Thursday Blog

Chapter 4:
During this chapter the reader can experience, with more intensity, the time travel. To confirm Billy Pilgrim's insanity the book refers to Alice in Wonderland with a champagne bottle. (On page 73)"Somebody had stoppered it again. "Drink me," it seemed to say." Besides the champagne was half empty and the author stated it was dead, why did he? I still don't know. "So it goes". This happened when Billy felt he was going to be picked up by the Trafalmadorians in their flying saucer. Why does the author infer on Adam and Eve? In chapter 3 with the boy who accompanied the Germans and then on page 75 he adresses them again as "perfect people" which they aren't because of the apple. They were made by God, but still they are humans.

It is curious that Tralfamadorians don't speak, and think in such a time- scale way, for instance the moment, there is no questions. For Kurt Vonnegut, Tralfamadorians are his point of view of perfection.

What could be the meaning of the forty-year old hobo who repeated that their situation wasn't bad? Why did the old man and Weary die on the same day? What was the trauma with the Three Musketeers? Maybe to show that Billy as not the only one loosing his mind, characters like Roland Weary, and Wild Bob appeared. What I feel unfair is that this unsecure, insane Weary would start accusing poor Billy Pilgrim for his death, getting everybody against him. Already having his boxcar mates scared of him for kicking and shouting while being asleep.

It is very peculiar the introduction of the English prisoners of war, compared to the Americans and the Russians. Human dignity is destroyed with the treatment "Jerry" gives the American prisoners, for instance Billy's jacket and how it was hilarious for the English troops. It is supposed to be funny, but it gives a laugh that only sadness can show.