The Biggest Critic In The Simplest Three Words

Throughout the whole book I pondered on the phrase “So it goes”.I asked myself what was the truthful meaning of such a simplistic phrase, I knew it had to have an enshrouded meaning .As I began to read chapter 9 of the novel the phrase was frequently repeated . “She was dead. So it goes.”  (pg 198) “It was 8 o clock so all the shows were about silliness or murder so it goes”(pg.200)I began to notice that  most of the conversations involving death were followed by the simplistic phrase.As I began to read Chapter 10 of the novel the  phrase was repeated over and over again after any  sentence that involved death. “Robert Kennedy was shot eight miles from the home I live in all year around ,he was shot two nights ago . He died last night .So it goes.” “Martin Luther King was shot a month ago .He died last night So it goes .”I though about other books that I have read ,more specifically Tuesdays with Morrie came to my mind  the last chapter of the book carried a very special message that the author wanted to deliver to his audience.I think Vonnegut does the same in Slaughter House 5  .He delivers a special message to the audience through the simple phrase “So it goes.”

     Vonnegut is not your everyday writer.He is a world war II veteran ,who has a strong opinion in politics and likes to draw cartoons. Vonnegut was born in 1922. He studied in anthropology in the University of Chicago .He came from a German American family who had a very strong opinion in religion ,they considered themselves “free thinkers”.Vonnegut was a prisoner in the Battle of  Bulge.When he was imprisoned he was tortured mentally and physically.He witnessed what some might call the harshest massacre in history the bombing of Dresden  .After war Vonnegut began his writing career.Vonnegut was also involved in politics helping socialist labor leaders .

       My intention in the last paragraph was to demonstrate how much Vonnegut has gone through  .The reason why I want to show you how much Vonnegut has gone through ,is because of all his gone through ,I think what has impacted him the most is death.The act of taking someone else's life all he has ever felt all he has ever known boom gone right their. 

      This is what I think “so it goes” means .That all through Vonnegut life as a solider  he was impacted and exposed to a lot of killing .How ever Vonnegut kept on living .I think Vonnegut feels somewhat terrified at the fact that when somebody is killed in war nobody really cares and “so it goes” the war keeps going and the killing keeps going .It simply dosent stop .

       This I think also relates to Vonnegut ending when the bird says “po tweet ?”.Vonnegut in my opinion is trying to say that there just isn't anything to be said about so much killing, that its simply terrifying .

      Finally I think that the point of Vonnegut in writing the story is to show the world how horrifying war is ,and how he is amazed at the fact that we simply keep on living our day to day lives after such a massacre had occurred.Concluding that there is nothing intelligent to be said about war .

Billys Vist To Dr.Rosen

        The other day in class we were discussing the things in which Billy believed in like his values . I concluded that Billy was overall a  good guy he believed in many beautiful things like not hurting his mother and trying to change towards the better.
As I reached out to my conclusion of Billy being a pretty good guy.I felt sorry for him and  asked myself if there was any possible way for Billy to be normal again.So I thought to myself well Billy could go to the physiatrist.I started to think to myself well what physiatrist could he actually go to I mean I don't think Billy could go to a normal physiatrist .This isn't just a kid who got bullied as a child this is the the traumatized war veteran that is lost in his flash backs and was captured by the Trafalmadorians. Billy would need the best physiatrist there is.

      Immediately I  began to  think of who could Billy s physiatrist be ? Suddenly I remembered the movie a Beautiful Mind (2002)By Ron Howard .The movie is about how the main character John Nash is a genius that creates a breathtaking theory about governing dynamics.
How ever John begins to suffer from  schizophrenia. John begins to think that he is working for the government on a secret mission. John is also informed that the guy who he thought was his best friend is actually an invention of his mind and doesn't exist .
John loses his mind completely .When John begins to have sessions with Dr.Rosen John begins to make a lot of progress until one day he falls back into his Schizophrenia.How ever Dr.Rosen ends up helping John so much , that in the end of the movie John goes back to normal.

       So I being to ask myself if Dr.Rosen were to meat Billy would he be able to help him ? I mean if Dr.Rosen was able to help traumatized John Nash and make him stop seeing his fake best friend and an army general why couldn't he help Billy stop seeing Trafalmadorians .

