CHAPTER 6:
Throughout the novel, Vonnegut uses a specific tone to tell this story. The tone he uses helps influence us readers in how we interpret his words and visualize the scene he is portraying. The best word that I can think of to describe the tone Vonnegut uses is monotone. There is very little emotion in his words as he describes tragedies and horrors of not only World War II, but also the daily lives of the characters in the story. The phrase, "so it goes" is an example of how Vonnegut detaches himself from the events in the novel. Vonnegut rarely ever describes how a character feels after a tragedy has taken place. Maybe he thinks that the audience should be able to imagine how the character would feel, however I believe he uses this monotone or detached tone for a different reason.
Vonnegut is using this novel as a means to tell people about his experience witnessing the fire bombing of Dresden, which later became one of the most controversial moral issues of the time. A veteran of war, Vonnegut experienced psychological trauma like every other soldier does. When retelling the events of his life, Vonnegut uses Billy Pilgrim as a substitute for himself. By doing this Vonnegut is able to recall the experiences he went through by pretending like they happened to someone else. Vonnegut reframes from making an emotional connection with the events he writes about, instead he uses Billy Pilgrim and the philosophy of "so it goes" to help him tell the story that needs to be told, without him having to completely relive the horrors he faced.
Vonnegut is using this novel as a means to tell people about his experience witnessing the fire bombing of Dresden, which later became one of the most controversial moral issues of the time. A veteran of war, Vonnegut experienced psychological trauma like every other soldier does. When retelling the events of his life, Vonnegut uses Billy Pilgrim as a substitute for himself. By doing this Vonnegut is able to recall the experiences he went through by pretending like they happened to someone else. Vonnegut reframes from making an emotional connection with the events he writes about, instead he uses Billy Pilgrim and the philosophy of "so it goes" to help him tell the story that needs to be told, without him having to completely relive the horrors he faced.
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