Family Hour

This chapter is all about families and how altruistic and selfish behavior manifests itself within family groups. A great portion deals with discussing the idea of birth control. It also makes a distinction between child caring and child bearing, to successfully raise offspring animals and people must do both. Every creature tries to find the optimal number of children, which can’t be too few as eventually there, are few in future generations, while too many increases mortality and also leaves less in future generations. It also deals with how siblings try to overthrow their parents’ efforts to keep all of them alive by getting the maximum benefit possible. It also says that smaller families in tougher times are not because the individuals are acting towards helping the groups, but instead are doing so to make sure their children survive. Family planning occurs because families must adapt to the environment to keep their own genes alive, not because they want to preserve the species. This also explains the occurrence of menopause, because the female body realizes that she should dedicate herself to safeguarding the genes she inherited to her grandchildren rather than creating more.

Do You Trust Me?

Chapter six restates that the goal of a gene is to have the maximum amount of copies like it in the gene pool. One such copy behaving altruistically to save ten such copies is an overall selfish act, as the death of the one simply leaves more copies of itself in the world. But then, how do genes recognize each other in order to be altruistic towards each other? One way would be physical markers, like eye or hair color, another could be behavior, such as altruistic behavior which is programmed in the gene (Does that mean that is the basis of the romantic appeal of a hero?) That is the reason the biggest altruism we see is close relative altruism, because parents know a copy of their gene is in their kids. This chapter also deals with trust and the great dilemma creatures face when decide who they can trust and if they should.

You Talkin' To Me?

Chapter 5 explores the idea of aggression. To a survival machine, all survival machines that are not children or close relatives as part of their environment, which means that the genes inside each survival machine instruct them how to best exploit them, and the caution that these other machines will hit back. This means that no matter what species, all survival machines are linked. It goes on to explain why animals kill and also do not kill within their species as there are advantages to both. Once again, altruistic acts are in fact selfish ones as they benefit the individual. This chapter also talks about moralization and demoralization. Animals remember past wins and losses, which means that animals who are “winners” are thus because each win makes a future win likelier, the same is true for losers. This phenomenon is also observed in humans, for example an army, no matter its size or technological ability is also dependent on the moral of its men to lead it to victory. Large and capable armies have lost, being demoralized, while the opposite is also true.

A is for Andromeda

Chapter 4 deals mainly with the evolution of survival machines and the development of the sense (touch hearing sight taste etc) and the brain. It also explains better the role of genes in a survival machine, which is somewhat limited, as they cannot directly influence the brain, so they must pack it with all the knowledge they believe is helpful and neccesary to survive, like a parent teaching a child. Afterward, they must wait and hope that they have done their job right and will be passed along to the next generation. Other meaningful developments which led mainly to the importance of the brain, are things such as memory and simulation.

Coils, Mortal and Otherwise

The title of chapter three alludes to a line in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which refers to the physical as “this mortal coil” which is left behind when we die. It is part of the famous “To be or not to be” speech. This whole chapter delves into DNA, which explains the second meaning of the title, which is a reference to the double helix, which is also called the immortal coil.

One of the main points this chapter makes is that DNA simple acts to survive, and nothing more. All the adaptations are again not due to conscious choice, but natural selection that allows better surviving genes to continue to exist, while wiping out inefficient forms, again without active consciousness. The chapter also stresses that we are all made up of similar genes that adapted us to further their survival. Genes are so concerned with the creation of embryos because these further their survival. One very interesting thing about this chapter is that it explains that genes last much longer than we believe them to be, and little associations of them last for several generations in humans, because they have evolved to be smaller and are not as susceptible to be broke up by crossing over. Meanwhile, other forms like chromosomes only last a single generation.

