Billy Pilgrim's Slaughterhouse-Five
Ryan Bown
September 4, 2009
Biff G
Slaughterhouse-Five
In the novel Slaughterhouse-Five, Billy Pilgrim discovers that the Tralfamadorian idea of time is that every moment is sealed by destiny and structured in a way that is unchangeable. Even though the Tralfamadorians and Billy can see their future, they know it is impossible to change it. Also, since their philosophy of time is fixed by fate and cannot be altered, it negates the concept of free will derived from Earth.
In the beginning of the fourth chapter, Billy comes in contact with the Tralfamadore aliens for the first time. Unstuck in time, Billy knew beforehand that he was going to be kidnapped by the Tralfamadorian flying saucer. Once he was aboard the ship, Billy asked “Why me?” and the alien compares Billy situation to a bug trapped in amber. “ ‘That is a very Earthling thing to ask, Mr. Pilgrim. Why you? Why us for that matter? Why anything? Because this moment simple is. Have you ever seen a bug …show more content…
Due to this way of thinking, the Tralfamadorians believe in accepting things as they come, which has a minor connection to the phrase ‘So it goes’ used repetitively throughout the book. This phrase gives a careless connotation of acceptance to everything that is mentioned before it.
Billy begins to converse with another Tralfamadorian and again the alien talks about how everything is stuck in time like a bug in amber. Billy introduces the idea of free will as his response.
“ ‘You sound to me as though you don’t believe in free will,’ said
Billy Pilgrim. ‘If I hadn’t spent so much time studying Earthlings,’ said the
Tralfamadorian, ‘I wouldn’t have any idea what was meant by ‘free will.’ I’ve visited thirty-one inhabited planets in the universe and I have studied reports on one hundred more. Only on Earth is there any talk of free will’ ” (Vonnegut, 86
September 4, 2009
Biff G
Slaughterhouse-Five
In the novel Slaughterhouse-Five, Billy Pilgrim discovers that the Tralfamadorian idea of time is that every moment is sealed by destiny and structured in a way that is unchangeable. Even though the Tralfamadorians and Billy can see their future, they know it is impossible to change it. Also, since their philosophy of time is fixed by fate and cannot be altered, it negates the concept of free will derived from Earth.
In the beginning of the fourth chapter, Billy comes in contact with the Tralfamadore aliens for the first time. Unstuck in time, Billy knew beforehand that he was going to be kidnapped by the Tralfamadorian flying saucer. Once he was aboard the ship, Billy asked “Why me?” and the alien compares Billy situation to a bug trapped in amber. “ ‘That is a very Earthling thing to ask, Mr. Pilgrim. Why you? Why us for that matter? Why anything? Because this moment simple is. Have you ever seen a bug …show more content…
Due to this way of thinking, the Tralfamadorians believe in accepting things as they come, which has a minor connection to the phrase ‘So it goes’ used repetitively throughout the book. This phrase gives a careless connotation of acceptance to everything that is mentioned before it.
Billy begins to converse with another Tralfamadorian and again the alien talks about how everything is stuck in time like a bug in amber. Billy introduces the idea of free will as his response.
“ ‘You sound to me as though you don’t believe in free will,’ said
Billy Pilgrim. ‘If I hadn’t spent so much time studying Earthlings,’ said the
Tralfamadorian, ‘I wouldn’t have any idea what was meant by ‘free will.’ I’ve visited thirty-one inhabited planets in the universe and I have studied reports on one hundred more. Only on Earth is there any talk of free will’ ” (Vonnegut, 86