Slaughterhouse 5 Essay
If you had to add a new character to this story, who/what might you create and what would you have them/it do in the
story? Be sure to be descriptive with your characterization. How would they interact with other characters, what kind
of dialogue might there be, etc.
story? Be sure to be descriptive with your characterization. How would they interact with other characters, what kind
of dialogue might there be, etc.
Trapped in time, and spiraling in a world that no one but he can understand, Billy Pilgrim is absolutely, utterly, and completely alone.
Slowly, but surely, he begins to see death, pain, and suffering as mundane, and dismisses even the death of his own wife with the usual:
“So it goes”. He speaks of the bombing of Dresden with absolute and utter nonchalance, and tells Professor Rumfoord as he laid in his hospital
bed that it was “all right,” that “everything was all right, and everybody had to do exactly what they did.” Billy had fully resigned to his fate, and
did not do a single thing to change it.
Slowly, but surely, he begins to see death, pain, and suffering as mundane, and dismisses even the death of his own wife with the usual:
“So it goes”. He speaks of the bombing of Dresden with absolute and utter nonchalance, and tells Professor Rumfoord as he laid in his hospital
bed that it was “all right,” that “everything was all right, and everybody had to do exactly what they did.” Billy had fully resigned to his fate, and
did not do a single thing to change it.
After being abducted by the Tralfamadorians, Billy desperately wishes to share his new philosophies and knowledge with the rest of
the world, and ends up telling his story on a radio show, his speech treated as a joke. His daughter does not believe in him, and continues
to tell him that he was crazy, his son did not talk to him, his wife, Valencia, had died, and Montana Wildhack was still in Tralfamadore.
There is not a single thing in Billy’s life that has stayed by his side.
the world, and ends up telling his story on a radio show, his speech treated as a joke. His daughter does not believe in him, and continues
to tell him that he was crazy, his son did not talk to him, his wife, Valencia, had died, and Montana Wildhack was still in Tralfamadore.
There is not a single thing in Billy’s life that has stayed by his side.
All of the soldiers who fought and suffered beside him in the war were wiped out by the bombing of Dresden, an attack where Billy
was the only soldier who had miraculously survived. And, for what? In the entirety of Slaughterhouse 5, the reader is constantly being
shown the ugliness of humanity, and Billy, neutral, gray, and peaceful, standing in the middle of it all. To Billy, life was not
particularly precious, and yet, he was the only one who survived the bombing. One might even call it a waste, that the only one to emerge
from a bloody massacre was one that wouldn’t have even cared if he died anyway.
was the only soldier who had miraculously survived. And, for what? In the entirety of Slaughterhouse 5, the reader is constantly being
shown the ugliness of humanity, and Billy, neutral, gray, and peaceful, standing in the middle of it all. To Billy, life was not
particularly precious, and yet, he was the only one who survived the bombing. One might even call it a waste, that the only one to emerge
from a bloody massacre was one that wouldn’t have even cared if he died anyway.
Billy lacks the emotional capacity to love, live, laugh, and even suffer. He has a head full of stories, and yet, there is no one to listen. He
stands atop a mess of memories and life, in a monochrome room that suffocates him, without him noticing. He is trapped- until someone
finally decides to carve out a doorway.
stands atop a mess of memories and life, in a monochrome room that suffocates him, without him noticing. He is trapped- until someone
finally decides to carve out a doorway.
Tentatively, Evangeline pokes her head in, and brightens when she catches sight of Billy.
“Will!” She waves at Billy, and runs over to him, nearly tripping over the mess of memories on the ground. She looks up at him from the
bottom of the mountain of moments, and rolls up her sleeves as she climbs to the top of the pile. As she vaults herself over the top, she
tilts her head, watching as Billy buries his tear-stained face in his knees, and a cord wraps around his neck. “Will? Why are you crying?
And why is there a rope around your throat?”
bottom of the mountain of moments, and rolls up her sleeves as she climbs to the top of the pile. As she vaults herself over the top, she
tilts her head, watching as Billy buries his tear-stained face in his knees, and a cord wraps around his neck. “Will? Why are you crying?
And why is there a rope around your throat?”
And Billy, who wasn’t even aware of the small room, much less the tears on his face or the rope around his neck, begins to look around
the room, grimacing at the mess, and at the gloomy grayness of the room.
the room, grimacing at the mess, and at the gloomy grayness of the room.
“Is this really my mind?” Billy mutters, the question directed to no one in particular. He stands up, and Evangeline stands beside him.
“Yes. Beautiful, isn’t it?” Her voice is dry, and Billy scratches his neck uncomfortably, before noticing the cord around it.
“Th-there’s a cord around my neck.” His voice sounds almost panicked, as he frantically pawed at the rubber.
“No. I hadn’t noticed.” Evangeline’s words drip with sarcasm, as she paces around him, finding an easy knot tied at the back of the cord, far
from Billy’s sight. “Hold still. I’m going to untie it.”
from Billy’s sight. “Hold still. I’m going to untie it.”
She frees him from the suffocating cord within a few seconds, and looks out on the messy room, slowly walking down the mountain
of memories.
of memories.
