Friday Blog

During the pages 96-119, Kurt Vonnegut, speaks about the cruelty of the prison camp the Americans have just arrived to. Actually it describes the party the lucky English soldiers give to the newcomers. Evidently these novices arrived in a humiliating state. Especially Billy Pilgrim who starts a fire with the jacket the Germans give to him. In this moment the degree of degradation is such, that he was fatigued of answering questions. It is very interesting the way this dishonored soldier reacts to the play Cinderella, shrieking instead of laughing. By the way the word choice in this piece of entertainment is quite British and vulgar. This reminds me of other movies about war, naturally I’m not expecting princess-like words, but each offensive word attacks human dignity.
Under morphine, Billy feels part of the herd of giraffes, related by the height. The effects of morphine
He finds himself in the hospital near Lake Placid, New York being accused of being crazy as a cause of his childhood phobias. Very similar to the case of the book I am the Cheese, by Robert Cormier. Even the use of nature is used in both pieces of writing, the “Poo-tee-weet?” of the birds. The greatest difference is that Billy Pilgrim has no secret information to hide, nor brainwashed by the scared politicians. Both characters live their past once more, remembering their happy moments as well as experiencing the changing of time period so suddenly. In any case, both persons are completely crazy.
The character of Billy Pilgrim uses the stories from the books of Kilgore Trout to escape the horrible past he had lived. During his stay in this hospital Rosewater introduces this author to him, recognizing that this is a perfect lie to occupy his mind with. Besides his living companion, Billy has death to accompany as well, interestingly even a cup filled with water faces the claws of death.
Still in the hospital, his mother, who is still alive and embarrasses him for making her give him birth to a life he detests, visits him. At this time his father is dead and he is engaged to a fat woman daughter of the director of the Optometry College. At least he gets money from this lifetime marriage. There is a song by Harry Belafonte which says with a happy tone, “If you want to be happy for the rest of your life make an ugly woman your wife.” He falls asleep and travels again to the prison camp where the author uses humiliation and bestiality as a pretext to make this book an anti-war novel. A point of view of which I agree, war is nonsense. Who can have such courage to create weapons to kill in such a disgusting way?
While the author describes the travel to Trafalmadore, I wonder what kind of power has encursed such insanity into Kilgore Trouts head. For I know it is this personage influence that soothes the pain from Billy but as well gets him even more insane.
In this part of the novel, a new period of time in Billy’s life is introduced to the reader; he gets married and is sent out to the zoo in Trafalmadore. Meanwhile he is just getting consiousness from the morphine.
At last it is necessary to remark the answer from the crowd of trafalmadorians, which after Billy’s speech of having a planet to violent to be reasonable, simply tells him to enjoy good times and forget the past.