Reread the passage in which Billy addresses the crowd about his own death (141-143). How does this passage help us understand Billy's view of death in the novel?
By addressing the crowd that has been listening to him about the day he dies shows that Billy's opinion of death has changed from that of a earthling since his time with the tralfamadorians. Since he gained time traveling abilities he started viewing death as a spot in the time of life. "The most important thing I learned on Tralfamadore was that when a person dies he only appers to die". (p.26) This tells us that Billy has relized that even if he dies, he's only dead in the moment and his past will live on.
This passage reflects how simple Billy's view on death is. He realizes it is inevitable and that it is a part of life. Billy says, "if you protest if you think that death is a terrible thing, then you have not understood a word I've said". Billy is going to die any minute and he's specifically asking people to not try and stop it. He understands it's a part of life. The novel often says so it goes and I think that is what most accurately portrays Billy's view on death. If somebody dies, he doesn't care because it's just death it's not a big deal. That fearless and careless look at death is what characterizes Billy Pilgrim.
Billy thinks that death was going to happen for all of us and that he knew about death and wasn't scared of it. Billy actually preferred death as a way out of his life and go back. "If you protest, if you think that death is such a terrible thing, then you have not understood a word I said." (142) This shows that billy is fine with death unlike the rest of the world and uses death as an closure and to his abilities, uses them as a undoer. Billy thinks that death can solve all his problems by going back, and sometimes redoing them. That death gives life back to Billy.
From the start of the book, the author has tried to make a point that life is meaningless to Billy, and so is death. Billy has always been dead on the inside but real "death" is a little rest for him, a place where he can just simply see "violet light and a hum". He thinks he is unstuck in time and it seems it is hard for him to adapt to the places he is sent. " It is time for you to go home to your wives and children, and it is time for me to be dead for a little while-and then live again". Billy doesnt care about death, death is meaningless to him. The fact that he has experienced death many times and he doesnt do anything to stop it, might even seem he enjoys that moment of peace and rest more than his actual life. On his mind, he is just thinking.. "So it goes" . He could tell the police to stay with him and make him safe, but no, he didnt choose that option, for him, death is inevitable.
"a certain man promised to have me killed. He is an old man now, living not far from here. He was read all the publicity associated with my appearance in your city. He is insane. Tonight he will keep his promise." Through this Billy's speech I think he already accepted the death of his own since the guy told Billy that he is going to kill Billy. Billy seems like he is not afraid of death, and he is read to face it since it already have been decided. During the speech he laughs about his own death and courages the crowd to laugh with him. and when people protested when they heard that there was a man who says he is going to kill Billy, Billy more of trying to clam them down says that if they start to protest about Billy’s death, it means they haven’t understood what Billy told them. If I was in that situation I would have freaked out and scared, but Billy does not panic but be calm about it.
This passage is essential for the reader to have a complete grasp on how Billy views death. Billy views death as inevitable, anything but a terrible thing, and just something that people just have to deal with, "so it goes". As Billy announced his death, "If you protest, if you think that death is a terrible thing, then you have not understood a word I've said" (142). Billy thinks death is natural and clearly not permanent. Death to him is anything but something to mourn over and be sorrowful about. Billy ends every speech with "Farewell, hello, farewell, hello" (142). He believes that he/anyone will only have to experience death for a short period of time. After experiencing death for a bit he will time-travel to another time. Billy accepts his death that must come, "It is time for you to go home to your wives and children, and it is time for me to be dead for a little while-and then live again" (143). Billy excepts death for what it is and he accepts the fact that ones fate is predetermined. In addition, he understands no one is capable of changing the past, present, or future. Billy does not want anyone guarding him because his murderous death is inevitable. Billy will soon be time traveling to other times and he is completely aware of that.
When Billy addresses the crowd about his own death the readers gain more information about the meaning of the book. The quote, "It is time for you to go home to your wives and children, and it is time for me to be dead for a little while- and then live again"(pg142-143). This passage is showing us how Billy knows that he is going to die and that it is going to be ok. Everyone dies someday but his time is soon to come. Billy has a lot of experience with death throughout the book. The Tralfalmadorians treat death as just any ordinary thing. It happens and time just goes on. When Billy is talking about his death, he doesn't seem worried. To him its going to happen any way and he knows that it will be fine. It is like a time travel. He is just going to go back in time and everything will be fine. That is why his speech about his death is so important to us.
Billy views death as another part of his journey through life. Instead of trying to fight it Billy accepts the fact that he will die in the next hour. Right before Billy dies he tells the crowd "it is time for you to go home to your wives and children, and it is time for me to be dead for a while-then live again"(142). Billy is telling the crowd that he is ok with dying because he knows that death isn't the end. Death is nothing more then an entry way to another part of life, and Billy accepts it.
It seems like he's to calm about death. I think he uses that "so it goes" quote as his relax words. If he's in a situation where he's suppose to be mad he uses "so it goes" as his keep it together words. "Yeah--I had a friend in the war. He's dead. So it goes." Ever since his best friend Weary died it seemed like he didn't care about life anymore, he just wanted to get revenge back on who killed Weary, but Lazzaro thinks he is the reason why Weary died.
Billy’s interpretation of death is very different then most peoples, mostly because he knows when and how he is going to die. Most people don't know how they are going to die till they actually die which makes some people think that death is inevitable when living because they don’t have to think about it. Billy knows how and when he is going to die but understands it is not under his control like most things in his life and that he can’t do anything to change his life, “he laughs about, invites the crowd to laugh with him”(142). Even though Billy has no control over death he has more power then most people because he can plan the rest of his life due to knowing how much time he really has left.
Death comes for us all, baby.
