Towards the end of chapter five, I was very confused. Before reading Slaughterhouse Five, I was informed that it is one of the most popular antiwar books ever written. Even on the back of the book it talks about how it is one of the world's greatest anti war books written. I was expecting to read this book and have a totally different view about war and never want to see another war fought! But towards the end of chapter five, (which I thought chapter five would never end...) Billy asked the Tralfamadorians how to prevent war on Earth because he believes it will lead to the end of the world. They, however, tell him that they know how the world will end and war is not the cause of that.
The world will end because a test pilot will press a button that will cause the Universe to disappear. Billy, just like any other human would say, asked if they could prevent the pilot from pressing it!? They responded saying that he has always pressed it, always will. There is nothing they can do to prevent it because it is just the way things will happen, it is fate. Gropingly, Billy responds saying "'I suppose that the idea of preventing war on Earth is stupid, too.'" The Tralfamadorians confirm saying "'Of course.'" One would think that in an antiwar book, the author would try to encourage people to prevent war, not write how war can never be prevented... Maybe later in the book I will have a better understanding.
In the same way I was confused as to whether Vonnegut's motives were to prevent or promote war. However, his attempt in explaining that war is unpreventable seems to be unsure.
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