With a not-so-kind personality like the stepsisters’, characters like Cinderella would always arose a few smoke of envy in me. Truly, with guilt, I will admit that I have many shallow dreams. I want Paris Hilton’s closet, Bill Gates’ money, Albert Einstein’s IQ, Victoria Beckham’s style, Warren Baffett’s insight in the stock market, Joan Ginther’s luck in winning four lotteries…the list goes on. And yes, Kate Middleton would be on that list too, and so would be Billy Pilgrim.
BILLY PILGRIM’S LIFE IS A TOTAL FAIRYTALE!!!!!!!!!! It’s true that he had a tough childhood and that he had to clean up after the war, but Cinderella scrubbed the floor too! Billy eventually became an optometrist and married a rich wife at the end. The Tralfamaldorians took important, mythical roles in Billy’s life just like the fairy godmother and the little animals did in Cinderella’s life. He is a Cinderella; he even got the silver shoes!
If only Vonnegut focused more on the happily-ever-after part of Billy’s life, this novel could possibly turn into an interesting, classic love story like Jane Eyre. But then again, the more a character suffers, the more sympathy the character receives, and the sweeter the afterlife would seem to be. A good writer like Vonnegut wouldn’t miss the chance to make someone plain as Billy ironic, Slaughterhouse-Five buttresses that!
Throughout the whole novel, not one chapter hesitated to seek out symapathy on Billy, on soldiers who fought in the war. The anti-war message had its finger print all over the pages! I most definitly felt it was deserving, with a hint of jealousy lingering in my mind, that Billy deserved the better life as an optometist.
After all, he really did live like Cinderella.
Poo-tee-wee
Nancy
this is an amazing connection to Cinderella, I really enjoyed this post. Yeah it's true, although Billy had it tough for the first half of his life, he got it pretty well for him after he married Valencia..but Nancy, I think I'd rather have Bill Gates' income and buy off Forever 21 rather than Paris Hilton's closet lol xD
ReplyDeletelol liz, thnx. Billy's life in SH5 truely flunctuated a lot. It's pretty impressive for a plain soldier to be come a well-respected doctor. And then there's the rich wife Valencia...
ReplyDeleteHis life really isn't that bad afterall, but with Bill Gate's income, you wouldn't be shopping at Forever 21.
Nancy