martes, 3 de marzo de 2009
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.
lunes, 2 de marzo de 2009
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.
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.
domingo, 1 de marzo de 2009
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)
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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