Two of a Kind

Chapter Two explains the progress of organisms from simple single celled beings to the complex multi celled creations they are now. Dawkins says the reason Darwin’s theory is so popular is that it makes so much sense, while still being simple and acknowledging the fact that we didn’t just spring up from nowhere. The author says that the law of survival of the fittest is more like survival of the most stable, because as soon as something finds a stable form it can survive better and longer. The ones that were “selected” were the stable forms were the others were eliminated. Human existence was a very random chance, but it happened, due to the creation of replicator molecules, which then began to compete with each other, which means they got an outer shell, the basis for cells and from then their competition created more and more complex organisms until making humans. Another important notation is that all that complexity was to safeguard the original genes and perpetuate them, which made replicator copy themselves. It also presents the three things that determine how and how well a thing evolves or is eliminated: longevity, fecundity, and copying-fidelity.

Beginning at the Beginning

I started the Selfish Gene by reading the first introduction, something I highly recommended because Dawkins makes his intent clear and makes sure that certain elements of the book won’t be misconstrued, such as the title and tone of the book, which is merely meant to be emotionally detached because the writing is scientific, not bleak and somber.

Chapter One’s title springs from the childhood question of why we are here. Dawkins believes the first man who objectively answered the question was Charles Darwin with his ideas on evolution. Dawkins’ mentions several people who have misinterpreted Darwin’s theory to mean that people act for the good of the species, rather than the individual. Genes are selfish in the sense that they do all they can to perpetuate themselves, which means that others will not be able to. Even altruistic actions have selfish connotations because they help propagate the gene. The author tells us that we can also overcome these selfish urges is we work to do so because we are not compelled to do what our genes tell us. Reproduction is also defined as< selfish, as it is done to ensure gene survival and consequentially perpetuates the species despite this not being its main object. Survival of the fittest refers to the fittest gene; a gene likelier to survive creates more genes like it if it is selfish. Groups are also selfish, for example one country fighting another to compete for finite resources and be better equipped to survive. Species are also selfish in relation to each other and likely to cooperate simply because they are the same species. Of course, identifying with a group only goes so far, s eventually everyone will fall back on individual selfishness.

A Song Which Isn't Sung At All

(I condensed my two entries into one entry, because I feel it is easier to read as one rather than two entries)

T.S. Eliot's "Love Song" starts with a quote in Italian, which I googled and found to be a quote from Dante's Inferno, where a suffering soul tells Dante his story, because he believes Dante to be dead and thus incapable of telling people on earth of his misdeeds. The man who "writes" the poem, the main character, believes that no one will read or talk of the poem to he may speak freely.

The poem then describes a dreary and dejected midnight scene, with sort of no hope for something better. The whole poem has a sort of sad, gloomy and conformist attitude. The poem doesn't advise questioning life or the order of it, just going with it even when it doesn't make up happy. The line "In the room the women come and go /Talking of Michelangelo" seems to reference women in a bathroom, doing something somewhat disagreeable but talking of high class things like the artist Michelangelo, which makes society sort of hypocritical, with a false air of grandeur. Next Eliot says "The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes, /The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes / Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening" which provides a living animal element to commonplace things like smoke and fog which pervade in the night time, which gives night the sort of uncomfortable feeling of being around a large wild animal, a feeling which seems to be present in cities for Eliot, because smoke would only be a city element, and city lights would turn smoke and fog yellow. It is also covered in soot from several chimneys (also a city element) and falls asleep inside the house, which means the feeling of uneasy found in cities invades even people’s homes, giving them no peace.

“There will be time, there will be time
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;
There will be time to murder and create,
And time for all the works and days of hands
That lift and drop a question on your plate;
Time for you and time for me,
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea.”

