Vision of Life

“And then, one morning, they got up to discover that the door was unlocked. World War two in Europe was over.” (Vonnegut 215). These were the last words of this dreadful war story.  Throughout the book, we got to discover how much war affects and changes a particular soldier, Billy.  The novel also allowed us to get in touch and learn about diverse ways of thinking, such as the trafamadoures. This way of thinking was a real eye opener and questioner of fate’s real purpose.

We were able to analyze and depict Billy’s post-war behavior throughout the book, as well as, understand his meaning of life and vision towards society. “It was a ridiculous store, all about love and babies.” (Vonnegut 203). Billy had no regard towards human emotions. He only cared about his mother’s feelings and tried very hard to hide his hatred of life from her. He wanted to spare her the pain of knowing the real interpretation his son had of the world and of his life.

In reading the novel, one is able to experience character transformation never seen before. How an Earthling could change their entire perspective of life to understand and apply a totally different one, the trafamores ideology. It was due to this transformation that Billy was able to die at peace knowing that he couldn’t stop nor control his fate.

As the book progressed, I visualized a clear pattern of how the author managed to use the term “So it goes.” This expression has countless uses.  One of them was used when referring to events that were out of human control and were unworthy of analyzing. “Martin Luther king was shot a month ago. He died.. So it goes.”(Vonnegut 210). On the other hand, this expression is also used when Billy is no longer impacted by the horrifying consequences and aftermaths of war. “On an average, 324,000 new babies are born into the world every day. During that same day, 10,000 persons, on an average, will have starved to death form malnutrition. So it goes.” (Vonnegut 212).

This book also contains various literature terms and figure like allegories along with stoicism. It depicts many impacting events and left the reader with broad-minded ideas of the world and of life in general. The novel concludes with several unanswered questions; what is the real meaning of life and is their any particular way one should perceive the world. Hence, forcing the reader to create their own answer based on their own beliefs and the impact the book had on him.

Believes

Through out the book the author has countless times addressed the Tralfamadorian model for life. How one most never fight or try to control fate, because it is way out of our reach.  The author gives various example were the Tralfamadorian simply accept fate with out resentment or angry, even if the destiny means the end of the universe.  Vonnegut did this to show the Earthlings they can’t control everything and that things simply are.

One the other hand, Vonnegut had never actually talked about any Earthling using the Tralfamadorian model to accept death. The first Earthling that used this model was, Billy Pilgrim.  Many years after the war, Billy remembered the promise that Lazzaro made to him, about killing him, to honor his friend whom Billy had killed. It was time for Lazzaro to keep his promise and it was time for Billy to accept it. He had  finished his sermon in a Basketball Park in Chicago and sent his bodyguards home, to their wife and children as he waited for his destiny.

“I, Billy Pilgrim, the tape begins, will die, have died and always will die on February thirteen, 1976.” (Vonnegut 141). When it was time for Billy to die he was at peace with himself. He learned the power of fate and knew that tomorrow he would be died, but he would eventually live again.

Violent Behavior

Through out my live I have seen a lot of post-war movies, articles and documentaries. They talk about how soldieries after being in the heart of war, they are transformed into totally different people. They become aggressive and violent in familiar environments and don’t know how to act around people. On the other hand, through out Slaughterhouse Five there had been no presences of this kind of behavior, until Paul Lazzaro was introduced.

Paul Lazzaro was put beside Billy’s bed, due to some injuries he had recently received after being  caught  stilling from an Englishman.  As they see themselves trying to burn time Lazzaro and Billy got to talk and began understanding each other. “Anybody ever asks you what the sweetest thing in life  is-”  said Lazzaro, “Is Revenge”.(Vonnegut 139).  Lazzaro was a man that did everything for a reason. He was a very little man, however made everyone aware of his power, creating respect towards him. He honored his friends and would kill anyone that would cross them or him. It was due to Lazzaro`s eagerness for revenge that Billy would be killed several years after war, due to the fact that he was responsible for the death of Lazzaro`s only friend.

Paul Lazzaro was also a very violent man. Whenever someone was to annoy or bother him, he would take pleasure on torturing him or her. He told Billy about his anecdote with a dog he had killed, because the dog had bitten him. He later confessed he was planning on using that same technique to torture the Englishman, that had physically abused him.  It was due to Paul, that I was able to see that through out the years the effects of war hasn’t change at all, and yet we have done nothing to stop it.

Honor v.s Revenge

 While reading the blog of Andre Copello “ A Shooting Disorder” a lot of thoughts rose to mind. Revenge, if a feeling that appears when people have been hurt and they were unable to protect themselves. However, Paul Lazzaro refers to it as the sweetie’s thing in the world. Why do Earthlings have the perception that in order to be honored and respected they most hurt people?

Andrea gave examples of terrible massacres that have happened in the world, where a person, believed they had the power of taking the life of many others, just to prove a point. However, there is no one in the universe that has that much power, but God. I strongly believe that it is for this moment that the author opened our eyes to the Tralfamadorian model of life, of letting fate control are life.

If Paul Lazzaro would have been able to understand the concept of, things happen for a reason, he wouldn’t of concentrate all his life trying to get revenge on others, but rather he would have enjoyed his life. Revenge is a very powerful feeling, but we most never let it take control over us.