Thursday, October 9, 2008
Seeing Clearly
Is it possible that Billy's occupation as an optometrist is significant? As an optometrist, he helps people to see clearer. After adopting the Traflmadorian veiwpoint of non-linear time, he tries to tell others, thinking it will ease their fears. Is he trying to help people to see clearer in another sense?
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Yeah, I think it's significant. Maybe Billy has found a way to see things in the fourth dimension. That is why he can see time as a non-linear event, and also why he can jump from one point in his life to the next. Regardless, the theme of helping others to “see” through his occupation and speaking rally seems significant.
I think he is trying to ease their fears because Billy realizes that no matter what we do to stop certain events from happening they will happen anyway. An example of this is when the Tralfmadorians tell Billy that the earth will be destroyed and that it can't be prevented even though the Tralfamadorions are the cause of the destruction of earth.
I think that is a very intricate observation, one that i hadn't considered. Billy's ability to travel, unbound by the usual limitations of time,in such a limitless fashion almost mirrors that of some great prophets in time.The fact that he is an optometrist could very well be a symbolic attribute that the author is trying to convey. His attitude at the event where he spoke to others was interesting. he was so sound and assured where as the listeners, whome could not see in this fourth dimension, were in an uproar when he mentioned his death to be near. its a shame he isnt able to bring his vision to a greater light
I think that is very possible, but this is also what makes people think he is crazy.
I think Billy has developed such a sense of serenity from his encounters with the Traflmadorians that he feels the whole world can have the same sense of peace he has. To billy the Traflmadorians have made his world so simple he no longer sees the complexity in any situation. I do believe his intentions are to make the world a simpler and clearer place for everyone, but I feel because of his inability to see the confusion and complexity he is failing to see how much he is truly confusing those around him.
yah i think that helps him out. i think he can see certain things and obv. remeber things, maybe he knows all this and just doesnt know how to tell ppl w/ o sounded really crazy! that is a really good insight!
I think it's very significant. In his profession he helps people to see clearer and I think in life in gereral he wants to help people to see things clearer but yet in a different way. Though some of the things he says deals with fourth demension and things that other people just think is crazy and it doesn't make him look good, even though he's trying to help people to see in a different point of view I feel.
I know this was posted awhile ago but I have just finished reading the book, and after going over a few things, I think this was a very good observation AJ. I think that sight may be a type of theme or something, I'm not sure if theme is what I mean..I mean you're right, his job is to help people be able to see clearly, and now after all of his experiences, that is what he is trying to do again. He in a way has just got his vision corrected by the tralfamadorians. He now knows what insignificance time plays in our life...
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