This whole paragraph shows the impersonal and difficult nature of city life (which seems to be a central theme in this poem). It shows people use a fake prepared face to deal with other fake faces that hide bad deeds like murder or even a creation that cannot be appreciated because no one shows themselves. It also shows how hurried life is, as in the small amount of time before taking toast and tea, a daily activity, there is time for everything. Self-doubt, due to never being true to yourself in front of others also shows itself in the presence of numerous indecisions, fantasies, and plans that are made and remade. Eliot then repeats the Michelangelo line, which no take son the taint of people having superfluous conversation when doing more personal things rather than be sincere. The speaker continues to show indecision and a desire to be sincere but is at the same time plagued by the opinions of others. He realizes that being more open and honest would change things and society, so he make and breaks those plans in his head, while outwardly doing nothing. He knows people will likely react adversely, and he also sees little value and importance in his own life, belittling it by saying “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons” He also knows that society and people are always watching, he is an insect speared to a corkboard, helpless and powerless to change his situation, even when he has a deep desire to do so. He also feels that trying to change things would be presumptuous of him. He feels so separate form other people that he wishes to be a pair of claws (ragged claws, again he does not appreciate his life) on the floor of the quiet ocean so he doesn’t have to talk falsely and hear others do so, or even encounter others, the whole poem rings with disillusion with modern human society. The speaker doesn’t find peace even in sleep and considers all the possible places to break free, so to speak but everything seems too mundane, such as when eating. He is also, fundamentally to afraid to really act, because he fears that he will be misunderstood or shunned, and that changing will not really be worthwhile. He also repeats that his life is somewhat foolish and ridiculous, by actually calling himself a fool and also saying that he is currently useful in a simply defined role, something that would be possible if he was honest with himself. He is still very concerned with people’s opinions, though he still desires to be free, he sees it impossible for him and everyone else to break out of their dreary lives, because they are afraid and likely unworthy and unimportant. People are free only in their dreams, but they must always return to being trapped in human society.

Billy Meets the Romans (Epictetus 3)

I think the Handbook is really similar to Slaughterhouse 5 in the sense that like the book it talks about the uncontrolable things in life and simply learning to live with them (the whole "So it goes" philosophy). Even family is second to duty in the Handbook, and all that you can control is yourself, which is even more than Billy Pilgrim can do. Death is seen in a similar light, it happens but it is not tragic. Bad things happen but you just keep going, liek with Billy Pilgrim, everything is pretty much all right with Epictetus.

Go With The Flow (Epictetus 2)

6: This aphorism warns against pride and misplaced pride, and reminds people that the only thing they ever truly have is themselves, and that their possessions are not really theirs and can be taken away.

7: Reminds people about duty and the order of thigns, and that one must always make sure that one is in a position to do one's duty instead of just hoping the system will work. One must also know that doing one's duty is not always pleasant, but it must be done.

8: This short little passage is very SF in the sense that it says one should just accept things as they happen and that the only way to be happy is to just conform to events as they happen instead of trying to make events conform to you.

9: This one seems to motivate people out of misery and to show them that thye remain themselves with all their capability and that they should move on without obsessing over it.

10: This aphorism repeats the basic theme of the book, which is thta you learn to live with what happens and learn to stay sharp as it does happen, but without trying to change thing sor making it happen the way on would desire it.

The Analects, After a Fashion (Epictetus 1)

Aphorism 1: This aphorism is very trhuthful in that it says that you should be ready to accept that soemthings cannot change and are not up to you. It reminds that we are not superpowerful or perfect and somethings will always be out of our control.

2: This, like number one, tells people that it is best to simply not get what you want, rather than have horrible thigns happen to you. Horrible thing shappen alone, and we must live without thinking about then, but we can control dissapoinment in not getting what we want by just not wanting it, because we can control that unhappiness.

3: This one reminds us that thigns are impermanent and we must keep them in context, because we must later remember to deal with loss in context.

4: Reminds us that things are not neta and clean because we want them to be, put we can keep ourselves from falling into annoyance or anger just by telling ourselves that it is out of our hands but that we can still accomplish what we set out to do because we control it.

5: This is very SF in ideas, because it says that death is not sad, and to always remember that bad things are out of everyones hands, so we just need to keep going with our lives and not blame anyone.

