Death is an inevitable part of life. Whether it comes today, tomorrow, or 60 years from now, we will all die one day. So it goes, Vonnegut would say. Vonnegut pushes the idea that life is about experience, not specific points in time. As a reader, you learn the beginning, end, and climax of the novel in the first chapter of Slaughterhouse Five, but that does not detract from the story whatsoever. You learn as a reader that life is not about death, but in fact about the experiences between the beginning and the end. As Billy Pilgrim travels through time, it becomes about the compilation of those times into a whole new level of time. A level of time not comprehendible to humans. But the Tralfamadorians are another story. These extraterrestrial creatures Vonnegut introduces act as a clever way to give commentary on humanity from an outside point of view. These creatures can see time as a whole. Something us mere humans could never even begin to imagine. We are creatures of free will, we are creatures of choices, we are not creatures chained by time. But the Tralfamadorians would be quick to correct me of that statement, in fact, they would say something like, "Time is set in stone. There is no such thing as free will, silly human."Therefore, there is no use fearing or trying to stop death. It is a natural occurrence with which we should not battle. Death happens, and we can't stop it. Death happens, so it goes.
We, as humans, have a paradoxical mindset. We value life to no end, saying things like "life is short". But then turn around and murder masses with an excuse called "war". We, as humans, have done terrible, irrevocable, grotesque things to our fellow human beings. But we (try to) practice kindness on a daily basis, and say things like, "do unto to others as to others do to you". I wish it was that simple. I wish humanity's kindness made up for its cruelties. But that is not the way it is. We continue to be hypocritical and passive. Perhaps, my use of the word "we" is a little too broad and pessimistic, but nonetheless I digress. Vonnegut makes a clear point of the irresponsibility and cruelty in the implications of war. He demonstrates the innocence of the soldiers being put into war with his character Billy Pilgrim, who waddles around in his silver (non-combat) boots. Mary O'Hare says that children are being put to war. It's true, we are killing are youth's carelessly. Vonnegut also impresses upon the reader that this detached killing affects these people for the rest of their lives. Billy lives with the image of a moon-like Dresden, after one of the worst bombings in world history, for the rest of his life. The barbershop quartet lips still haunt him, even in daily life. This killing, called "war", not only destroys human life, but even destroys animals. One of the most memorable moments in the book, at least for me , is when Billy cries for the first time in the war when he sees the cruelly treated horses carrying the carriage Billy is at peace within. We, as humans, inflict pain upon others to enjoy something for ourselves. War is the sad, dark side of humanity. Perhaps, war is just a part of life, so it goes.
Please let me make myself clear here. I'm not trying to say that all of humanity is inherently evil. I'm not trying to say that humanity is entirely doomed. I'm just saying that we have done terrible things. We will continue to do terrible things. But that does not mean everything is horrible. There are still smiling children, there are still weddings, there is still hope, there is still laughter, and there is still humanity. A binary of all opposites. We are the dark and light, we are death and life, and we are the beginning and the end. So it goes.
