Billy Pilgrim's Slaughterhouse-Five

Ryan Bown
September 4, 2009
Biff G

Slaughterhouse-Five

In the novel Slaughterhouse-Five, Billy Pilgrim discovers that the Tralfamadorian idea of time is that every moment is sealed by destiny and structured in a way that is unchangeable. Even though the Tralfamadorians and Billy can see their future, they know it is impossible to change it. Also, since their philosophy of time is fixed by fate and cannot be altered, it negates the concept of free will derived from Earth.
In the beginning of the fourth chapter, Billy comes in contact with the Tralfamadore aliens for the first time. Unstuck in time, Billy knew beforehand that he was going to be kidnapped by the Tralfamadorian flying saucer. Once he was aboard the ship, Billy asked “Why me?” and the alien compares Billy situation to a bug trapped in amber. “ ‘That is a very Earthling thing to ask, Mr. Pilgrim. Why you? Why us for that matter? Why anything? Because this moment simple is. Have you ever seen a bug
trapped in amber? ’ ” (Vonnegut, 77). Here, the Tralfamadorian is suggesting that every moment in time is fixed the way it is. It was bound by fate and even though Billy knew he was going to be captured by the aliens he wouldn’t have been able to avoid it.
Another example of this is when Billy is being held in an artificial habitat on the planet of Tralfamadore where he has several conversations with the aliens who are watching him on the outside of the artificial dome. At this point, Billy has been on their planet for quite a while. He is told that the universe ends by the Tralfamadorians experimenting with new fuels. Billy protest, questioning that if they know how the universe ends then why they cannot prevent it.
“ ‘If you know this,’ said Billy, ‘isn’t there some way you can prevent it? Can’t you keep the pilot from pressing the button?’ ‘He has always pressed it, and he always will. We always let him and we always will let him. The moment is structured that way’ ” (Vonnegut, 117).

Again, the alien is proposing that it is unviable to change an event in time because it was already a predetermined, organized moment.
Due to this way of thinking, the Tralfamadorians believe in accepting things as they come, which has a minor connection to the phrase ‘So it goes’ used repetitively throughout the book. This phrase gives a careless connotation of acceptance to everything that is mentioned before it.
Billy begins to converse with another Tralfamadorian and again the alien talks about how everything is stuck in time like a bug in amber. Billy introduces the idea of free will as his response.
“ ‘You sound to me as though you don’t believe in free will,’ said
Billy Pilgrim. ‘If I hadn’t spent so much time studying Earthlings,’ said the
Tralfamadorian, ‘I wouldn’t have any idea what was meant by ‘free will.’ I’ve visited thirty-one inhabited planets in the universe and I have studied reports on one hundred more. Only on Earth is there any talk of free will’ ” (Vonnegut, 86
).

Through their philosophy in time, it is impossible for the Tralfamadorians to believe in free will. Since every moment of time is unalterably, no one has the ability to change their future and their choices no longer influence their lives. If one believes in this theory of time, then one loses the control to shape their future. Coincidentally, the same beliefs are associated with Communistic ideals and suggests a comparison to Nazi Germany whom Billy is fighting against.
Throughout the novel, Billy is constantly being held against his free will and forced to do things he does not want to do. For example, Billy is drafted into the army and is also kidnapped by the Tralfamadorians. Interestingly enough, the only volunteer whom Vonnegut frequently refers as ‘poor old Edgar Derby’ ends up being shot after the bombing of Dresden. “This volunteer was Edgar Derby, the high school teacher who would be shot to death in Dresden. So it goes” (Vonnegut, 99). Ironically, Edgar was executed for taking a small teapot from the debris of Dresden where over 100,000 people died just a day before.
As Billy is exposed to the Tralfamadorian philosophy of time, it seems as though he begins to believe in it and agree with them. During his time he spent in the war and at home, he always seemed to accept things, like the death of his wife and Edgar Derby, as they happen. As mentioned before, he was always being forced to do something, constantly losing his free will and his ability to make his own choices in his life.