Slaughterhouse Five, pages 23-51

Chapter two of the book Slaughterhouse Five begins with the words "Listen: Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck on time" (23), words which were formerly repeated and emphasized on the previous chapter. This phrase is very important, if not the most crucial for understanding the thematic of the chapter. Billy Pilgrim, the main character of the chapter, acquired the capacity to become unstuck, or travel through a four-dimensional world, while he was in World War II. After having understood this experience during his kidnap by the Tralfamadorians, Pilgrim feels one step ahead of the society which surrounds him, which is unable to travel through time and merge the past, present, and future into one sole moment.

Billy also mentioned that the concept of death did not exist in the four-dimensional world. By implying this, the whole notion of Jesus and his sacrifice to humanity is being denied, as well as that of the omnipotent power of God. If death is vague and inexistent, souls are then unable to ascend to God’s judgment which, according to the King James Bible, is a system where individuals are rewarded/punished for the actions they commit throughout their lives. According to the same ideas of the four-dimensional universe, the existence of Jesus is entirely irrelevant for society. In fact, Jesus did not really sacrifice for our welfare, as he is not even considered to be dead in the world of the Tralfamadorians. By denying the passage of time, Slaughterhouse Five is simultaneously denying the magnitude and significance of God, as well as many of the works of literature which we have recently read, including Dante’s Inferno.

The character of Billy Pilgrim, in my opinion, has a close tie to the main character of the novel Brave New World, Bernard Marx. Apart from having peculiar names which may probably conceal a hidden significance, both characters make the impression of having a pathetic existence. Pilgrim and Marx are alienated from society because of their differences, which, according to both individuals, are actually advantages they possess over other people. In reality, this is what leads Bernard to exile, and Billy to social marginalization. This makes me wonder whether advantages (or what may seem like advantages in a society) may actually bring disadvantages to the people who possess them…. This sort of reminds me of Confucianism, where being average and avoiding every type of excess (in this case, advantage or difference) may be crucial in defining their downfall…. Wow, I never really thought ancient literature could be so influential in modern works…

As I read, I wondered how Billy Pilgrim achieved to travel through time… How come he, out of all people, attempted to achieve such a strange deed? Why was he chosen? How come people have failed to accomplish this using time machines and all sorts of invented gadgets, while Billy was the only one who could travel through time, without making the slightest effort? Is Billy special in some sort of way?

I wonder what the structure of the novel will be like… Is the story going to be written using flashbacks and random scenes of Billy “unsticking” in time, or just in plain chronological order? I believe this question is very important for determining the real significance of the fourth dimension, whether it is real or just something that is only going on in Billy’s mind. I guess only TIME can tell….