Saturday, January 2, 2016

Are the Tralfamadorians Changing Billy?

Throughout the novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, Billy shows no motivation to live. As said before, he could really care less about what happens to himself. And as encounters the Tralfamadorians he gets insight as to how they live and why they live that way; specifically how they try to live in peace. The Tralfamadorians tell him about how the world will end, who will do it, and why there is no point in trying to change it.

"He has always pressed it, and he always will. We always let him and we always will let him. The moment is structured that way," (Vonnegut, 117).

This quote goes back to my last blog, Tralfamadorian Novels Alike Slaughterhouse-Five; where I talked about the structure of Kurt Vonnegut's novel and Tralfamadorian novels. Each moment is important in it's own way and helps build the entire story. Perhaps that connects to this quote; that everything happens for a reason, and no one will alter it because it will always end the same way. So, knowing that the world will never live in peace but can become peaceful if you focus on the good things. Do you think this conversation with the Tralfamadorians gave Billy more or less will to live?

3 comments:

  1. I think that this conversation gives Billy a little bit more understanding of how the world and time works. In a way it is a new belief/religion that he can follow and in turn it would give hime a little but more of a purpose.

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  2. I think that it gave Billy more understanding on how the world works and what the purpose is. Prior to the conversations with the Tralfamadorians he didn't think that what he did had a purpose. He thought that his actions were meaningless but now he sees that everything he does is meant to happen and all leads up to the big finale of life and of the world. I think that that alone helps to provide him with a reason to live. To discover what his life purpose is.

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