I’m not really sure how I feel about this book. I find myself saying I don’t like it, but I continue to read and reread so I understand it better. One question or thought I have, and many of us have, is that Billy may be suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome, and maybe his "memories" of Tralfamadore are his way of escaping from the real world. I think that this whole storyline of Tralfamadore is interesting because it is opposite of everything we know to be true here on earth. Freewill is something we value greatly where up there, they don’t even believe in it, and same with time, it basically just is what it is. My question then is, is Tralfamadore really a symbol or theme for something else?
Another thing I am curious about is, all of these random things that the author writes keep reoccurring in the book. Why? Are they really important and have meaning or is he just filling pages? Like in the first few chapters he talks about the trains for the POW’s and how they are painted with stripes of black and orange, they happen to be the same color of his daughter’s wedding tent also… and Kilgore Trout keeps coming up, so are his books really influencing Billy or again just random?
9 comments:
I doubt anything in the book is random, but really does appear to be that way with a lot of the finer details. Kilgore Trouts story lines for his books are more or less exactly like Billy's experiences. It is almost as if he is reading these books and they become so much a part of him that he turns them into his abduction by Tralfmadorians. Or maybe it is the other way around.
I think all of the seemingly random occurrences are because the book is written in a similar format as a Traflamadorian novel would be, with "no beginning,no middle, no end, no suspense, no moral, no causes, no effects". We see bits and pieces of his life that don't seem to make sense in the linear fashion that we are accustom to, but by the end of the book we are able to put it together as a whole.
Great observations. Yes, Kilgore Trout is significant. ;) And Yes, AJ, it does seem that way.
when you are reading this book you have to be raelly pay atntion. in the begining the auther started by looking for some one who can help him remember the things that had happen back in the prisoner camp or in the war, so he can wrote the book. I think when somthing berpeated is bcause Billy was being time traveling. back and forth.
It must be more than coincidence that Kilgore Trout's books mirror Billy's experiences. The first time he encountered Trout's prose was in the hospital after his mental breakdown. He and Eliot Rosewater were trying to "re-invent themselves and their universe. Science fiction was a big help". I suspect his universe now included Traflamadore and his confinement with a perfect woman, almost Adam and Eve like. I noticed that all other women in his life were not ideal, yet Montana fell in love with him easily. Since she had already disappeared in real life, she was available for inclusion in a fantasy life.
I agree, I cant seem to decide how I feel about this book, at times I think I totally get it and then I will be more lost than ever. Although, I'm sure none of the events and thoughts in this book are random, I think they all have some significance or value. I do think that the Tralfamadore's are a symbol, maybe to suggest that we as humans shouldn't worry so much as to why certain things happen in our life, we don't have control over everything that happens good or bad and we should all try to learn to accept that in our own lives.
there are things tht seems random and small at the time but they show up later in the book. like when Billy asked the alien why him? the alien replyed why you? why anybody? and then in another part an american POW made a snide remark about Germans and one of the german soldiers hit the guy. the POW asked why me? and the german replied why you? why anybody? to me, it doesnt seem as random. it seems a lot of things are connected.
I think tralfamadore is a symbol of some place where billy gets away from all the shit going on in his head. Im not sure about montana, I think AJ is right about him having some fantasy life. I know he had a wife and has a son, but IT seems like he wants a new life with a family where he doesnt have to worry about anything and jsut has sex all day with a porn star what else happens in tralfamadore.
I'm not sure what to say about Billy and Kilgore Trout but I did have a question about him.
Why does Kilgore Trout follow Billy around his house during the wedding anniversary party? Can't he just sit and mingle with other people...I know he talks to a few people but it seems like Billy and Kilgore are around each other the whole night?
It does seem like things are random, but I think everything that is said in this book is for a purpose or is suppose to be for a purpose and maybe Kurt Vonnegut got carried away with time travel that he forgot to put things in the story that he meant to put in.
If I was writing a story that jumped around this much...I would forget to add things.
Post a Comment