Thesis- To be “unstuck in time” and fight or to be against war and not
fight. I. How Kurt Vonnegut uses Fragmentation. A. Keeping Dresden fresh in the
readers mind . 1. Billy goes back to Dresden reader goes with him. 2. First hand
account of the massacre. a. Live through the horrors of war b. The reader is
able to reflect on the horrors of war. II. Time there is no past,present or
future in Slaughterhouse-five. A. Billy learns this view of all time existing
from a group of aliens called Tralfamadorians. 1. There way of looking at time
is comparable to a human’s way of looking at “a stretch of the Rocky
Mountains.” 2. All things are destined to happen. B. Constantly seeing things
through Billy’s eyes. 1. Reader is with Billy wherever he goes. 2. “so it
goes” III. Vonnegut presents the war experience as one that still goes on. A.
Billy never leaves the war . 1. The reader does not leave the war 2. Reader is
not able to experience the war. B. Horrific details 1. Saves the actual account
of the bombing until the reader entrenched in the narrative. 2. Reader is denied
the luxury of saying that he or she has seen worse. IV. Billy steps out of time.
A. Planet Trafalmadore 1. “Heavenly” 2. Billy is only allowed to have peace
here B. Aliens teach Billy. 1. View his own line as a long line rather than
concentrating on one point in particular. 2. View the novel as a whole rather
than pieces of events. V. Verge of Billy breaking up. A. Pressures of the
outside worlds. 1. Finds himself in different events. 2. “a constant state of
stage fright” B. Splitting himself into different parts. 1. Husband,soldier
and employer 2. Seems to be spread a little too thin to handle all of these
roles. VI. Billy ages A. Becomes separated from himself 1. Play a role at each
stage of his life. 2. Even when he steps out of time he is still performing. B.
Billy is always on stage 1. The dangers of role playing surfaces with the
example of Billy Pilgrim. 2. Billy is a person who must pretend in order to be.
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