The End, Sort Of (SF 10)

Like chapter one, this one begins with a narration by Vonnegut. He lists people who have died who I think are important to him, but with that same sort of distant air of death-just-happens. He also goes on to show how different alien points of view must be from ours, and how they wouldn't consider the things we think essential important. They would value Darwin over Jesus, and be curious about golf. (Personally I'd ask if volleyball is meant to be punishment, but that's just me). Vonnegut goes on to say that living eternally doesn't quite appeal to him, but that he understantds the appeal and the happiness that can be found in good moments. Later, the narrative shifts back to Billy, who has to clear the rubble of Dresden with a Maori, which just adds to the feeling of being somewhere as strange and alien as the moon. They soon end up digging up corpses which is a mundane industry to them. The recurring theme of a mustard gas and roses scent is brought up again to say that this is what the bodies smelled of (214). The bodies are so many that they just burn them where they are found, and Edgar Derby's end is told quickly, the way it has been for all the book, he steals a teapot and gets killed for it. No need to get into details, it's just death, and it happens. Spring arrives, the Germans leave, the War ends and Billy goes outside to fidn the wagon he was in during chapter nine, and hears the birds. The end feels like a non-end, but there's really no way to end this book, especially given the way it just all over time. Actually, this is the best end, because, like the Tralfamadorians say, nothing really ends anyway.

Talk Radio (SF Chapter 9)

This chapter starts with Valencia's death, which I find particularly sad because she adores Billy and Billy was simply resigned to having to marry her. Billy's roomate at the hospital is a retired brigadier general, who seems to be an arrogant jerk. He feels absolutely entitled, has had several trophy wives and remarks to the staff that some people should be left to die. He also boast on of my favorites lines in the book, which he says in reference to Billy, "I could carve a better man out of a banana." (184) The general is writing a comprhensive history of the Air Force and his great problem is Dresden, because in America most of it was kept secret. Despite his treating of Billy as an inferior, he later has to acknowledge that Billy was in Dresden, and is probably the most apt to help with his book.

The book flashes back to Dresden, where the war is over and the Russians haven't yet arrived. Bilyl experience a moment of true happiness by basking in the sun. The book then returns to its theme of seemingly unreal real events, where Billy scolded by a German couple as to the state of his horses. Thousands are dead, and people rush to the defense of horses. On page 198 Billy finally explains why everything just all right with him, because every moment is structured a certain way, so everything happens as it must, so everything is just fine.

During Billy's trip to New York he visits an adult bookstore, where the book returns to its cyclical nature. He finds a Kilgore Trout book, magazines dealing with Montana Wildhack, and the dirty picture show to him by Roland Weary in the war. Everything goes on. Weary is dead, but a piece of him is still there and he's still there in the past. Later, on Tralfamadore, Montana proves to really be Billy's soul mate. She recognizes his time travel, and can even tell where he has traveled, and she too has adopted Tralfamadorian ideas. The end of this chapter reveals another important connection, the Serenity prayer is engraved on Montana's locket.

Fire Rains From the Sky (SF Chapter 8)

This chapter begins with the American traitor Howard W. Campbell, who is trying to get the Americans to fight for Germany. He is dressed ridiculously and speaks ridiculously to a group of tired starved men who don't care for a word he says. Derby stands up to him, and the author says thta this is one of the few or only moments in the book when something so theatrical happens, because generally everyone was tired and listless. Eventually they are interrupted by an air-raid siren and they hide in a meat locker. It is the night before the bombing, during which they'll hide in the meat locker, while their guars die because they'd gone home. The book returns to Billy arguing with Barbara who mentions Kilgore Trout, who has become a friend of Billy's. He is prolific, but unsuccessful and also bitter. However his books are very wise as to human nature, its greed and cruelty and superficial distinctions. He also does not consider himself a writer because the world never acknowledged him as such. This chapter also uses the sentence "Somewhere a big dog barked." (168) I know the book has used it more than once before this, but the only time I can clearly remember is when Roland Weary and Billy are captured by Germans. The only other fan to contact Kilgore was Billy's friend from the veterans hospital who complained about Kilgore's prose, who in turn complained about Rosewater's prose.

