is described as, "...been unpopular becausehe was stupidand fat and mean, and smelled like bacon no matter how much he washed." (pg. 35) What was so peculiar about Ronald was the way he reacted when being ditched.
Billy then again has several time shifts, he travels to when he was a small boy being thrown in a swimming pool by his father, he then journeys to his mother nursuring home, to his son banquet, to a party were he cheats on his wife, and so on, until he returns to the battle were he has been left behind, soon the two scouts decide to ditch them too so Billy and Ronald are left behind. alone. Briefly Billy time travles to the speech of the newly elected president until he elaps back to the war were Ronalds terrifying personality begins to show. Ronald begins to beat up Billy, he was accusing him of breaking the bond between him and the scouts, he begins to torture him drastically, "Billy was down on all fours on the ice and Weary kicked him in the ribs..." (pg.51) Suddenly Ronald realizes that they are surrounded by German soldiers and police dogs, they have been captured!!!
reading the second chapter thousands of questions came running to my mind. I wonder why the author uses such random subjects for his time travel such as aliens, planets and him cheating among other. Perhaps they have a specific purpose. I also wondere. d, why Vonnegut gave such distinct traits to his characters, must they mean something? I also observed a specific trait that made me curious. This interesting characteristic that drew my attention was how he repeatedly wrote: “So it goes” after someone had diseased, for instance, “The plane had crashed on top of Sugarbush Mountain, in Vermont. Everybody was killed but Billy. So it goes.” (pg.25) As well as, “While Billy was recuperating in a hospital in Vermont, his wife died accidently of carbon-monoxide poisoning. So it goes.” (pg.25) I hope that as we continue reading the novel, the meanings for several of my questions begin to be answered.
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Through out
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