ReplyDeleteBy addressing the crowd that has been listening to him about the day he dies shows that Billy's opinion of death has changed from that of a earthling since his time with the tralfamadorians. Since he gained time traveling abilities he started viewing death as a spot in the time of life. "The most important thing I learned on Tralfamadore was that when a person dies he only appers to die". (p.26) This tells us that Billy has relized that even if he dies, he's only dead in the moment and his past will live on.
ReplyDeleteThis passage reflects how simple Billy's view on death is. He realizes it is inevitable and that it is a part of life. Billy says, "if you protest if you think that death is a terrible thing, then you have not understood a word I've said". Billy is going to die any minute and he's specifically asking people to not try and stop it. He understands it's a part of life. The novel often says so it goes and I think that is what most accurately portrays Billy's view on death. If somebody dies, he doesn't care because it's just death it's not a big deal. That fearless and careless look at death is what characterizes Billy Pilgrim.
ReplyDeleteBilly thinks that death was going to happen for all of us and that he knew about death and wasn't scared of it. Billy actually preferred death as a way out of his life and go back. "If you protest, if you think that death is such a terrible thing, then you have not understood a word I said." (142) This shows that billy is fine with death unlike the rest of the world and uses death as an closure and to his abilities, uses them as a undoer. Billy thinks that death can solve all his problems by going back, and sometimes redoing them. That death gives life back to Billy.
ReplyDeleteFrom the start of the book, the author has tried to make a point that life is meaningless to Billy, and so is death. Billy has always been dead on the inside but real "death" is a little rest for him, a place where he can just simply see "violet light and a hum". He thinks he is unstuck in time and it seems it is hard for him to adapt to the places he is sent.
ReplyDelete" It is time for you to go home to your wives and children, and it is time for me to be dead for a little while-and then live again".
Billy doesnt care about death, death is meaningless to him. The fact that he has experienced death many times and he doesnt do anything to stop it, might even seem he enjoys that moment of peace and rest more than his actual life. On his mind, he is just thinking.. "So it goes" .
He could tell the police to stay with him and make him safe, but no, he didnt choose that option, for him, death is inevitable.
"a certain man promised to have me killed. He is an old man now, living not far from here. He was read all the publicity associated with my appearance in your city. He is insane. Tonight he will keep his promise." Through this Billy's speech I think he already accepted the death of his own since the guy told Billy that he is going to kill Billy. Billy seems like he is not afraid of death, and he is read to face it since it already have been decided. During the speech he laughs about his own death and courages the crowd to laugh with him. and when people protested when they heard that there was a man who says he is going to kill Billy, Billy more of trying to clam them down says that if they start to protest about Billy’s death, it means they haven’t understood what Billy told them. If I was in that situation I would have freaked out and scared, but Billy does not panic but be calm about it.
ReplyDeleteThis passage is essential for the reader to have a complete grasp on how Billy views death. Billy views death as inevitable, anything but a terrible thing, and just something that people just have to deal with, "so it goes". As Billy announced his death, "If you protest, if you think that death is a terrible thing, then you have not understood a word I've said" (142). Billy thinks death is natural and clearly not permanent. Death to him is anything but something to mourn over and be sorrowful about. Billy ends every speech with "Farewell, hello, farewell, hello" (142). He believes that he/anyone will only have to experience death for a short period of time. After experiencing death for a bit he will time-travel to another time. Billy accepts his death that must come, "It is time for you to go home to your wives and children, and it is time for me to be dead for a little while-and then live again" (143). Billy excepts death for what it is and he accepts the fact that ones fate is predetermined. In addition, he understands no one is capable of changing the past, present, or future. Billy does not want anyone guarding him because his murderous death is inevitable. Billy will soon be time traveling to other times and he is completely aware of that.
ReplyDeleteWhen Billy addresses the crowd about his own death the readers gain more information about the meaning of the book. The quote, "It is time for you to go home to your wives and children, and it is time for me to be dead for a little while- and then live again"(pg142-143). This passage is showing us how Billy knows that he is going to die and that it is going to be ok. Everyone dies someday but his time is soon to come. Billy has a lot of experience with death throughout the book. The Tralfalmadorians treat death as just any ordinary thing. It happens and time just goes on. When Billy is talking about his death, he doesn't seem worried. To him its going to happen any way and he knows that it will be fine. It is like a time travel. He is just going to go back in time and everything will be fine. That is why his speech about his death is so important to us.
ReplyDeleteBilly views death as another part of his journey through life. Instead of trying to fight it Billy accepts the fact that he will die in the next hour. Right before Billy dies he tells the crowd "it is time for you to go home to your wives and children, and it is time for me to be dead for a while-then live again"(142). Billy is telling the crowd that he is ok with dying because he knows that death isn't the end. Death is nothing more then an entry way to another part of life, and Billy accepts it.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like he's to calm about death. I think he uses that "so it goes" quote as his relax words. If he's in a situation where he's suppose to be mad he uses "so it goes" as his keep it together words. "Yeah--I had a friend in the war. He's dead. So it goes." Ever since his best friend Weary died it seemed like he didn't care about life anymore, he just wanted to get revenge back on who killed Weary, but Lazzaro thinks he is the reason why Weary died.
ReplyDeleteBilly’s interpretation of death is very different then most peoples, mostly because he knows when and how he is going to die. Most people don't know how they are going to die till they actually die which makes some people think that death is inevitable when living because they don’t have to think about it. Billy knows how and when he is going to die but understands it is not under his control like most things in his life and that he can’t do anything to change his life, “he laughs about, invites the crowd to laugh with him”(142). Even though Billy has no control over death he has more power then most people because he can plan the rest of his life due to knowing how much time he really has left.
ReplyDelete