On page 173, Billy is once again a spectator to his own life. He thinks his life is no mystery to him, as he has always known all of it, but he soon finds himself unknowlingly affected by some "secret" about himself. The secret is, of course, that he is lonely. He has never had true friends, or been truly in love, or truly felt connected to anyone. Trout draws him because he has the potential to understand Billy and his peculiar life experience.

The firebombing makes Dresden llok like one big flame, and the smoke blots out the sun. It is so vicious that "Dresden was like the moon now, nothing but minerals. The stones were hot. Everybody else in the neighborhood was dead." (178) The guards resemble the barbershop quartet that will later make Billy feel terribly sad without knowing why. Montana is the only person Billy has ever connected to, as he seems to really like her, and he tells her about the war without her asking for it specifically, something he denied to his wife when he did. Dresden and its bodies were so foreign, so unreal, they looked like the moon. The destruction was to be so total, that planes later circled to kill anyone moving, because as the book says it would be a flaw in the design "there were to be no moon men at all" (180)

Benedict Arnold Comes to Play (SF Chapter 8)

This chapter begins with the American traitor Howard W. Campbell, who is trying to get the Americans to fight for Germany. He is dressed ridiculously and speaks ridiculously to a group of tired starved men who don't care for a word he says. Derby stands up to him, and the author says thta this is one of the few or only moments in the book when something so theatrical happens, because generally everyone was tired and listless. Eventually they are interrupted by an air-raid siren and they hide in a meat locker. It is the night before the bombing, during which they'll hide in the meat locker, while their guars die because they'd gone home. The book returns to Billy arguing with Barbara who mentions Kilgore Trout, who has become a friend of Billy's. He is prolific, but unsuccessful and also bitter. However his books are very wise as to human nature, its greed and cruelty and superficial distinctions. He also does not consider himself a writer because the world never acknowledged him as such. This chapter also uses the sentence "Somewhere a big dog barked." (168) I know the book has used it more than once before this, but the only time I can clearly remember is when Roland Weary and Billy are captured by Germans. The only other fan to contact Kilgore was Billy's friend from the veterans hospital who complained about Kilgore's prose, who in turn complained about Rosewater's prose.

On page 173, Billy is once again a spectator to his own life. He thinks his life is no mystery to him, as he has always known all of it, but he soon finds himself unknowlingly affected by some "secret" about himself. The secret is, of course, that he is lonely. He has never had true friends, or been truly in love, or truly felt connected to anyone. Trout draws him because he has the potential to understand Billy and his peculiar life experience.

The firebombing makes Dresden llok like one big flame, and the smoke blots out the sun. It is so vicious that "Dresden was like the moon now, nothing but minerals. The stones were hot. Everybody else in the neighborhood was dead." (178) The guards resemble the barbershop quartet that will later make Billy feel terribly sad without knowing why. Montana is the only person Billy has ever connected to, as he seems to really like her, and he tells her about the war without her asking for it specifically, something he denied to his wife when he did. Dresden and its bodies were so foreign, so unreal, they looked like the moon. The destruction was to be so total, that planes later circled to kill anyone moving, because as the book says it would be a flaw in the design "there were to be no moon men at all" (180)

Leaving on a Jet Plane (SF Chapter 7)

This chapter begins by saying that Billy gets on the doomed plane to Vancouver, but says nothing. It laos presents the Tralfamadorian idea that people are just machines, but this isn't meant to be insulting. The mood on the plane is cheery and they even sing songs, which then leads into Billy seeing a Pole hung in Dresden, for the crime of being with a German woman. Ican't help but wonder if they had been together without incident. Billy is again resigned to the crash, and his attitude when he was wandering through Germany is brought up as a parallel. He thinks he is back in World War Two and feels again, indifferent, the chapter even says "Everything was pretty much all right with Billy" even near death experiences hand in hand with serious head trauma. Afterwards Billy remebers several incidents, such as walking with Derby and (ironically his distant relation) their German guard and accidentally walking in on naked girls. Both Billy and the German see female nudity for the first time, which is not new to Derby. War has disrupted those teenage experiences, and then suddenly given it back to them in a less affectionate setting. Then when they get to the cafeteria, a war widow calmly says "All the real soldiers are dead" (159) It's a children's fight now.

