CHAPTER 9:
Colors are unique in the sense that they can evoke emotions from us humans. Colors are often used as symbols and Kurt Vonnegut uses them frequently in his novel. The colors he uses the most are orange, black, blue, and ivory.
The color orange is often associated with the strength, happiness, joy, endurance, and determination. Orange is often used with the color black, which is associated with death, mystery, fear, evil, and power. While describing the box cars that the POWs were loaded into, Vonnegut describes the boxcars as being "stripped with black and orange". The color black, in this case symbolizes death, while orange symbolizes endurance. From the combination of these two colors the reader can infer that the POWs will be enduring a trip that will lead some of them to their deaths.
The color blue is often associated with power, tranquility, rebirth, and loyalty. It is used by itself, like on page 183 when describing Billy's wife's death, "poor Valencia was unconscious, overcome by carbon monoxide. She was a heavenly azure." In this case, azure (a shade of blue) is used to symbolize tranquility. Valencia has found peace in death.
Blue is also used with the color ivory. Ivory usually represents purity, innocence, and goodness. When Billy Pilgrim is walking outside on the night of his abduction he notices that his feet are "blue and ivory". Blue symbolizes rebirth and ivory symbolizes innocence. From this remark, Vonnegut foreshadows that Billy Pilgrim is about to embark on a journey that will mark the beginning of a new phase in his life, one where he will lose his human innocence and his eyes will be opened to knew knowledge and truths about life.
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