"'I could carve a better man out of a banana.'" Theodore Roosevelt pg 184
Billy Pilgrim is what we would label an antihero, in that nothing about his appearance or actions resembles any hero that I have ever read about. However, in order to have a hero there must be action and this book has none. Both the writer, Vonnegut, and his main character, Billy, skillfully avoid all major climactic events. But remember, both men served in war. That alone is far more heroic than anything I have ever done or probably will ever do. Soldiers seem to get overlooked if they don't make some heroic kill or sacrifice themselves to save others. Even Rumfoord, a fellow veteran, looks down on Billy simply because he is delusional. Billy's delusions do not lessen his time overseas to me. Billy's a man because he went to war, even if he did it in a toga.
I really like the description of Billy as an antihero because he really doesn't do much in this book other than survive, which he doesn't even want to do at times. I also like the fact that you pointed out how unfairly judged soldiers can be, and war for that matter. It's not always what it looks like in the movies.
ReplyDeleteThere was an excerpt from the book somewhere in which a woman at the slaughterhouse looks at the three soldiers, the noob, the old fart and Billy in a toga, and wonders where the real soldiers went. This rings true to Vonnegut's message: the war was wiping out mass amounts of people, causing mass devastation. And Ana, I agree with your statement about Billy being the antihero. This also ties in with Vonnegut's theme: there are no war heroes; everyone is trying to survive, some get lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.
ReplyDeleteI really don't like the thought that this was said by an American President. MURRICAH!
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