During the war they worked ina syrup factory, a syrup made for pregnant women. But everyone else took some, which shows the sad war truth that everyone is out for themselves and forget the basic kindness for groups who generally need it, because now everyone needs it.

Dresden (SF Chapter 6)

This chapter begins with the Listen: Billy Pilgrim... structure of chapter two, whcih is probably to make sure that the reader knows this chapter will be crucial, so they must listen. Indeed, Dresden will finally come into play. Billy finds two items in his coat, resembling a pea and a horseshoe, which are charged with a sense of importance, but once again Billy just takes them in stride. The americans are also showed to be sort of disgusting and unclean to the Brits. Also, Paul Lazzaro and Edgar Derby, who both spent the night in the hospital with Billy fulfill the first line of chapter one, Edgar being the man killed for taking a teapot that wasn't his, and Paul the man who threatened to have his enemies killed after the war. paul seems to be like Roland Weary in his violent patterns, he pretends to be sweet and good and then destroys his target. It seems odd that harmless Billy Pilgrim keeps falling in with characters like that, but they are necessary to illustrate the senseless brutality of the whole war. However Paul also has an honor code and doesn't hurt innocents or enjoy pian he didn't cause. In a way, he is coping too, the way Billy copes by traveling through time. He evens seems to like giving his would be victims some peace, like telling Billy he won't have him killed for a while. Billy is of course unconcerned because he has lived his death before and left a record that says he "will die, have died, and always die on February thirteentn, 1976" (141) He says he dies the way Paul has told him. The US is also in several nations, which I find odd. The place in which speaks is similar to the zoo enclosure and people have come to hear his words on time and aliens with full belief. Death is violet light anbd hum and not even Billy is there (143). I guess it is beautiful, and nothing hurts.

I think Billy being "Cinderella" on page 145 is that despite the bad things he faced, he still has an OK life and even has Montana, which is why is so calm and unaffected by the horrors. The others act like Billy in this page, unaffected as to whether they will life or die, just watching life. On page 146, they are painted an obviously fake vision of Dresden and the reassurance that it won't be bombed. Even then the Americans know to laugh. On page 148, Vonnegut once aagin appears in the book, about the time they see beautiful Dresden. The only city he'd seen before was Indianapolis, and it is somehow heartbreaking to think of all the Americans seeing this place as a Wonderland, when most won't make it out of there alive, when the city will be ruined. At the time, Dresden does seem magical, it hasn't been bombed and life goes on just like before. In fact the Dresden guards are as miserable as the Americans, the same poor, naive soldiers. At the same time, Billy knows the city will be wrecked and people will die, but he calmly marches on. The objects in the coat are finally brought out. A fake tooth and a diamond for Valencia's ring. The reason for the title is revealed, the Americans are to live in Slaughterhouse number five.

Carlsbad Caverns (SF Chapter 5)

