Near the end of chapter 5, some of the German soldiers taking care of the American prisoners of war were observing how useless and pathetic American soldiers were. Billy overheard them talking about how an American soldier only thinks of himself and pity's himself to the point of committing suicide in some cases. The German soldier is reading a book in which America is described as a the richest nation, but all the people are poor, and in a way to be poor in America is a crime.
"America is the wealthiest nation on Earth, but its people are mainly poor, and poor Americans are urged to hate themselves." (Pg. 118)
I thought this was a very interesting concept and in some cases I believe it is true. A poor person in America is always looked down upon by society and is often stuck in a inferiority complex which holds them back from achieving more. But I also think that the Germans who are making fun of these prisoners of war as being thin and having no strength at all physically and mentally is a little unfair. For it is their treatment that brings the Americans down like that and they only see the week and hopeless American soldiers that have fallen behind. Do you think that Billy is like one of those poor Americans that has giving up hope and strength because he has become poor, or is he just a separate case all together?
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