Going into reading Slaughter House Five, I was a little apprehensive just because the story sounded so strange. Until our lit circles in school and I really analyzed the text did I begin to enjoy slaughter house five. My favorite thing about this book was probably all the symbolism. It was very subtle which made it difficult at times to see it. But to me, that's what made it fun. It was like you had to closely analyze each chapter to really understand Kurt's feelings towards war. I think my favorite subtle symbols was the whole "pillar of salt" story where the women looked back at Sodom, her town, and turned into a pillar of salt. I think this one detail in the book really encased what the whole book was trying to say. The girl got turned into pillar of salt because she looked back on the past. Throughout the entire book Billy Pilgrim is reliving his past but cannot change anything. He just relives different parts and makes him think of other parts of his life which lives him with nothing to do but reflect on his past. Which I think is what Kurt Vonnegut believes you should do. Just brushing off your past is basically saying not taking responsibility for what you have done. And it is important to grow from your past which in my opinion is what Billy Pilgrim is trying to do but is not able to do. He repeatedly says he is "unstuck in time", maybe this meaning he is able to jump from time to time trying to be guilt free from his past actions and grow as a person from it. However, it may be difficult because of the affects of the war on him as a person and all war veterans.
Going into reading Slaughter House Five, I was a little apprehensive just because the story sounded so strange. Until our lit circles in school and I really analyzed the text did I begin to enjoy slaughter house five. My favorite thing about this book was probably all the symbolism. It was very subtle which made it difficult at times to see it. But to me, that's what made it fun. It was like you had to closely analyze each chapter to really understand Kurt's feelings towards war. I think my favorite subtle symbols was the whole "pillar of salt" story where the women looked back at Sodom, her town, and turned into a pillar of salt. I think this one detail in the book really encased what the whole book was trying to say. The girl got turned into pillar of salt because she looked back on the past. Throughout the entire book Billy Pilgrim is reliving his past but cannot change anything. He just relives different parts and makes him think of other parts of his life which lives him with nothing to do but reflect on his past. Which I think is what Kurt Vonnegut believes you should do. Just brushing off your past is basically saying not taking responsibility for what you have done. And it is important to grow from your past which in my opinion is what Billy Pilgrim is trying to do but is not able to do. He repeatedly says he is "unstuck in time", maybe this meaning he is able to jump from time to time trying to be guilt free from his past actions and grow as a person from it. However, it may be difficult because of the affects of the war on him as a person and all war veterans.
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