CHAPTER 8:
"Unexpectedly, Billy Pilgrim found himself upset by the song and the occasion. He had never had an old gang, old sweethearts and pals, but he missed one anyway, as the quartet made slow agonized experiments with chords-–chords intentionally sour, sourer still, unbearably sour, and then a chord that was suffocatingly sweet, and then some sour ones again. Billy had powerful psychosomatic responses to the changing chords. His mouth filled with taste of lemonade, and his face became grotesque, as though he really were being stretched on the torture engine called the rack." (pages 172-173) This indirect characterization of Billy Pilgrim indicates to the reader that he suffers from PTSD. Vonnegut describes Billy's reaction to the song the barbershop quartet is singing to show that Billy is subconsciously reminded of a horrible event in his life. Later in the chapter Vonnegut reveals that painful memory is about the German guards' reaction to the destruction of Dresden, "the guards drew together instinctively, rolled their eyes. They experimented with one expression and then another, said nothing, though their mouths were often open. They looked like a silent film of a barbershop quartet." (page 178)
The affects of PTSD on a person are great ones and vary in degree. A person, especially a veteran just returning from war can suffer from constant paranoia or someone who hasn't seen war in years can have reactions like Billy Pilgrim did. However the affects last a lifetime and are a tragic consequence those that serve our country have to suffer. Vonnegut's words show us that Billy is emotionally scarred from the war, just as all veterans would be.
No comments:
Post a Comment