      I began to picture the session between Billy and Dr.Rosen  and it would've been quite a scene . I pictured Billy lying down on a couch and explaining the principles of Trafalmadorian life to Dr. Rosen.Then I imagined Dr.Rosen taking notes on everything Billy told him and asking all types of questions like so did you like the Trafamaldorians ? have you ever read about someone or something similar to the Trafalmadorians ? Then I imagined Dr. Rosen prescribing medicine for Billy just like he did for John in  Beautiful mind .

      Finally I pictured that after a long and painful process with Dr Rosen finally Billy becomes normal again and decides to write his book.

   

Tomas Vs Kilgore Trout

As I was reading chapter 8  of Slaughter House 5 I felt pretty amused by Kilgore Trout .He reminded me of a friend of my uncle called Tomas ,who spent Christmas with my family.
In chapter 8 they about how Billy use to read all of Trouts books even though the rest of the world except Eliot Rosewater thought the books were really bad .Trout didn't sell any books so he managed a local news paper route with kids. Billy invites Trout to his anniversary party thats full of optometrist .Trout cheers up the party by hitting on Maggie and by making jokes and laughing loudly while spitting little pieces of Salmon .I must say I found Trout hilarious he reminded me so much of Tomas.

      Tomas is a lot like Trout he is 64 years old and his single  but his  been married twice .They said that nobody can stand Tomas because he is very arrogant and likes to drink  and swear a lot.Tomas has written a couple of poems that he claims are are breathtaking ,but nobody except Tomas 38 year old girlfriend really likes them.


Tomas is simply hilarious I remember remember in Christmas when we were all exchanging presents ,Tomas came in with a huge samsung box that seemed to have a plasma TV  inside.Tomas was a bit drunk and he gave my uncle the box .My uncle thought it was a plasma TV and he began to thank Tomas .Tomas said it was the least he could do and that my uncle should open the box in front of everybody because its god luck .My uncle began to open the box he took out all of the paper that was intended to protect the TV and found an extra large pink bra. Instantly everybody  in my family burst  in  laughter.This seems pretty similar to Trouts joke in the elegant party .


In another occasion I had to take a cab with Tomas the taxi driver was black and Tomas started making jokes.He told me the taxi driver was Barrack Obama, who was visiting Colombia dressed up as a taxi driver in a secret mission, I laughed so hard.The taxi driver how ever didn't find it that funny he looked at Tomas  seriously and said “were are we going?”  Tomas put 2 thousand pesos on the guys chest and said “take me to were ever the money can take me Obama “ again I laughed so hard .The taxi driver told me and Tomas to get out of the cab .

       Even though Tomas dosent control a local News paper route with kids I wouldn't be amazed if one they I found out he did .Overall I must say I found the Chapter pretty funny and I thought of Tomas the whole chapter and I really liked Kilgore Trout.

  

Billys Final Destination

In chapter 6 they talk about how Billy is boarding a plane along with Valencia.Billy knows that the plane is going to crash how ever he dosent really do anything to stop it from actually happening .

        This reminds me of the movie final destination 1.In the movie the main character Alex Browing is on a school field trip to Paris.As Alex and his classmates mount the plane Alex has a vision of the plane suddenly exploding in mid air.Alex wakes up from his vision and rushes his friends out of the plane.Once they get out they witness as the plane explodes .

        Alex and his friends realize that they have skipped their deaths. They also realize that death is going to chase them down one by one in the order that they would've died if they hadn't gotten out of the plane.Here is were the plot of the movie begins as Alex manages to avoid death and tries to help his friends avoid death.At the end only alex and his girlfriend manage to actually escape from death.

        This compares to Billys story because Billy also is aware that he plane is going to crash however Billy dosent  get out of the plane.

          Billy has been a pretty tough character to decipher because we don't exactly know how he is living life.I ask myself if Billy still wants to live for example here he knew the plane was going to crash and didnt do anything about it. Maybe I think that the fact that Billy dosent do anything even though he knows the plane is going to crash shows us how traumatized Billy really is .The fact that Billy dosent do anything makes me think that Billy is kind of living in an dream because he dosent question anything like in a dream.If trafamolodorians come along and say something Billy simply accepts it .

      I ask myself does Billly really want to live ? Is he enjoying life ?