In both chapter 2 and chapter 3 Billy Pilgrim has found himself in bad situations when in World War 2. Yet, he still laughs and smiles when in these situations. He does not seem to take what's going on seriously or he just does not care. He seems to be the kind of person that stuff just happens to, and ends up in situations that leave us wondering how he was able to get there. There have been two instances in this book that even though were bad, he laughed and smiled anyway.
" ....Weary kicked him in the ribs, rolled him over on his side. Billy tired to form himself into a ball. You shouldn't even be in the Army , said Weary. Billy was involuntarily making convulsive sounds that were a lot like laughter" (pg.51).
"Bobbing up-and-down, up-and-down, Billy beamed lovingly at a bright lavender farmhouse that had been spattered with machine-gun bullets" (pg.65)
Billy upon being beat up and being captured by the German Army is still able to find humor while everyone else is complaining and crying over wounds. Does this enable him to be a better survivor in the war if he is always looking at the good in the situation, or is he delusional and does not understand the seriousness/danger of the situation at hand?
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ReplyDeleteI think it's a little bit of both. Billy appears to be a bit oblivious to the tragedy of the war, however, that could also mean that he has a gift to make the most of situations. Perhaps he is becoming more like the Tralfamadorians and is beginning to see people as a whole instead of just in death, which is why death doesn't affect him so much.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a little bit of both. Billy appears to be a bit oblivious to the tragedy of the war, however, that could also mean that he has a gift to make the most of situations. Perhaps he is becoming more like the Tralfamadorians and is beginning to see people as a whole instead of just in death, which is why death doesn't affect him so much.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that, that has a connection to the fact that he writes "so it goes" after every death in the book?
ReplyDeleteYes, probably, seeing as that's what the Tralfamadorians say. He probably prefers their way of living so he is trying to adopt that lifestyle.
ReplyDelete