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.