This chapter restates the Tralfamadorian view of the world, since they the start position, end poistion and all the ones in between they see the stars as "luminous spaghetti" (87). I also liked how they describe their books, which all depict quick little moments that when seen together in the non order the aliens see them in they produced "an image if life that is beautiful and surprising and deep" (88). The chapter then detours to a trip to the Grand Canyon and Carlsbad Caverns that Billy took with his parents. In the Canyon, Billy is afraid and annoyed, but in the Caverns he feels fear until the lights go out, and then he doesn't even seem to care if he's still alive, which is closer to the indifferent Billy we've seen. Two bits worth mentioning happen on page 91. The first, is that they were liekly dead before their names were put down in a camp ledger, which comes accompanied with "So it goes" despite the fact that they were being declared alive rather than dead. The second is that after being struck by a guard, an American asks him why and is answered with "Vy you? Vy anybody?" all of which is reminscent of the answer given by the Tralfamadorians when Billy asks why he has been kidnapped, "That is a very Earthling question to ask, Mr. Pilgrim. Why you? Why us for that matter? Why anything? Because this moment simply is." (77) This happen for no reason. They simply are, and people are a little ridiculous trying to find a why. The British prison camp is almost like a joke, a happy little prison in the middle of a death camp, with bright candles made out of dead people. The americans really have seen the worst of war and wander in like dead people to a disorienting semi-paradise. I think this ridiculous situation is the reason why Billy starts laughing and can't stop, because it's all so unreal. On page 104, Vonnegut openly discusses the fourth dimension and supernatural creatures. He pruposely mentions a book that deals with "crazy" people that are truly afflicted by fourth dimension ails, which I think is a subtle way of saying that Billy is not crazy, he's justs tuck halfway through to the fourth dimension. Billy also experiences a very Tralfamadorian moment of page 105, where he sees Edgar Derby reading by his bed, at the same time he contemplates his future memory of Derby being killed. A quote that really stuck a chord with me, though I don't know why, was this "Billy didn't think there would be a blank cartridge issued in a squad that small, in a war that old" (105) On page 106, Vonnegut refers back to chapter one, with a mention of the Children's Crusade and the fact that wars are fought by stupid kids instead of tempered old men. Later on page 128 a German major talks about the civilization he enjoys with the British, which just shows that war is only civilzed for those who don't fight it. A small observation of mine is how odd Billy's wife name is, as Valencia is very latin for a girl from upstate New York, especially late 40s early 50s. Billy also acts like a bystander to his own life. He doesn't want to marry Valencia, but still akss to do so, because that it what must happen, like the end of the universe with the alien pilot. Nobody wants it, but it has to happen because there is no other way, in fact on page 118 no even Valencia wants to be there, she imagines two different people are there when see and Billy are together. I really like the observation on page 109, about the Gospels just teaching you to kill unconnected people, which must make a lot of sense, because why would we kill so much if they really taught mercy?

On page 112, Billy has become comfortable and used to captivity, parallel to the way he simply became used to war and being cold. In fact, he almost enjoys in, because he has become special, and treasured, and admired. During this, Billy also displays his usual, indifferent attitude towards his circumstances. I laos like the discussion on page 114 about extra sexes we can't see and how odd this are essential to life in a way we can't see. Page 117 also brings alot to light. Tralfamador is not a utopia, it is just as horrible and violent as Earth can be. Earth is in fact a little trivial here, it will be destroyed along with everything else by accident, not being special at all, and it's people have no conception of how to grasp happy times and live in them. Billy can almost do this, as he can escape war to happier times. Very oddly, on page 121, Billy is said to have a crazy thought, which would be agood epitaph for him, and as Vonnegut notes, it would be good for Vonnegut too. It is drawn on the next page "Everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt." There's something drawing about it, and I guess it's because that is what people's true vision of Heaven is. No more pain. I felt touched by the Russian who quietly tries to help Billy on page 124 and then just quietly says goodbye when Billy won't talk to him. Despite this being quick, you can feel the desire to connect to someone, to talk, especially wallowing in the shadow of death, and the sad dissapointment you feel when it doesn't happen.

On page 128 Vonnegut shows very keen observations of the nature of poverty in America, which I found very interesting. On page 130 he goes on to say that Americans have no true love between each other, and then sort of back it up on page 132, and says that Barbara, through scolding Billy "{felt} It was very exciting for her, taking his dignity away in the name of love." The end of this chapter introduces Montana Wildhack, a woman Billy seems to truly feel for, or at least more than for his wife.