“Now what?” Billy trails behind Evangeline.
“We wait.” She sits down, stretching her arms in front of her.
“For what?” He sits down beside her.
“Until we get ‘unstuck in time,’ like all the stories you told me.” Billy’s eyes widen. “I’m in this room with you now, so we’re
time-traveling together now.”
time-traveling together now.”
“...you believe me?” His voice is barely above a whisper, and had Evangeline not been waiting for it, she wouldn’t have heard it.
“Do I have a reason not to? You’re telling the truth, are you not?” Before Billy could respond, both of them were taken to a
random place in Billy’s memories.
random place in Billy’s memories.
And for the umpteenth time, Billy re-lived his life, but this time, with Evangeline beside him.
She clapped and cheered at Edgar Derby’s speech against the owner of the labor camps, and dragged Billy up to cheer beside her.
She mourned over the deaths of all the soldiers who they knew, who died in Dresden.
“Why are you crying, Eve?” Perhaps it was because Billy had become numb to it, but at that moment, he couldn’t possibly fathom why in the world
Evangeline, the strongest woman he knew, was crying.
Evangeline, the strongest woman he knew, was crying.
“Better question: how are you not?” She sniffled, and forced a smile through red, puffy eyes. “Those were the people who suffered with you, laughed
with you, cried with you, and stayed by your side throughout the war. They are all gone now. Edgar will never teach, or share what was in that brilliant
mind of his again. Roland would never see the other two parts of the three Musketeers again. So many of them will never, ever wake up to a sunny
day again. They have fallen asleep. And they will never, ever wake up.”
with you, cried with you, and stayed by your side throughout the war. They are all gone now. Edgar will never teach, or share what was in that brilliant
mind of his again. Roland would never see the other two parts of the three Musketeers again. So many of them will never, ever wake up to a sunny
day again. They have fallen asleep. And they will never, ever wake up.”
Billy wasn’t sure why, but he felt tears starting to drip from his eyes as well. Eve quickly wiped them away with a handkerchief.
Over the course of Billy’s life, she tended to cry a lot, cursing the stupidity and the ugliness of humanity. It wasn’t as if the concept was new to her, however.
Before she met Billy, she had run a little orphanage in the corner of town, and the stories and memories that the children used to tell her about their old parents,
who abused them, abandoned them, or died, used to break her heart. She could never bring herself to cry in front of the children, so she would hide her suffering
with sarcasm, and weep in her bed when she was alone, much like Billy used to.
Before she met Billy, she had run a little orphanage in the corner of town, and the stories and memories that the children used to tell her about their old parents,
who abused them, abandoned them, or died, used to break her heart. She could never bring herself to cry in front of the children, so she would hide her suffering
with sarcasm, and weep in her bed when she was alone, much like Billy used to.
They both warped again, and Billy looked around, spotting his optometrist office down the road. Evangeline still had her eyes clenched tight, as she asked Billy.
“Where are we right now? I swear, if I open my eyes, and we’re in the slaughterhouse again, I’m going to skin someone and-” Evangeline was poked by Billy,
who pointed out that they were in public, and that the public was not a place to start suggesting ideas on how to torture someone.
who pointed out that they were in public, and that the public was not a place to start suggesting ideas on how to torture someone.
Billy needed to bite back a smile as Evangeline turned bright red.
Over the course of his last re-lifes, Billy could slowly feel his emotions returning back to him. He could now laugh, smile, cry and love, just like he could before
he was taken to Tralfamadore. And he was sure- he looked over at Evangeline- that she was the reason.
he was taken to Tralfamadore. And he was sure- he looked over at Evangeline- that she was the reason.
Finally, the very last time that he warped, he closed his eyes slowly, and smiled, thanking Evangeline for all that she had given her.
He woke up in the bed he shared with Evangeline, and stared lovingly at his wife as he sat up in bed. She had already gotten up, and was sitting at her desk,
twirling her pen as she thought. Realizing that Billy was awake, she spun around in her chair and greeted him with a smile.
twirling her pen as she thought. Realizing that Billy was awake, she spun around in her chair and greeted him with a smile.
“How was your sleep?” Evangeline asked, her head tilting slightly to the side. Billy smiled back at her, and the thought that he could now truly feel happiness
bubbled energetically in his chest.
bubbled energetically in his chest.
“I had a-” He swallowed down the word nightmare before it escaped out of his mouth. Yes, it was definitely painful. He had watched, over and over
again, helpless to do anything as people died around him. But somehow, he couldn’t describe it as a nightmare. He had suffered, but he wasn’t alone.
Looking at his beloved Eve, and watching the stars twinkle in her eyes, he realized that anywhere she was couldn’t be such a horrible place after
all. “I had a nice dream.”
again, helpless to do anything as people died around him. But somehow, he couldn’t describe it as a nightmare. He had suffered, but he wasn’t alone.
Looking at his beloved Eve, and watching the stars twinkle in her eyes, he realized that anywhere she was couldn’t be such a horrible place after
all. “I had a nice dream.”
She chuckled. “Did you now?”
“Yes. A very, very nice dream.”
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