And We Begin (Chapter 2 Slaughterhouse 5)

The chapter starts out describing Billy Pilgrim's early life and the explanation that he sometimes lives his life in non-sequential order. This chapter continues to have the "so it goes" after death is mentioned trend, but it explains thta it is due to a custom he Learned from the alien culture of the Tralfamadorians, who can see past, present, and future at the same time, so no one really dies. (27) When they see a dead person they just say so it goes, because they are alive in other moments and they will be seen again. I think it's a really cool idea, because no one really dies, and everyone feels the lure of the idea of living forever. This chapter also provides some doubt to the existence of these creatures because Billy suffered an accident, but I don't this that matters so much as what the Tralfamadorians say. Billy is also very relax and inditurbed, on page 30 it says he never gets angry. Billy never expected to see combat, and was veyr unprepared for war, which colors the whoel tone of misery for the scenes in this chapter where Billy and three companions must walk in the snow. I find the character of Rolan Weary interesting too, as he is a bully that is just as lost in the war as Billy, and feels both affection and disgust towards him. On page 38 there is a bit explaining about a graphic crucifix in Billy's bedroom. This bit drew me, but I don't know why, or even its significance in the book. Another example of Billy's ambivalence towards life can be found on page 44, where he talks about how peaceful and beautiful he found drowning before he was rescued. Billy doesn't fear or run from death, he even finds the beauty in it, like the Tralfamadorians. Another interesting part of chapter 44 is Billy's mother asking him how she got so old, a constant source of fear and disgust for humans, but not a problem for Billy, whose non-linear life time lets him from old to young without distress. Another piece of time travel on page 50 shows that Billy has no real choice or control in his, he finds himself speaking before people and finding he has taken speech lessons, all without real conscious thought.